Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 41,082 complaints for BMW
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V566000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reaso... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Back in March 2024 I had a tow beam stock replaced to the car. Couple of months after this check engine light started coming on until it stayed on. Took SUV to mechanic shop in July 2024, and they informed of a r&r knock senor needing to be replace. A couple days after this had to go back as check engine light was back on. they informed of needing to replace a wire harness. It wasn't a week after ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns 2017 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and decelerated with the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Cp4 high pressure fuel pump will self-destruct causing little pieces of metal to go throughout the fuel system and causing thousands in repair lots of manufacturers are doing recalls to this pump but nothing for Volkswagen I have contact the dealer no help if you go online thousands of people it's complaining about the CP4 high pressure fuel pump it has a design flaw from factory and needs to be c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
While driving in my neighborhood, I was making a right turn on my block and the steering wheel suddenly appeared to lock up and the vehicle began to move in a straight direction instead of turning in the direction I wanted to go. Then, just as suddenly as it locked up, the steering came back and I was able to maintain the turn. As I made the next turn, the same thing happened.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Righ passenger side door making a buzzing sound when locking/unlocking sliding door. Door will not open. Just bought car yesterday, 9/14/24
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
While using adaptive cruise control the vehicle regularly decelerates for no reason and without warning "phantom braking". I experience this about once a week, but experienced it multiple times on a longer drive this weekend. The unexplained abrupt braking could result in being rear-ended by another vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
I have been on multiple wait lists to have the recall correction for the HPFP, but the dealers I have contacted in the Fresno area have told me they have not received the parts to make the correction. I’ve been on these waitlists for well over a year with no updates.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Twice, while backing out of my driveway, the brakes have locked up. The brakes stay locked until you tap them repetitively for a few minutes. Then the brakes will slowly release while going forward, but only lock up again when put in reverse. The vehicle cannot be driven until the next day, then it performs normally. luckily this happened in my driveway before I got on to the street. When the brak... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
2025 Honda CRV EX-L purchased [XXX]. Unable to drive car at night due to headlights. Extremely poor illumination. I am [XXX] with 20/20 vision. The headlights on low beam barely illuminate the road. I have spent $51,000 on a car that I am unable to drive after sunset. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
The front driver door was making loud popping sounds and the hinge fell off the door!!
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
Since purchasing this vehicle when I have driven the vehicle and come home the vehicle smells of gas vapor/fumes. It's so bad the entire garage will fill with the vapor. Im afraid the garage will explode. I have to leave the vehicle parked outside for several hours until the smell is gone. This is a known issue for this car as others have complained about the same thing. Dealership has confirmed i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
1) Vehicle is burning oil and engine is overheating quite fast. 2)Vehicle has stalled or shut off on its own during use 3) Kia dealership refused to address the specific issue due to car being out of warranty because of the mileage. They also wanted to run different tests not directly associated with the issue; Wants to do trial and error which is only creating a humongous bill for the customer. 4... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
It started in April 2024. After the dealership performed an oil change we heard a strange noise whenever we accelerated. The dealership said it was either the transmission or the hybrid motor and both were on back order (usually an indicator that these parts are in great demand). After several weeks both parts arrived but they only replaced the transmission because that took care of the noise. A f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
The noted vehicle is one of 7 Teslas (6 Model 3s and 1 Model Y) that I have rented from Hertz for a round trip from Orlando Fl to Naples Fl. Over the last 7 months. Each of the Model 3 vehicles was different, I never got the same Model 3. Each of the vehicles exhibited the same or similar glitch when traveling on [XXX] at [XXX] when either the navigation and/or the adaptive speed control was eng... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
Took vehicle in for service they replace the wiper motor under warranty with the faulty one that is more unsafe than the previous one. And they refuse to fix it. Research shows they knew about this for months, yet continue to risk owners safety by replacing working units with faulty ones. Then have it taken or leave an attitude.
Incident date: May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced hard shifting and the front end was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that the hard shifting mostly occurred while shifting from first to second gear. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
In the morning when I start the car, I have a blank digital instrumentation screen. No way to tell how fast you are driving or how much gas you have and no warning lights. Sometimes it will take over an hour to come back on. Took it to a Ford dealership and they said they could not duplicate the problem, but a service bulletin was out on is problem was out on this to make sure software was up to... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while making a right turn, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that the "Power Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and following the curve in the roadway, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact stated that the message "Loss of Power Steering Assist" and “Loss of Stability Control" were displayed. The contact stopped, and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the power s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V081000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the sub frame was extremely rusted underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 1... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The warning lamp (engine light) illuminated blinking on and off. Engine code P1327 read on the diagnostic check, riding on the expressway was a little uncomfortable, engine was losing power which is unsafe at high speeds. I’ve contacted the nearest Hyundai dealer and scheduled an appointment for the car repair. I take care of the car and any repairs for maintenance and I never have any problems ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The warning lamp (engine light) illuminated blinking on and off. Engine code P1327 read on the diagnostic check, riding on the expressway was a little uncomfortable, engine was losing power which is unsafe at high speeds. I’ve contacted the nearest Hyundai dealer and scheduled an appointment for the car repair. I take care of the car and any repairs for maintenance and I never have any problems ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly and shaking abnormally until the engine had warmed up. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusio... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that parts were not yet availabl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
The car periodically loses power while driving. In traffic this has caused some very scary and hazardous incidents while vehicles zoom around us or as we attempt to make it to the shoulder of the road. We do not get warning lights when it happens. The dealer (Cincinnati Columbia Accura) has confirmed the fuel pump safety recall but has done nothing to fix it.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a rough start-up. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into cylinder #3 and recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed actuator. The contact was informed that the actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that a total of eleve... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
Front portion of panoramic sunroof exploded while driving on the highway. No known debris hit the sunroof and there were no cars near me, and I was in open air (not under an overpass).
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
I engage the Parking Botton on shifter, & the vehicle still rolled away from me after I got out of Vehicle
Crash
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, he observed that the brake pedal briefly depressed all the way to the floorboard. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the failure only occurred upon coming to a complete stop. The power assist brake warning light was illu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a misfire, and the contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Headlights flicker every few minutes when on. Can be distracting to driver and other cars on the road at night. Seems to be an issue for several people with these new 2024 trucks but GM has no fix yet.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
In about July of 2023 car stalled at the light , then eventually started. Upon arriving home I turned the car off then tried to restart it started in battery mode? I tried shutting it back off and the vehicle started rolling down the hill at about 3 mph and would not allow me to shift gears or steer the wheel. Brakes were not functioning. Once I reached the bottom of the hill I pulled the Emerge... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Reoccurring messages regarding DEF, Exhaust Regeneration, and DPF, causing more and more frequent ReGen for longer and longer. Numerous trips to various Ram dealerships resulting in codes being cleared and then being told it was a software issue. After 2 years of this intermittently happening, we experienced an extended Regen that lasted hours and did not clear out the error code. Ram dealer in... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, wher... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Gulf Stream Conquest built on a 2022 Chevrolet Express Chassis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V231000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure); that was misplaced. The contact stated that the entry door latch had failed, and the door could only be locked or unlocked from the outside. The contact stated that he was physically disabled, and the fail... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
My car's paint began chipping and peeling about a year ago, it continues to get worse day by day and exposed areas show a bare metal with some areas rusting. This is happening very rapidly and appears the whole car may lose its paint quickly. Please help!
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
My regular headlights are so dim. When driving at night I have to use my high beams or I cannot see the road. Acura has admitted that there is a problem for the 2015 RDX but has not issued a recall. The original halogen headlight bulbs have damaged the reflective casing that the bulb reflects from. I have tried to improve the beam by replacing the bulbs but nothing works. It is a HUGE safety conc... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
December 28- Transmission goes bad, gets vehicle back Feb 17th - •Dangers include loss of vehicle control, wreck, cannot hit gas pedal. March there’s an exhaust leak. •Inhaling is dangerous as this contains carbon monoxide, potential fire, May y axle on muffler •Dangers include reduced engine performance that can lead to wrecks, carbon monoxide poisoning, and failed emissions test.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
RECALL MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER" SC284KH NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 23V652 KIA REFUSES TO PAY FOR DELIVERING THE CAR TO THEIR CERTIFIED K-900 DEALERSHIP KIA issued a recall in June of 2023. They notified us in March of 2024. We took our car to the local Dealer, but they would not give us an appointment. However, This local dealer in Tallahassee is not a K-900 Kia-designated dealer, anyway.. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
Ford, the dealership, has diagnosed my vehicle with a Cam Phaser Issue. This should be covered under Fords Customer Satisfaction Program #21N03. Unfortunately Ford has outlined that my VIN is not part of this service bulletin even though it is the same 3.5L Eco boost engine outlined in the service bulletin
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and the contact observed a loud vibrating noise, and the vehicle started shaking violently. Additionally, the steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was slowed down, steered to the side of the road, and turn... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The dashboard bulbs went out from 0-40 mph and 6-8 rpms. It seems to be a common issue on Reddit and I have found complaints on the internet.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
I bought the vehicle and February of 2020 and didn’t even have it for 6 months before it needed major repairs. In any other state, lemon laws would have applied and I wouldn’t be driving a dangerous vehicle. This model should not be on the market anymore, period. There have been countless failures: the transmission has been changed 3 times in less than 3 years, the purge valve has been changed... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Vehicle does not detect key intermittently while driving, vehicle begins an alert sequence while driving that requires the key to be retrieved and placed to the dashboard. The vehicle will present a red banner and warn of limited operation if the actions are not performed. These actions limit the attention and hand availability of the driver. It is dangerous and highly distracting. This issue h... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
2019 Doge ram 1500 quad cab- the engine completely and immediately froze up and locked all tires in the middle of a busy 2 lane street- sounded like only 2 of the 8 pistons were barely firing, was told my engine was "toast-it sucked a valve"! I am an old school mechanic so I take care of every aspect of my truck regularly by professional mechanics- how can a truck not even 5 yrs old with payments ... Read more