Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 40,555 complaints for BMW
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
My vehicle is subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA #25V-636) issued in September 2025 involving the engine starter. As of today, no remedy has been provided by the manufacturer. Due to the safety risk associated with this recall, I do not feel safe operating the vehicle and have been forced to keep it parked and unused for an extended period of time. This has caused significant financial ha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 440I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a hissing sound coming from the vehicle, and there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment and the exhaust system. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 440I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a hissing sound coming from the vehicle, and there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment and the exhaust system. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving and stopping at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle accelerated from 20 MPH to 40 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Possible wiring harness for the air conditioning system that may be damaged and cause a short circuit. Had to air compressors installed and both reasons codes were "shorts". A damaged A/C wiring harness can short-circuit, potentially creating electrical issues and increasing safety risks while driving or when parked. A recall was just issued in February but my vehicle wasn't included and I'm thin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
On Feb. 25th, 2026, while driving at high speeds (about 45 mph), the vehicle suffered a sudden and total loss of motive power. Diagnostic reports(DIACODE: D6121_00000000_01_901) later confirmed a failing 12V battery system with only 37% startability limit. This critical electrical failure coincided with the engine stalling, which resulted in the immediate impairment of electronic power steering an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
On Feb. 25th, 2026, while driving at high speeds (about 45 mph), the vehicle suffered a sudden and total loss of motive power. Diagnostic reports(DIACODE: D6121_00000000_01_901) later confirmed a failing 12V battery system with only 37% startability limit. This critical electrical failure coincided with the engine stalling, which resulted in the immediate impairment of electronic power steering an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
On Feb. 25th, 2026, while driving at high speeds (about 45 mph), the vehicle suffered a sudden and total loss of motive power. Diagnostic reports(DIACODE: D6121_00000000_01_901) later confirmed a failing 12V battery system with only 37% startability limit. This critical electrical failure coincided with the engine stalling, which resulted in the immediate impairment of electronic power steering an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
EXHIBITING SIGNS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO READ OIL LEVELS WHICH IS A POTENTIAL SIGN OF OIL PUMP FAILURE DUE TO PLASTIC INTERNAL COMPONENTS THAT HAS OCCURED IN 2020 MODELS.
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
Drivetrain malfunction creating error message of critical failure on brake system and chassis. The first of 2 such issues so far in 4 months of ownership. Car is under original mfr warranty. Dealer charged $600 to fix. This is a PHEV and with the electrical system issues it prevents the car from functioning safely
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
Drivetrain malfunction creating error message of critical failure on brake system and chassis. The first of 2 such issues so far in 4 months of ownership. Car is under original mfr warranty. Dealer charged $600 to fix. This is a PHEV and with the electrical system issues it prevents the car from functioning safely
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
Drivetrain malfunction creating error message of critical failure on brake system and chassis. The first of 2 such issues so far in 4 months of ownership. Car is under original mfr warranty. Dealer charged $600 to fix. This is a PHEV and with the electrical system issues it prevents the car from functioning safely
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Drivetrain malfunction reoccurring 2x in 45 days. First error message the dealer charged me $600 to fix. Bringing car in second time now. Unsafe to drive due to power cutoff. This is a PHEV. Car is under the original mfr warranty and less than 3 years old.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
While driving on the highway, the engine light came on and off. Pulling over, I inspected the engine compartment and heard what I believe was cylinder knocking, but could not obtain an engine code with an OBD code reader. Oil was of sufficient level as it had just been replaced within 1,000. After this I attempted to drive it to the dealership, where on going 45 MPH, I pulled to the right lane fo... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Last year while traveling on vacation, my family was on the interstate crusing at approximately 70 MPH when the Hyundai Palisade suddenly started shaking and slowing down. It was shaking so bad, I ended up having to turn on my flashers because the vehicle would not accelerate up hill while pressing on the gas pedal. Thankfully, I was able to exit the highway and located a Hyundai dealership about ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
The vehicle is exhibiting symptoms that are identical to those described in NHTSA Recall 25V556 — water intrusion through the windshield and A-pillar area. The recall documents that improperly sealed windshields can allow water to enter the power distribution box and electronic control unit, leading to a short circuit and, in extreme cases, a thermal event even when the ignition is off.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
On 3 separate occasions between August 20 2025 to October 1 2025 and on one occasion in January 2026, while driving at highway speed, the drivers console and information display on the dash of the vehicle completely stopped responding and went dark. At that moment there was no information displayed on the dash at all. After approximately 10 seconds the displays began returning to operation a few ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The vehicle developed an exhaust leak caused by both weld points on the front exhaust pipe breaking. A dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the exhaust welds had failed, creating a hole in the exhaust pipe and triggering a P0420 catalyst efficiency code. The failure occurred at approximately 31,500 miles. The exhaust leak caused increased exhaust noise and emissions warning codes. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
I was stopped in the left hand turn lane, then accelerated to cross 2 lanes of traffic. I then let off the accelerator, and applied the brakes to stop, and the brakes did not function. I then rear ended a vehicle in front of me due to the intermittent loss of brakes. It may have also been the propulsion system kept going. Either way the vehicle maintained the same speed of about 15mph until I c... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On February 14th, my 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (approx. 17,000 miles) experienced a catastrophic failure. Without warning, the steering wheel completely locked, preventing any control. Simultaneously, the automatic emergency collision braking system malfunctioned, locked the brakes, and would not disengage. This total loss of control forced the vehicle to crash into a median. Toyota Corporate has... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Transmission Control Valve Body (Recall #N242454440) Your truck is part of the massive recall issued late last year (expanded in February 2026) regarding the 10-speed Allison transmission. The Problem: Internal wear in the valve body causes a drop in pressure, which can cause the rear wheels to lock up suddenly while you're driving. Multiple occurrences. It has been taken to the shop for t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Component Failed: Engine starter relay and starter motor assembly. The vehicle stalled in traffic and ignited upon a restart attempt. The vehicle is a total loss, currently held by [Insurance Co] at [Location/Lot #], and is available for inspection. Safety Risk: The driver’s life was at immediate risk. The vehicle stalled in active traffic, creating a collision hazard, followed by a rapid, unco... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
In the 2017 Prius Prime when the car switches from Electric power to gas the car frequently fails to allow you to accelerate. It is like you are stuck in neutral on the freeway, taking your foot off of the acceleration pedal and pushing it down doesn't always fix the issue. The accelerator foot pedal can be completely down to the floorboard as you are losing speed. The safety issue is that you ar... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
In the 2017 Prius Prime when the car switches from Electric power to gas the car frequently fails to allow you to accelerate. It is like you are stuck in neutral on the freeway, taking your foot off of the acceleration pedal and pushing it down doesn't always fix the issue. The accelerator foot pedal can be completely down to the floorboard as you are losing speed. The safety issue is that you ar... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
While reversing into a parking space, the parking sensor system repeatedly indicated an obstacle on the left side of the vehicle even though no object was present. The system displayed a red warning on the left side and automatically applied the brakes very suddenly, causing the vehicle to jerk to a stop. I exited the vehicle to check the area and confirmed there was nothing on the ground or near ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
UKNOWN ENGINE SIEZED WHILE DRIVING LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY BEFORE STALL. NO EVIDENCE OF AN OUL LEAK BEFOREHAND. TRUCK WILL NOT START.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
2020 Honda HR-V — OBD Monitors Fail to Reset After Battery Replacement. Dealer Refused Help. Cannot Pass MA State Inspection. Following a routine battery replacement, my 2020 Honda HR-V OBD monitors will not reset, making it impossible to pass Massachusetts state inspection. I have followed Honda’s recommended drive cycle exactly — driven 562 miles, completed 142 warm-up cycles — and the s... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the DTC for a failure with the turbo charger was retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where no errors codes were retrieved; however, the check engine warning light returned two weeks la... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
I have 2020 Chevy 1500 with L87 engines on it. We have the exact same issues that the 2021 1500 recall is having. Loses power, noisy engine when at start. Paradise Chevrolet in Temecula told me that they were going to replace the engine per GM but then GM only auth the repair. 8 barring kits, 8 rings 8 piston kits lot of bolts and gastkit and seals. Talked to GM every tho it’s the same engine th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
I don’t have any problem
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
My 2017 Subaru Forester Touring (VIN: [XXX] , 118,200 mi) has a recurring EyeSight failure where the system becomes disabled and will not complete camera registration or calibration. Subaru of Sterling (VA) diagnosed active code B28A0 “Vehicle Model Judgment” and noted that the EyeSight stereo camera would not accept vehicle model registration. The technician documented: “Error for camera ad... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Yesterday used front passenger side seatbelt and it worked fine. Today it did not work at all, seatbelt does not latch.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
On December 6, 2025 I purchased a used 2013 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG from Jaguar Land Rover Willow Grove (Piazza Auto Group) in Pennsylvania. The delivery documentation for the vehicle included a written service commitment stating: “Replace air compressor for suspension system.” On January 23, 2026 at approximately 6:30 PM, while operating the vehicle at highway speed on the [XXX] in [XXX] , ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
I own a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 with the 6.4L engine (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle has a dangerous condition where the engine stalls unexpectedly when the fuel level is approximately 1/4 tank or lower and the vehicle is traveling downhill. When the vehicle is positioned on a decline or downhill slope, the engine suddenly shuts off without warning. This appears to be fuel starvation on decline... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT OF DRIVEWAY IT WILL HARD STOP LIKE IM GOING TO HIT SOMETHING. I CAN BE DRIVING THRU TOWN AND ALL THE SUDDEN IT WILL TRY TO STOP ABRUPTLEY. IT DOES IT OFTEN. TOOK TO SHOP AND ALL THEY WOULD SAY IS ALL SYSTEMS WORK LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. MY FONT COLLISION LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME WITH SOME TIMES STAYING ON FOR A FEW DAYS. I HAVE TRIED TO WIPE IT OFF WITH NO LUCK KEEPI... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
hello I am formally reporting: Safety‑Critical Failures and Applicable Federal Requirements the attached 2019 BMW X3 – VIN [XXX] 1. Rearview Camera Failure Federal Requirement: FMVSS 111 – Rear Visibility Relevant Obligations: - Rearview image must activate automatically when shifting into reverse. - System must provide a minimum field of view. - System must function reliably under no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights were inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 15-20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart and was driven to the auto body repair shop, where it was recently ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, but provided no assistance. The con... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Navigator. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available, and the rearview camera intermittently displayed a blank or distorted image. The contact stated that when the part for the recall repair became available, the vehicle was taken to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Vehicle overheated in middle of traffic and immediately went in limp mode due to antifreeze leaking in the internal engine
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
I was driving and slowed down to enter a small roundabout. upon trying to enter the roundabout the cars emergency braking slammed on the brakes to a sudden hard stop. No other cars were in the roundabout, but i believe it may have seen the curb. in any case, i was extremely lucky that nobody was behind me, or coming around the roundabout, as it took a bit to get the car to let me go again.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
Front camera failure in 2019 honda odyssey after only 5 years. Total system failure causing multiple warning lights and loss of full adas system
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
My 2015 Ford Flex is affected by recall 25V695 for the rear view camera inspection. I contacted my local Ford dealership to have the recall addressed and was told that no remedy parts are available at any dealership. They could not provide a timeline for when parts would be in stock. This vehicle is part of my commercial fleet and cannot be operated or rented until the recall is resolved. I am los... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
I was pulling into my son's driveway to park, and my vehicle did not stop when using the brakes. I struck the rear of his vehicle parked in the driveway. When put in reverse, my vehicle would not stop when using the brakes. My vehicle crossed the street, hit a tree, and eventually stopped when it hit a house. A video of the incident was caught on my son's ring door camera. I will submit screen sho... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Following the remedy of the engine recall in 2025, the truck started having intermittent electrical issues (i.e. warning lights on dash turn on/off: service 4WD, Loss traction Control, etc) come one while the truck is being driven. If the truck is turned off while the dash warning lights are on, it will NOT Start for about 24 hours. If the warning lights are ignored, eventually they will go off o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2025
The vehicle’s infotainment display intermittently freezes or shuts off while the vehicle is in operation. When this occurs, the rear-view backup camera display also fails or becomes unavailable. The malfunction happens randomly during normal driving conditions. This presents a safety concern because the driver relies on the navigation display while driving. When the screen suddenly freezes or sh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The passenger seat occupant sensor is on. Dealer confirmed the code is related to a bad sensor so even if someone is sitting in the passenger seat and we are in an accident the airbag will not deploy. The dealer said a recall exists for earlier models but not for the 2017 even though they say it’s the same components. They want to charge me between $6,000 to $8,000 to repair which is almost as m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rearview backup camera system seems to be misaligned or improperly calibrated or connecting to the wrong camera when put into reverse. When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the camera image points downward and primarily shows the rear bumper rather than the area behind the vehicle. This signif... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Ridgeline. The contact had received notification of an unknown recall regarding the Auto START/STOP feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was advised that the vehicle could not be repaired. The battery on the vehicle was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, no assistance was provided. The contact had not experie... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view safety sensor alert did not function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the auto-braking safety sensor did not activate. The contact's vehicle crashed into a tree. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure... Read more
Crash