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: Mar 26, 2024
Recall 23V651000 has been in place for over six months and a remedy is still not available. I have suffered hundreds of dollars in damages due to having to continue to park my vehicle outside, including having to replace the fuel sending unit after a failed siphoning attempt as well as exterior body and paint damages due to weather conditions. Please press Hyundai to release a remedy as soon as po... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
While coming to red lights or exiting the freeway I notice the brakes not braking while I press on the pedal. I have to push the pedal with extreme force to get it to stop. I was luckily able to stop it in time. My x7 braking systems reaction timing is not consistent, I feel like I am putting my family at risk if my wife is driving, or if someone else is driving and they cant hit the brakes with t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. The contact received a notification from Jeep stating the vehicle was under Jeep number U90 Emission Catalyst Efficiency Recall. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle decelerated and did not accelerate above 35 MPH. The traction light, check engine, and, electronic stability control lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. The contact received a notification from Jeep stating the vehicle was under Jeep number U90 Emission Catalyst Efficiency Recall. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle decelerated and did not accelerate above 35 MPH. The traction light, check engine, and, electronic stability control lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
While driving and no other cars or objects around, emergency beeper notification sounded, all dashboard panel lights went red and emergency brakes engaged without warning in the middle of road at approximately 35mph causing vehicle to come to a sudden stop without warning
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
The contact leased a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact was recently notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 reasonable amount of time for the recall repa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that abnormal sounds were coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the failure originally occurred three years ago... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the contact swerved to the left to avoid crashing into a deer. The contact stated that when he attempted to return the vehicle to the right lane the vehicle's front end continued to turn to the left as the rear end of the vehicle spun out to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle hit the shoulder of... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
steering rack feels faulty, steering wheel feels hard to turn and has a clicking noise at all times. safety compromised as steering is hard to do quick, almost got hit multiple times because switching lanes is slow. mulitple dealers can not find a problem or any recall for this problem. no warning signs come up on the dashboard, vehicle is up to date on service, power steering was also confirm... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
Weld spots on inside of driver's door are broken.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact recharged the battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed alternator wiring and that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
There is an active recall on the 2015 Mercedes S550 for the Front Stationary Sunroof panel however my vehicle is not part of the recall due to the Vin#. Regardless the Front Stationary Sunroof Panel on my vehicle has failed and risks coming off while driving which could come into impact with another vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the vehicle was registered from the Chicago plant and the vehicle resided in Northern Nevada, 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe. The contact stated the vehicle was susceptible to corrosion due to the weather in Northern Nevada. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
When driving at 60-70 mph steering wheel feels like it is sticking. It won't return back to center. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, like the steering wheel is going to get stuck turning. I see that there has been another complaint filed. - NHTSA ID # 11578790
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Engine failed due to timing chain, a common issue for these motors & part of the reason they discontinued this models engine. The car was running when the engine failed. The vehicle is currently at a mechanic, with diagnosis of engine failure due to timing chain. The car has not been looked at by police, manufacturer, insurance or other. There were NO indications of the problem prior to the e... Read more
BMW
K 1600 GTL
(2012) — SERVICE BRAKES
Mar 26, 2024
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
Abs & traction control lights come on and off constantly. Cruise control will not work when lights are on. They stay on 95% of the time. Told this is an abs pump failure issue
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became "sticky" with the contact struggling to turn the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. Over time, the contact stated that failure had gotten progressively worse, and the vehicle was eventually taken to a dealer. While on a test drive with a mechanic, the mechanic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
My tailgate unexpectedly open as I was driving down the road. (2021 GMC 2500 Denali Sierra) This was the second time this has happened and lost things driving down the road. (3 propane tanks and a small grill the first and then an air compressor the second time) Both times it happened I opened and closed the tailgate with the vehicle running. Both times I was unaware of tailgate opening and did... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
the check Engine light fault code P012D12 The pressure sensor upstream of the turbocharger had a short circuit to positive. Found Kink wire on upstream pressure sensor. A short circuit to positive. Electrical Wire replaced.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he observed condensation in both taillights and the taillights did not illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the lid light needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred with the right taillights. The manufacturer was notified of the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
Transfer case recall. 2015 not included. Vehicle has 65,000 miles, looks new, no trailer hitch. First detected [XXX]. Still no part available, Jeep US not helpful, apparently "expedited " part three times. Clearly a manufacturer defect on all vehicles affected and should be covered. Jeep should pay for the part at this point and provide a vehicle while I am waiting, over two months since I was tol... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the driver's side of the front window. The contact's wife observed a piece of the molding flapping. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exterior A-pillar trim needed to be replaced. The contact received noti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
Rear spring excessive wear at 66,000 miles and needed to be replaced. Both sides worn but left more than the right
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
With only 99,000 miles on my 2018 1.5L 4 cyl Accord, the electrical part of the fuel injectors is beginning to fail. This has caused misfires in multiple cylinders. My safety was put at risk because when the misfires occur the engine has stumbled and all warning icons light up and the warning messages for all systems come on. When this happens the adaptive cruise control (ACC) stops working and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The truck is throwing a repeat of service trailer break
Incident date: Jan 19, 2022
I have been getting P0420 code over 2 years now. Loss of power while driving caused multiple times sudden stop and slow speed. I328 has recall but mine is not on the recall list. I tried everything to fix it but the light still comes on. And also my car is having the Navigation display delaminating. It seems like common problem for bmw owners. There are no recalls.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2022
2018 Accord consistently has the warning pop up for the the crash mitigation system and tells me to visit the dealer. Cruise control just stop working while driving. When I turn the car off and back on it resets, and then 10-20 miles goes by and the error pops up again. Incredibly unreliable and unsafe when I’m on the freeway going 70. This has been a constant problem.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2022
2018 Accord consistently has the warning pop up for the the crash mitigation system and tells me to visit the dealer. Cruise control just stop working while driving. When I turn the car off and back on it resets, and then 10-20 miles goes by and the error pops up again. Incredibly unreliable and unsafe when I’m on the freeway going 70. This has been a constant problem.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The brake force will jump suddenly and fall back when the brake pedal is even maintained at a constant level while the vehicle is being braked to a stop or decelerating. This malfunctioning will lead to imprecise control of the distance to the front vehicle. Engine Wobbling when it is fully stopped with "D" gear engaged, especially when the transmission temperature comes up after a few hours of ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The brake force will jump suddenly and fall back when the brake pedal is even maintained at a constant level while the vehicle is being braked to a stop or decelerating. This malfunctioning will lead to imprecise control of the distance to the front vehicle. Engine Wobbling when it is fully stopped with "D" gear engaged, especially when the transmission temperature comes up after a few hours of ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
Problem with power steering. When making small changes in steering while going straight, the steering seems to bind, then catch, and jerk. The dealer checked the problem in November and said the power steering gear box need to be replaced, but that the part would not be available for months. The problem was intermittent at first, but now occurs all the time. I called the dealer last week and they ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the parts to repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs as the recall notice was received several months ago. The local dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
[XXX] tire on driver's rear began to have significant vibration while towing 16,000 lb. fifth-wheel RV. Stopped and visually/tactilely determined unusual wear pattern so went to commercial tire shop in Pahrump, NV. Their inspection determined tread separation rendering the tire unusable so we replaced it with a different brand. This is the second of three tires installed at the same time that ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while drivin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
There is an open recall on 2013 Volkswagen Jetta hybrid for known electrical and power train issues. My car was purchased last year and kept up on in maintenance . I have had it in the shop multiple times for checks due to the lights on my dashboard all going off. Nothing was found until recently the hybrid and engine light turned on out of no where and the cause was the clutch failing which is on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
Tesla autopilot drifted over two lanes and into the side of a semi-truck on the freeway. It was night time but with plenty of light, no rain, and clearly marked lines separating the lanes. Not only did autopilot fail, but the features to help avoid drifting out of a lane even when not using autopilot, also failed. Those features are supposed to auto-steer back into the lane and beep to alert the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Since 2019, the power steering for my Kia Sorento has failed on at least 30 occasions while my vehicle is in motion, placing vehicle occupants and nearby drivers at significant risk of a serious accident. All failures have the following in common: - Vehicle becomes very difficult to steer and requires significant arm strength to turn the wheel to either the left or the right - The red EPS warni... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
I just purchased this 2016 kia sedona and both of the power sliding doors will make a grinding/popping noise when they close and occasionally will not latch completely making it possible for them to come open when the van is moving. Kia is aware of the problem but did not issue a recall instead made it a service bulletin. I was informed that the warranty only went to 60000 miles and my van is at... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
I am currently having an issue where my climate control turns itself on even after I turn it off. Just recently my dual control for the climate would switch back to single even after selecting to have it dual. At this moment my air/heat is always on and I really have no need to keep the windows down unless it gets too warm and I need to let cooler air in.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
I am currently having an issue where my climate control turns itself on even after I turn it off. Just recently my dual control for the climate would switch back to single even after selecting to have it dual. At this moment my air/heat is always on and I really have no need to keep the windows down unless it gets too warm and I need to let cooler air in.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The fact that the dealership was able to sell this car with a recall on is crazy, yes I have blame for not looking as well but now we are having issues with the front bumper hitting the tires when you turn and making a grinding noise. We were told that there’s nothing they could do as of yet but as I see this recall has been open for a while now? This is a big concern to us what if they don’t ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Had recall updates completed 3-11-24. ..23C41, 24C01, 23E09, 23E07 3-12-24 Maverick dies on the interstate going around 65mph. It just stopped running. I was able to pull over and after waiting several minutes was able to continue driving with the check engine light on. Took it back to the dealer and was told nothing was wrong. It has happened 2 more times dyeing at 65mph. 3-13-24 and 3-19-24
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the vehicle was hesitating slightly and while shifting into the next gear, the vehicle was jerking. The contact stated that once the vehicle had been driven for more than 20 minutes, the vehicle stopped jerking into gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
My 2021 VW Jetta at 8 months old with 21305 miles had a grinding noise in the rear. Took it to the dealer Aug 9 2022 and was told the rear brakes and rotors needed to be replaced at my cost. I informed them I thought this was way too early to have to pay for brakes and that something must be wrong. They made me pay over $600. I later found out a TSB was issued by VW in Dec 2022 to extend brake cov... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
My car has roughly 55,000 miles on it. The check engine light was turning on and off intermittently. Every time I took it to the dealership, the light would go off and they could not retrieve a code. Recently it started idling rough when it would first start. Within a few days it started driving very rough. Took it to the dealership and they determined that coolant was leaking into the cylinders c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
My 2019 KIA optima with 116,021 odometer on mileage. Stop in the middle of High Volume Traffic , Because of Software Issues , I suspect . All Forward Collision Warning Detection , Also Rear Collision Warning Alerted on dashboard!!! Which Causes my Car to stop in the middle of Traffic Completely shut down. I was able to get my vehicle towed to KIA West Dealership Located in lithia Springs GA . I r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The transmission jerking/shuddering problem has been ongoing in the Nissan Pathfinder ever since a safety recall in 2014. Passenger airbag light is always on, even if an adult is seated there. The airbag warning light flashes on the dashboard. Nissan’s OCS system seems to be frequently complained about online. Dealers say it’s just wear and tear which is just unbelievable. Dealers quote repai... Read more