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
BMW
C650 GT MAXI-SCOOTER
(2013) — ENGINE
Jan 29, 2024
Incident date: Jan 29, 2024
Last week as I was driving the engine oil warning light came on. I pulled into a parking lot immediately and turned off my Sonata. After a few minutes I checked the oil and found no oil on the dip stick. I added oil and returned home where I checked online and discovered that there was a recall for Hyundai Sonatas using or burning excessive amounts of oil and ruining the engine. I called my local ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 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 not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experience... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The Traffic Sign Recognition is defective. Numerous times it has indicated that the speed limit was 85 mph or other erroneous speed limits other than the one that was posted on signs. My wife has reported this to Autonation Acura's service department and they said that they had never heard of the problem. If you go to one of the Acura RDX forums and search on "problems with traffic sign recognitio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2023
My 2016 Nissan Altima has roughly 80k miles, all the sudden my transmission began to fall a part, Nissan is fully aware of this issue, but they don't want to take responsibility. There are so many Nissan owners with the same issue
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
I was in the driver's seat in one-pedal driving. The car was stopped. I attempted to move the vehicle up a few feet so the driver in the car behind could reach the microphone to order their meal. When I tapped the gas pedal, the car moved slightly, but the engine revved loudly and thoroughly; the iX50 then launched itself forward, and I applied the brake. The brake pedal went to the floor. The iX5... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue. 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... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant h... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
while running car warning light came on and vehicle stalls. Car wont go faster than 10 to 15 mph. This happen 4 times withing 5 months of purchase. First time took it to dealer and they were unable to find any problems. One more call dealer and dealer rep. said it probably was sensor or windshield camera but did not fix the problem. It happen again 2 times and took it to dealer and dealer sai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Known issue in these CX-9’s. Had the issue fixed once with a brand new, Mazda, “redesigned engine.” 14 months and 30000 miles later it’s happening again. Leaking coolant due to cracked cylinder head. First repair was about 9 grand. This time my repair estimate since it’s premature was for another 6000 to replace the cylinder head versus the whole engine. That’s 15k on a used car when I... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
I had just purchased this well-used 2012 F150XL [XXX] ) because well into retirement at [XXX] and officially handicapped, it was all I could afford and had to get a personal loan for it anyway. First thing was a Lake Keowee Ford (REFLASH RECALL) which was performed and within a few days, everything electrical stopped and the battery started draining overnight over and over. The truck would not... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
The X3 suddenly slowed down to stoppage on an interstate highway, and the car "shifted" to Neutral by itself. I had to shift back to "Drive" and then drive away. It happened twice in September to October 2023, with my family and other kids in the car. Luckily there was traffic, driving speed was relatively low. Contacted two BMW dealerships and the only thing they could do was change the battery. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that after a visual inspection of the exterior of the vehicle, he observed that the air bag safety information sticker peeling away from the driver’s and passenger’s side windows. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
When driving at highway speeds, steering wheel “sticks” or “locks” and requires extra force to turn. Problem was intermittent at first but has gotten worse over the last few days. Problem seems to occur whenever the wheel has not been turned for a few seconds. Driving at city speeds doesn’t cause problem to occur. No lights or warnings indicate any problems. Issue occurs with or without ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
I received a recall for a windshield wiper motor and took my vehicle to a dealership to have it fixed. Before I went I checked several times to ensure they had the part to perform the recall and they informed me they did. I took it in 01/19/2024 for the recall, waited two and an half hours and they never performed the recall. When I asked the dealership why they did not have an answer and said the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
I took ownership of the vehicle on 12/23/23 and Had a Drivetrain and High Voltage warning on 1/13/24. Dealer took vehicle on 1/18/24 with approximately 925 miles and returned vehicle on 1/22/24. On 1/25/24 I now have a check engine light on. I am not sure what can be done to fix this, but I am very concerned that this will be an ongoing issue with no resolution.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure occurred while it was a cold on a low temperature morning. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned on and warmed up and eventually the steering wheel became operable. The vehicle was taken to the lo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
I was driving my 2019 Chevy Silverado and the low oil pressure light came on. I pulled over to find that my truck was leaking oil. I called a tow truck and had the tow truck take me to location that I bought the truck (25 miles away). While waiting for the tow truck I did research about what could be happening. While doing my research I found this recall by Chevy: [XXX] My truck was looked at... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
While braked at a red light, my vehicle completely turned off. The engine would not restart, and all electrical panel light indicators did not come back on. I could not even turn on my hazards. The whole car was dead. After about a minute, I was able to restart the vehicle, but it took 5 attempts. I changed my battery two months ago, and just had my car checked by a mechanic and nothing was found ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
2022 Gmc siera 2500 Diesel Have code P20B9 And TailGate Opening By Itself
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The con... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
I own a 2011 BMW x5. The NHTSA shows 15 recalls for my vehicle type; however, NHTSA must be relying upon BMW for the VIN numbers as: 1.) my vehicle doesn't show up for recalls; 2.) I have never been contacted by BMW for many of those recalls - in fact, I have not received a letter from BMW in many many years, and among the 15 recalls above, I have never received any notification of for at least O... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
I was driving at 10 mph speeding up and the engine went out. There was oil in the engine so it wasn’t from lack of maintenance and I just bought the vehicle a month and a half prior to the incident.
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
has went less than a 1000 miles car had full oil change on 9/17/23 had to add 4 qts of oil
Incident date: Nov 2, 2023
The steering "sticks" making it dangerous to keep control of the auto.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
I was driving down a residential street with cars parked on both sides. My car stopped very suddenly because the passenger side front tire was pierced and flattened by something on the road. Almost simultaneously the car began to oscillate or jolt from side to side and hit a car parked on my driver’s side very hard and then oscillated back to a parallel position. This is a known problem on th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Please note that this is NOT the result of an accident. The car is a 2016 BMW X1 model which we have purchased in July 2020 as a BMW certified vehicle from a BMW dealer. Starting in December 2023 the car dashboard shows a warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling. I have read that is it due to a broken pin in the transmission and it seems a common problem in 2016-17 BMWs X1 . BMW should h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Brakes lose power --- depress all the way and there's no braking power. Almost got into a serious car crash since I literally could not stop (except for using the ebrake). Check engine light is on. This seems to be an incredibly common and dangerous issue with the older Ford Fusions (I have a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid). Only 105k miles. Dealer recommends replacing ABS Module (among other things).
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
We operate numerous 7.3L Ford engine equipped vehicles in our fleet of ambulances. Over the past year we have experienced 4 engine failures of this 7.3L engine in vehicles ranging form around 60,000 to 90,000 after exceeding the service recommendations stated from the manufacturer. I have contacted the Ford Pro Fleet experts and have asked repeatedly about what could be causing the failures, tryi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
When it first started to malfunction, my car would suddenly loose power out of nowhere and pretty much stop wherever. It's done it when I was crossing a busy intersection and it stalled right in the middle of the road causing other cars to have to stop or go around me. It has also stopped while I was driving on the freeway. I didn't even have enough power or momentum to pull off to a safe lane and... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle idled extremely rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-037. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
I have been the owner of a 2023 Mazda CX-30 since July 2023. On [XXX], 2023, I received automated warnings on the dashboard and through the Mazda App stating, "ActiveSense system malfunction. ActiveSense advanced safety and driver support system may not operate correctly." The service department at the dealership where I purchased the car explained that the sensors had overheated due to the hot we... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
I have been receiving a service warning for the "Trailer Brake System" for years and found a video online telling me to report it due to this being a GM issue.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
The placement of the horn button on this vehicle is absoutely unsafe. There was a near miss accident where a car ran a stop sign and in the heat of the moment, trying to turn the wheel, the horn could not be engaged. That is because the horn is engaged on a tiny touch button on the righthand side of the steering wheel and not through the traditional pushing of the middle of the steering wheel. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Engine died on highway. Noc sensor code indicates is a known problem for this engine. 2.4 liter Hyundai sante fe sport. Before engine died was burning much oil even after oil changes and borught in for recalls to dealer 2 mo before. Excessive burning of ooil wa a know issue at that time July 2023. Now Hyundai dealer saying the issue is a customer issue due to carbon build up on a valve. High... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Engine died on highway. Noc sensor code indicates is a known problem for this engine. 2.4 liter Hyundai sante fe sport. Before engine died was burning much oil even after oil changes and borught in for recalls to dealer 2 mo before. Excessive burning of ooil wa a know issue at that time July 2023. Now Hyundai dealer saying the issue is a customer issue due to carbon build up on a valve. High... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Vehical randomly shuts off, it all safety systems warning lamps come on l, like ABS, Airbag, and traction control. Found wiring harness laying in a pool of water in the rear right cargo compartment. Rain water leaking from sunroof collected in compartment. The harness contains wires for the the vehicles CAN buss systems the water causes corrosion in the harness, which causes all so... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Dash lights dim to the point where they are barely visible. Safety concern issue by not being able to see in daytime. Yes and was told its a issue from BMW. There are no warnings or messages, just purchased the vehicle used and thought it was something that needed repaired. Very concerned about safety!
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The frames of Toyota trucks are known for rusting through and perforating causing the vehicle to be unsafe to own/drive. My frame is seperating and rusting through. The dealer "stated" they performed a treatment to prevent this deterioration from happening, however it clearly did not work. I have contacted the dealer to have the frame replaced under the safety recall but the are refusing since the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
On 3/25/2023 with less than 800 miles on the vehicle, the throttle got stuck. The cruise control was on but NOT activated. After passing a vehicle on a 3 lane interstate, the vehicle accelerated on its own to over 100mph. I hit the cruise control button to turn it off, but the car continued to accelerate on its own. I hit the brake to slow down and try to get it to shut off (thinking if was a crui... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
While on interstate in busy Atlanta traffic received loss of power warning. Engine is about to stop pulled over to side of road, but shoulder was very narrow and feared for our lives as car was very close to traffic lane. Called Chrysler roadside assistance. Long delay. After a couple of attempts to restart, I was able to get off the road into a shop. Mechanic reported code P0A43. Drive motor sens... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Car was in auto park at traffic light and it started to drive and hit the car in front. Brakes or front collision did not stop the car.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The heads up unit, navigation and audio system completely shut down after Network connection lost message. This started happening after recall of a cable, before it was fine, same cable was replaced under warranty a year ago. The problem is reproducible, simply driving vehicle and hitting a bump on passenger/right side cases the system to malfunction, disconnect audio, and eventually whole syste... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Hello. My 2008 Toyota Prius had a malfunction with the "combination meter" which caused the vehicle dashboard to turn off completely, and we could not turn off the engine at times when stopped and parked. The dealer fixed the problem at a cost of $1580, and both the dealer and Toyota corporate through their brand engagement advocate acknowledged a long term problem with the combination meter. T... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2019
I was on [XXX] when my jeep started shaking violently I pulled over in a rest area. Checked my tires and lug nuts everything seemed fine. Got back on [XXX] and about 5 miles later it happened again. On Friday [XXX] going to holly hill I hit a rough spot and my jeep wrangler shook violently again!! I caller a dodge dealer service department explained what happened and the young man called it a (DEA... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
i was driving to work and the car stalled in the middle of traffic when i slowed the vehicle down, the idle is rough and all over the place, car is very hesitant to accelerate and vibrates or shakes when approaching any speed. then the check engine light popped on and is still on, i’ve parked the car since the incident to do some research on what the cause could be.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Airbags didn’t deploy in a front end collision that totaled the car. The driver hit their forehead on the steering wheel. Driver had bruising from the seatbelt. There were no warning lights or indications of any issues.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Had three incidents now - where I attempted to warn other drivers of potentially unsafe activities - went to push the horn, however this car has removed the horn from the center of the steering wheel and replaced the horn with a capacitive button. Finding and operating this capacitive button in an urgent and safe manner to either warn other drivers, road users or pedestrians or animals is not nat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
Vehicle has frequent occurrences of phantom breaking while in cruise control. Tesla reviewed 3 occurrences and determined the system was working as Tesla intends it to and refuses to remedy. The system is prematurely identifying potential hazards which are not yet hazards and applying the brakes thereby creating a hazard due to vehicles being behind me and could reared my vehicle. One instan... Read more