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: Mar 15, 2024
There are 3 major issues/concerns with this vehicle. 1. Sunroof/Roof - This rooftop does not seal completely. Initially this roof would rattle and you could hear squeaks and movement. Then the sunroof would only open on a half and then soon not at all. Because of this, the top is never fully sealed leaving water to leak inside in different areas potentially causing more issues to the electrical ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to use the automatic sliding doors, the driver’s and passenger’s side sliding doors failed to close securely. The contact stated that the doors had to be forcefully closed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned that the failure could cause an injury or death during the failure. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
I was towing my 5th wheel RV when I noticed doors I locked were swinging open. I noticed the rear toy hauler door first. The plastic screen door cover was missing and was unable to be found. A few miles later I noticed the front underbelly storage area on the passenger side was swinging open. Some power tools fell out and were unable to be found. A few hundred miles later the propane door unlatche... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to continue driving to the destination. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converte... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
Upon driving, the Left control arm snapped in two. The car veered to the left but I was able to regain control fortunately. Ten minutes prior I had been on a major highway. Results may have been different in that regard. Firestone Complete Auto Care assessed it and quoted me up to $600.00 for repair. I researched the Control Issue only to discover that this was a common problem on 2013 Nissan Alt... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2019
I was driving my 2018 Kia Sedona on [XXX]. I had all 4 of my kids with me in the van, I heard a click, click, click, then the car went dark, in the middle of the road no warning nothing. There was no light or anything that came on as a warning. It just died. It was scary to go through that with my kiddos. We are devastated as the car is only 6yrs old and it wont work at all. Had it towed to my loc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
Mid-Drive the Airbag (SRS) light came on indicating here was a fault in the system. After some diagnostic testing it was determined that there was a fault in the Occupant detection system causing the vehicle to not activate the airbag regardless of the fact that someone was sitting in the seat. The issue was present in same type of seats (heated) that were previously recalled shortly before this v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
Our 2016 Mazda CX 9 began leaking coolant and we took it to a shop who diagnosed it as coming from the cylinder head, requiring a very expensive repair or new engine. Luckily our engine did not sieze up while driving, but it easily could have with our baby and toddler in the car. Upon searching the internet I found countless reports from other CX 9 owners who experienced the very same issue at si... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, and once while stopped at a red traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted each time. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2002 Mercedes-Benz S600. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the active body control warning light illuminated, after which the front suspension lowered to the ground, preventing the vehicle from being driven. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the hydro-pneumatic suspension pump and high-pressure hose. The vehicle was not repaired. After inve... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
2019 Ford Flex Back-up camera either upside or unavailable when the car is put into reverse. Car is available for inspection upon request. The software has been successfully updated multiple times. The camera going out or being upside down when backing up is definitely a safety issue. No inspection has taken place. The car is 5 years old and the camera worked for about the first two years. There w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle misread the Route 10 road sign for the speed limit sign and the vehicle decelerated to 10 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
10/19/2022 – Vehicle stuck in drive and would not shift out of drive. Vehicle towed to the dealer and not touched for a day and a half. Dealer found walnut lodged in shifter column which was preventing the shifter from going into park. Dealer also performed software update on vehicle. 10/21/2022 – Picked up vehicle and it was shifting very hard through every gear, returned to the dealer for fu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
I was driving and the seat belt star to make a noise and later the breaks don’t work, I was about to crash , but u was safe because I was driving slow On the screen apear a break problem
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
If vehicle is parked in sun the front facing camera and laser located at the top of the windshield overheat then when the vehicle is started the overheated front facing camera is offline so the collision, lane depart/assist and auto dimming system will not boot so those safety features are offline and your screen with your instrument cluster is obstructed by warning messages. If you park in the sh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2024
Infotainment/back up camera failure when reversing and while driving today. Kia corporate has been aware of issue since April 2021 and has yet to resolve to attempt to fully diagnose. Dealership claimed they checked "every" wiring harness for water exposure due to ongoing water issues from dash. Kia claimed they would work with me during our BBB arbitration and have had zero contact since. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
Infotainment center no longer has option for date/time. Option is grayed out. Dealership had vehicle for 89 days and returned it not fixed after claiming they resolved everything.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
The gauges on the dash will go blank, flash or have unreadable characters at different times. This happened the first time in February and stopped for a while. Now it is happening more often. Sometimes it will start as it is being driven down the road. There is no warning lamp or anything that happens before it malfunctions. Unless we keep track of the fuel level, we run the risk of running out of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2024
I received a critical safety recall regarding side air bags from Rivian regarding my 2023 R1S on June 14. After multiple attempts by me to connect with their Customer Service, I was informed that a mobile service technician would come to fix the issue on August 26, 2024. This would be more than 60 days after Rivian's initial notification. Additionally, on July 6 2024, when I turned on the vehicle,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
I experienced unintended collision braking with dash warnings flashing. I was trying to accelerate from a side street onto a two-lane state highway. The motorhome came to a complete stop after getting up to about 30-35 MPH. After an extraordinarily long minute or so I was able to accelerate a second time and the motorhome did unintended braking a second time! It was very scary because I was bl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Chrysler has had a known issue with the ignition module nodes on its Dodge vehicles since 2013. However, they have failed to issue a recall on the 2011 and higher Dodge vehicles. My ignition module node is going out in my vehicle and the dealership will not recognize this as any kind of recall and is making me pay for the reprogramming and for the keys to be replaced in addition to a car rental. I... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
In 2019, I took my Prius in for service. I reported that when I suddenly brake, the pedal feels spongy as if the brakes will not stop vehicle and lights on dash lit up. Toyota did diagnostic, no action taken by service department at Toyota dealership. I have service history documentation. On June 29, 2024 we had routine maintenance and the service department of the Toyota dealership recommended b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
The brake pedal goes to the floor and does not want to stop. There is a brake failure meesage on the dash.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
This vehicle is the C70 convertible. When driving and hitting a speed bump or a pothole, both the driver and passenger doors pop open from a fully closed state to a partially open state. The doors do NOT fully disengage but in the partially closed state the doors rattle and shake. When this happens, the "door open" warning light appears on the dashboard, and you need to fully open the door and t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
Bought from a used lot on the dealership, 3 days later a light came on, a month later the engine failed. The coolant was leaking into the engine. $9000+ estimated repair to replace engine.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
6/12/2024 In Damon Parking lot in Rochester MN. Going less than 10 miles an hr- cars in front of me and behind me looking for a parking spot. Stop and go at times. Went to turn corner to go from one level to the next and my BLAZER took off "like a bullet". No control over accelerated speed- hit outer cement wall and slammed into 2 parked empty SUVS. Could not go any farther. The 2 SUVs slammed in... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission failed to shift gear as designed and the vehicle stalled while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
On the morning of 7/1/24, I drove my vehicle to work as usual. There were no exceptional incidences and the only warning light on the dashboard was that of a malfunctioning tire sensor. I parked at my job as usual. There were no signs of overheating or smoking and there were no warning lights on the panel except for what was previously mentioned. That evening, as I was leaving, the car started... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Check engine light came on and has a loud knocking sound in the engine. When attempting to be driven, the vehicle losses power
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stopped moving very slowly and came to a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle down shifted unexpectedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that several months later the same failure recurred while her husband was driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed; however, the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure with the transmission. The contact stated that the gear shifter seized and remained in drive. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing had detached and needed to be replaced. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
In 2022, while behind the wheel of my 2015 F150, I would be driving down the highway (70+ mph) and the transmission would suddenly downshift to 1st gear, then jump to 3rd, and then back down to first gear, all over the place. This happened on several occasions. It was erratic, I experienced sudden changes in speed, sudden and frightening revving of the engine (especially on the highway) and on sev... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
My trailer brake service light is on and my trailer brakes don’t work . That’s about all I can think of and haven’t been able to figure out the fix.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
Emergency breaking for no reason. Car shuts down and stalls. Flashing Emission system problem, brake systems problem, brake hold systems problem, Power steering systems problem, vehicle stability assist problem, Hill start assist problem, adaptive cruise control problem, Collision mitigation System problem, Road departure mitigation system, problem. This is continuing to happen after the recall w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an alert chimed for several seconds before the infotainment screen went blank. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power, the A/C became inoperable, the windows failed to roll down, and the doors failed to open as needed. The contact attempted to reboot the vehicle, but the vehicle fai... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced rough starts, shuddered, and made an abnormal sound. The contact was unsure if a warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving at 65 MPH. The contact pulled to the side of the road, where the contact's husband met the contact and drove the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
[XXX]: Driving to work on the highway during rush hour. My vehicle started slowing down and wouldn't go out of neutral. The instrument panel lit up and the display panel brought up collision ahead. A lot of other codes and things popped up as well. I avoided being hit by a semi truck and was able to pull over to the shoulder. I turned my vehicle off and on. The vehicle went into drive and i to got... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2024
Back passenger door will not lock /unlock unless you do it manually..Daytime running lights on drivers side out and you have limited area of light at dusk/dawn.car is available for inspection
Incident date: Jun 29, 2024
Low engine oil light 3600 miles before next oil change
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
The front camera has gone out on the Honda pilot, but inconsistently works. It will turn on while driving and turn off while the adaptive cruise control is on. The vehicle does not have a way to bypass the camera, so then there is consistently lights and alerts on. With not being able to bypass the camera features they will automatically come on or off while driving while the camera is not working... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2024
I am fully aware of of GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 transmission or Hydra-Matic 8L45 transmission on the 2015-2019 models. My wife was driving with our kids on the highway yesterday and the trucks immediate shaking, increased high RPMs, slow acceleration and violent downshifting. Scared them very much on the highway while going at the normal speeds of 65mph trying weave through traffic and make it back... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
Boosting cables and booster pack, they will send a lot of electricity into the battery. What it does when excessive electricity is present in an electrical system and there's no ground wire, ground meaning the excess electricity is sent back to earth? Fire may occur. Battery chargers are the way to go, it takes more time but won't cause a fire.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
P2682 Engine overheating and engine gauge flashing red due to a recall related to the engine coolant bypass valve. The vehicle stopped and required a tow for $417 to the nearest Subaru dealership to repair. After towing to the dealership they charged 31% of parts to labor and would not eliminate or discount the invoice.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, warning lights displaying incorrect warnings were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V405000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, warning lights displaying incorrect warnings were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V405000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
215/55-17 Driving a brand new 2024 Toyota Camry with the OEM Bridgestone Tires on a smooth road at normal speed. Tire exploded and went flat. My safety and others were at risk but fortunately I was able to keep control of the car. Bridgestone is unwilling to honor the warranty