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: Jun 2, 2024
On the morning of April 15, 2024, at around 6 a.m., our 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid unexpectedly caught fire and exploded in front of our house. This incident occurred shortly after I started the car and left it to warm up. Smoke and flames emerged from under the hood, quickly escalating until the front of the vehicle exploded, shattering the windows and extensively damaging the driver and passenge... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
On the morning of April 15, 2024, at around 6 a.m., our 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid unexpectedly caught fire and exploded in front of our house. This incident occurred shortly after I started the car and left it to warm up. Smoke and flames emerged from under the hood, quickly escalating until the front of the vehicle exploded, shattering the windows and extensively damaging the driver and passenge... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 31, 2024
Frunk latch does not open with the first tap due to misdesigned frunk liner trim piece. The only way to open the frunk is after first tap to simultaneously tapping open and pulling the hood upward. It is only feasible using the phone app as the vehicle comes with key-card. This creates a safety concern due to fire crew would have an issue reaching a first responder loop to disconnect a battery ... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2024
This recall has been out for 2 years now and Nissan still hasn’t come up with a way to fix it or a replacement. I’m constantly in fear driving down the highway that my hood will fly up into my windshield.
Incident date: May 9, 2024
Cross bar key covers keep coming loose and flapping around while driving. They do not stay engaged. I note this was an issue in 2020 models. Please require another technical service bulletin requiring them to fix this. It is dangerous if it flies off while driving and hits other vehicles.
Incident date: May 9, 2024
After removing the factory installed refrigerator to install a warranty replacement unit, I discovered that the aluminum housing of the refrigerator was coming in contact with two 120v electrical outlets and the corresponding wiring. Excess movement of the refrigerator while towing caused chafing of the wiring and resulted in one of the punch down type electrical outlets breaking. The side of the ... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2024
Phantom braking occurred when the adaptive cruise was engaged when a truck entered the road from the right side. The car abruptly slowed when the truck crossed my lane although there was no eminent danger. The car behind us nearly collided with us due to the sudden braking incident. This is the third sudden braking incident; however, the others were related to a bridge or overpass.
BMW
330I
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
Jun 8, 2024
Incident date: May 25, 2024
Personal vehicle. Engine light appears & at times goes away. Happens frequently. However, had it serviced and was told the dashboard sensor did not need replacing. Then told yes, my catalytic converter is bad. This is a real concern if I hadn’t been so diligent & concerned. My mechanic insisted the converter was on recall. Please confirm.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed, and the front driver’s side tire experienced a blowout. The high engine temperature and the TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
Check engine light came on - Taken to dealer, diagnosed following 2 codes : P24517F and P14502A Both of these codes are known problems to Toyota, and as such a Service buliten for the Evap Emission System Switch Valve has been issued per NHTSA. This problem should be a recall, not a known service issue - it is obviously a common problem with Toyota in the Hybrid engines.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the pressure cap of the coolant reservoir was removed, and the vehicle restarted. The check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine was idling rough. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the long block engine needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that the key failed to release from the ignition. Additionally, the key failed to turn in the ignition switch. The vehicle failed to turn on or off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My vehicle has been to the dealership multiple times for incorrectly stalling, revving RPMS at uphill turns and rough idling with no corrective action taken. initial issues started around 30k miles and the dealership continued to tell me nothing is wrong because engine light was not on. I recently went over a speed bump in a school zone. My vehicle stalled and my engine light came on. Initial code... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Connected my cellphone and think a hacker is affecting auto systems: alternator not consistently charging (new battery & alternator checked good), lane assist turns off in curves & when wipers on, navigation system frozen on test screen (tried resetting pressing three buttons aslearned on youtube), display of % to next oil change frozen at 70%. Hoping there software upgrades.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
Sometimes when each of us 2 are slowing to a stop while applying the brake, the Sienna will lunge forward. This unexpected event may cause a rear-end collision if too close. Also, it is enough to cause us to hit our head on the head rest. Can’t understand why this happening. We are sure we only have our foot on the brake and not the accelerator.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
The contact owned a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle was rear-ended. The Police and ambulance arrived on the scene. A Police report was filed. No injuries were sustained, however, the contact w... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Fit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the shoulder. Following the failure, the Low Oil Pressure, check engine warning, and maintenance required warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuse box needed to be reloca... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
Received a system fault for seat belt SRS airbag safety restraint system for front left passenger. code RCM_a021_pretenLapFrontLeft Causes the pretensioner and restraint system to not function as designed. Has not been in an accident and verified problem was persistent with hard system reset and software update. Did not do modification or touch the seat belt components at all during ownership pe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Engine started misfiring at 33,000 miles, dealer replaced fuel injector still happening. Now they are breaking down the engine to check the cam shaft, I guess I will see my truck in 2 - 3 weeks. Front collision warning not working properly for the second time within a year. Dealer says they are replacing the camera.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle experienced an unexpected downshift and seized in low gear while the RPMs became significantly elevated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced hard shifting and shuddered while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to ... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard and failed to stop as needed. No warning lights appeared on the instrument panel and the forward collision avoidance feature failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
BMW
328I
(2011) - SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING
Jun 3, 2024
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The service transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the ABS sensor and the wheel speed sensor needed to be replaced. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive. The low oil level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who observed a crack in the oil pan. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, who then ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine, requiring that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
22-24 Honda civic Steering rack recall I feel to have no control of my vehicle and that my life as well as others are put at risk. I took my car to Honda for the safety inspection for the active recall they falsely dismissed according to Honda corporate. Nothing has been inspected other than my safety inspection when the dealership passed my car. I scheduled an appointment for a diagnosis as co... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2024
In March of 2024 the steering wheel of 2023 Hybrid CRV that we purchased less than 1 year ago started getting hard to straighten back out after we turned. My husband kept saying it felt sticky. The problem continued to get worse to the point of it getting completely stuck one day when I was following a curve on the freeway and had to yank the steering wheel to get the car to straighten out. When I... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Driving on Highway at approximately 65 Miles Per Hour using the Adaptive Cruise Control. Car in front of us took a right hand exit. My 2021 Honda Accord activated the Braking System and applied the brakes, so I stepped on the accelerator thinking it would override the braking system. It had no effect. There were cars behind me at the time and luckily nobody was injured. I looked this up on the in... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Driving on Highway at approximately 65 Miles Per Hour using the Adaptive Cruise Control. Car in front of us took a right hand exit. My 2021 Honda Accord activated the Braking System and applied the brakes, so I stepped on the accelerator thinking it would override the braking system. It had no effect. There were cars behind me at the time and luckily nobody was injured. I looked this up on the in... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The steering wheel locked up while I was driving. I was driving on a country road and the road didn't have any painted lane stripes and the car got a lane departure warning and the steering wheel pull me hard to the left, I almost got out of the road and on the way of a incoming vehicle, I break and pulled hard to the right and managed to pull to the side. When I got into a complete stop I checked... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Vehicle steering wheel will feel stiff and jerky when travellings at cruise speeds. Tendency to overcompensate corrections. Serious safety threat.
Incident date: May 4, 2024
I am dealing with engine failure after an out of pocket turbo repair cost
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The primary central LCD display that controls charging the batteries, displays speed information on smaller and management of how the EV works is no longer working. This LCD panel is the only way to set, monitor, modify, control all functions of this car. I have been unable to get Fisker to fix this problem. I will call them and wait 4 to 5 hours on the phone and my call will always be droppe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The primary central LCD display that controls charging the batteries, displays speed information on smaller and management of how the EV works is no longer working. This LCD panel is the only way to set, monitor, modify, control all functions of this car. I have been unable to get Fisker to fix this problem. I will call them and wait 4 to 5 hours on the phone and my call will always be droppe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Vehicle was towing Horse Trailer. Gave an indication message to check trailer break wiring. I did so and all was working fine. I loaded my horses and pulled out onto the road. Traveling 10 mph the truck completely shut off, no brakes, No warning, I helplessly rolled to a stop. The truck then turned on electrically, but did not start the engine completely by itself. Two minutes later, the truc... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway to let the vehicle cool down. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact's husband observed oil mixed in the coolant reservoir. After restarting the vehi... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2024
The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V459000 (Air Bags) and was repaired under recall. The contact stated that after the recall repair, the Cruise Control would inadvertently activate or deactivate intermittently. The contact stated the remedy included tying and rerouting the wires so that oth... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
Didn’t brake when car accident happened from front also seat belts don’t hold on braking in drivers side
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I was driving up bridge in morning rush traffic suddenly without warning lost drive cv axel on passegner side broke and had to be towed. I called 911 and the police tried to put car in drive and car would just roll back and it almost went into the unit. when the car suddenly stopped I was just lucky no one ran into me, I was in the middle of the road & could not move the car.
Incident date: May 22, 2024
I purchased this car new less than 18 months ago and have been problems with it ever since. Brakes wear down prematurely and cause metal contact to rotors that causes bad screeching, stutters and affects my braking distance. I work for drive-share platforms as well as work as a personal driver for children in Ventura County and become more and more worried about the safety of my passengers as well... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. As the failure persisted, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was heavy black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe upon starting the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer whe... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-up camera intermittently malfunctioned and displayed a black screen, causing a visibility hazard to the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Num... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. An unknown warning light was illuminated, and the Wheel Drive indicator light was turned off. The contact was able to pull into the parking space. The vehicle was towed to Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to b... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2024
I have this model 2023 with about 6000 miles which makes a noise when in reverse. I have the same model year 2021 which has 25000 miles. The dealer states the brakes and rotors may have issues on the 25000 . If this occurs on a same model type two years apart and 19000 mile difference this is questionable. I have also had failure on the I drive system for frontal crash warning on 2023 not repaired... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2024
We continue to experience stalling while driving our Honda Pilot exactly as described in the Recall. We took our vehicle to Honda, but because they were unable to duplicate our problem and this problem does not generate an error code, they sent us home without any repair. Honda has said they have limited parts to make the replacement, so they are holding parts at their HQ and not allocating any ... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated while driving 25–45 MPH, the trailer hitch cover detached from the vehicle. The contact was able to retrieve the cover on the road and noticed that it was damaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure m... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2024
In 2023 from time to time if we accidnetly stalled out, the car went in to limp mode after we restarted it. We learned that if we took the key out and waited a couple minutes it would drive normally again. That change on [XXX] when I was in downtown Atlanta and it would not get out of limp mode for a long time. It was very scary and I had kids in the car with me. I was able to get it to the dea... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2024
I have this model 2023 with about 6000 miles which makes a noise when in reverse. I have the same model year 2021 which has 25000 miles. The dealer states the brakes and rotors may have issues on the 25000 . If this occurs on a same model type two years apart and 19000 mile difference this is questionable. I have also had failure on the I drive system for frontal crash warning on 2023 not repaired... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and hitting concrete, the lower front bumper cover mounting tabs detached and created holes on the lower front bumper. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the parts were ordered; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle because they were not an auto body shop. The vehicle was then taken to an indepen... Read more