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: Jan 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during the initial start of the vehicle, there was a rattling noise coming from the engine compartment of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing belt had malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
In the dark, my wife drove the car. After she had traveled about she noticed that the side mirrors were folded. Since it was dark, she did not notice this until she came to a well lit intersection. She had thought that she was seeing to the rear when changing lanes prior to discovering that the side mirrors were folded. It was a safety issue that my wife thought that she was looking to the rea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
ABS and traction control warning lights intermittently. Loss of cruise control. This appears to be a known problem with an expensive repair.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was difficult to steer. The contact shifted from drive to neutral before the vehicle shut off and coasted to the side of the roadway. The hybrid battery and engine systems warning lights and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer wher... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was difficult to steer. The contact shifted from drive to neutral before the vehicle shut off and coasted to the side of the roadway. The hybrid battery and engine systems warning lights and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer wher... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The contact rented a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH the driver depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle did not stop and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. The contact indicated that during the crash the vehicle was low on electrical charge and was being operated in the "One Pedal" mode and the the air bags did not deploy. The rear passe... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
I took my truck to a garage for simple tire repair. I had a slow leak. In the process of trying to lift my truck, the technician hear 'crumbling sounds'. They stopped the lift immediately. Upon looking at the my chassis frame, the technicians saw major rust damage. One technician used flashlight to tap against the frame and he poked through it. The technician stated that this was not the firs... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
On [XXX] at approx. 4 PM I was driving on [XXX] between Columbus and Nashville in Brown County Indiana. Weather was clear I noticed what appeared to be smoke coming through the car vents I was able to pull to the shoulder of the road, but the breaks were not working well There were no warning lights on the dash about any possible issues After grabbing 2 bags from the car, I was walking away and ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
The vehicle had repeated failures of the electrical steering system. While driving, the failure occurred making it nearly impossible to steer. On certain occasions, the car stalled. If turned off, the error might clear, work for some time, then fail again. One morning, it came up with the failure codes before starting (16 degrees) even after working the night before. Then work later in afternoon... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The panoramic sunroof gets stuck on passenger side, and came off the rail on the passenger side as i was driving on the freeway
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The Mazda 5 was in a minor collision. The vehicle rear-ended another vehicle in stop-and-go traffic. Both vehicles were in motion, approximate speed of the Mazda 5 was 15MPH or less. The front seat airbags deployed. The other vehicle had rear bumper damage but the Mazda 5 immediately had smoke and flames under the hood. Thankfully, all four occupants immediately exited the vehicle to safety. ... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The Mazda 5 was in a minor collision. The vehicle rear-ended another vehicle in stop-and-go traffic. Both vehicles were in motion, approximate speed of the Mazda 5 was 15MPH or less. The front seat airbags deployed. The other vehicle had rear bumper damage but the Mazda 5 immediately had smoke and flames under the hood. Thankfully, all four occupants immediately exited the vehicle to safety. ... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
While I was driving the car suddenly stopped sending gas when pressing the gas pedal and put the can a neutral mode. This was the second time this happened. Luckily the first time I was in my neighborhood going slow. The second time was in the middle of the night pitch black on a busy road. I was stranding the middle of the road and almost got hit. I was so fortunate a cop was driving by an helped... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle before being able to accelerate forward. The contact stated that while accelerating, the engine was louder than expected while revving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
AFM Lifters failure: - During the AFM activation and deactivation the lifters on my truck were observed to be collapsed causing the engine to malfunction. Transmission/Torque converter: Clunking noise when shifting between gears Makies noise when the gear is in neutral Rough shifting “Chevy Shake” - My truuk shakes violently while driving over 35 miles per... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2018
AFM Lifters failure: - During the AFM activation and deactivation the lifters on my truck were observed to be collapsed causing the engine to malfunction. Transmission/Torque converter: Clunking noise when shifting between gears Makies noise when the gear is in neutral Rough shifting “Chevy Shake” - My truuk shakes violently while driving over 35 miles per... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he observed abnormal soft feedback from the brake pedal and that the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a possible brake fluid leak with the brake ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
First it started with the batterie we had to purchase a new batterie $207 then while driving the car turned of and I had to get the car towed I purchased from Ford dealer a new Starter I paid $279 I had the mechanic install the new starter I drove the car about 5minuts one one light away from the freeway entrance and i feel the car jerk it stopped while o was driving almost causing an accident I h... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that a faulty High Mount Stop Lamp gasket allowed water to leak into the trunk and fill the rear compartment battery tub, resulting in water damage to the Multifun... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
My friend was leaving church and cranked my vehicle engine. My friend proceeded to exit the church parking lot onto a main road. Prior to exiting the parking lot, she heard the engine "rev", where my vehicle began moving forward without her control. She was consistently pressing the brake pedal; to no avail. where my vehicle was only stopped by careening into a nearby yard. She could hear my vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25–35 MPH, the engine seized. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine had seized. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
Hello, The ignition switch in my vehicle has never worked right. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealership for a airbag recall and was told them about the ignition switch problem and recall. They said they would not do the recall and wanted me to call Honda. I called Honda and was told that I would have to pay for diagnostic fee before they would attempt any repairs for this recall. The Honda case... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
A service bulletin for windshields leaking into 2024 Santa Cruz and Tucson vehicles was issued on 11/02/23 from Hyundai, causing passenger side flooding.The length of time these models were exposed to or held water could pose these safety risks: 1 Corrosion of various mechanical and electrical parts from water entry for months that could cause safety risks at a later time. Ex. Certain Hyundai veh... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
My son was looking to get his new tires aligned, and was informed by the mechanic that he would need to replace both side rear lower control arms, as Toyota had performed a safety recall GOV, resulting in the arms being epoxied, and therefore cannot be adjusted/ aligned. I contacted Toyota customer experience center (800 331 4331 - 1/16/2024) and she could not even call up the original recall. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (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. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that during cold weather conditions, the locking mechanisms on all four doors malfunctioned and the doors would not latch and remain securely closed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the locking mechanisms were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The heater does not work when the vehicle is running, it only works when parked. I have done research & I am not the only one experiencing the same issue. There was another Sorento owner that was at the same car shop that I went to with the exact same issue. No one is diagnosing it including the dealership, I’ve taken the car to two different once’s & other shops as well.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
Jan 16, 2024 Our vehicle turned of while I was driving I almost crashed into another vehicle the vehicle jurked and swirved to the side it caused the car to move to the other lane and a sound of a bang occured my car turned off 4 days prior I had to get my car towed I went to ford to ford and order a starter because the car turned of while driving I had to get a mechanic he installed the starter... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
Drivetrain malfunction error that disabled the vehicle. Software update done by dealer, but dealer is unsure if that is the repair. Many other owners of the 50e are having issues. All are related to the high voltage battery system. Car will not operate when error occurs. BMW has refused to publish a TSB.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle stopped unintendedly and made a knocking sound. The contact pulled over, restarted the vehicle, and drove the vehicle to the residence.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
My airbag light has been illuminated for the past few months. It does not illuminate while someone is in the seat. Once reset, it stays off for a while. When checked, the mechanic informed me that the sensor in my passenger seat needs to be replaced. Due to this malfunction, the vehicle may improperly deploy airbags. This has not happened but I’m concerned that it could possibly happen.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
My 2021 KIA Sorento, has literally cut off on me several times in the last 3 three months, when I am at a stop ight/sign the vehicle will just shut off, it will not turn back on, after 3-4 attempts of trying to get the vehicle to start it would, but later on the same day it would do the same thing. On the third incident I took the vehicle to the Kia dealership in Victorville, Ca. After keeping the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
When heading out of town, car wouldn’t accelerate even when I push on the gas so pulled over. Engine light came on for like 2 seconds. There wasn’t any warning lights prior to this incident. It won’t start at all which I know I need a new battery but I can’t figure out what else is wrong. I’ve called mini dealerships near me but they don’t have any remades I’d have to pay out of pock... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
Continually receiving "see manual" message while driving, will intermittently appear and disappear. At times, the plug-in battery will completely stop working while still charged (more frequent in colder weather). It always resets/removes the "see manual" warning upon next vehicle start. Engine shutters and pings when turning the car off and is rather intense and seems potentially damaging. When d... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
While driving on the highway at 70mph, the dashboard flashed a message saying "Please stop vehicle. Car will automatically stop."
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
While towing a roughly 13k pound camper with my family from Texas to New York and back , I lost trailer brakes, traction control , cruise control and my trailer brakes. The trip included ice, rain, snow. We had a death in the family and the trip did not include the time to take to have this problem troubleshot. Literally one of the scariest trips ever through different elevations and traction leve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
While towing a roughly 13k pound camper with my family from Texas to New York and back , I lost trailer brakes, traction control , cruise control and my trailer brakes. The trip included ice, rain, snow. We had a death in the family and the trip did not include the time to take to have this problem troubleshot. Literally one of the scariest trips ever through different elevations and traction leve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
The wall and floor have repeatedly separated from the chassis to the point light shows between the wall and floor and the dash moves up and down uncontrollably. Fleetwood did attempt to repair the problem under warranty, but the fix was inadequate, and the problem continues to surface. As of now the visible wall separation extends from the passenger-side front end to behind the door and may go muc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
My vehicle died inThe middle of an extremely busy four lane road. A light came on That said to turn the car off immediately. The engine light and battery light flashed on. It sounds like the engine recall for the 22 and 21 hybrid sorento’s. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership, it is only 7 mos old.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Unknown…the Jeep using oil terribly, with no leaks. I have it serviced every 3000 miles, and it is always low or no oil on the dipstick at that time. I just had the oil changed, and fuel injection cleaned about a month ago…less than 700 miles since. The Jeep is cutting off while driving. It won’t start back for 2-3 minutes, and I’m sitting in traffic. It’s terrifying!!! When checked with... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Unknown…the Jeep using oil terribly, with no leaks. I have it serviced every 3000 miles, and it is always low or no oil on the dipstick at that time. I just had the oil changed, and fuel injection cleaned about a month ago…less than 700 miles since. The Jeep is cutting off while driving. It won’t start back for 2-3 minutes, and I’m sitting in traffic. It’s terrifying!!! When checked with... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Every time we turn in the vehicle it knocks/clicks. A lot of research shows the CV Axle is causing this problem.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
Kia lost power on the interstate. I was able to pull to the side of the road and then the car completely shut off and is now Unable to drive and requiring a motor replacement. I have an estimated 121,000 miles in the engine
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
This is the only system I can think of that would give my abuser access to my vehicle. Either that or a thief. Somehow there is a desire to obtain free vehicles through easy access of loan defaults via repo assistance and/or salvage titles. Nobody in their right mind would want mine now since my mileage is excessive (and fraudulent, see my other ticket). Either way, my car abruptly overheated and ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2022
Passenger side, side view mirror will intermittently turn all the way in and down. This makes it impossible to see traffic on your side. Once it turns in, it is stuck and you need to get out of the car to physical move it so the motor will adjust it again. This can happen at anytime and has happen at least 10 times since we've purchased the car on 12/29/2023
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
Unknown. The steering wheel feels like it gets stuck when I'm driving at 45 mph+, but especially around 70 mph. It's like the steering wheel is locked and I have to forcefully tug it to correct my driving, but then it gets stuck all over again, so it's a constant back and forth while making minor corrections when driving.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake light, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted regarding the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V91300... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake light, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted regarding the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V91300... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
ABS unit is malfunctioning for the third time on the truck. The dealer has already replacement it twice but it keeps beeping for notification and flashing the ABS indicator. The Hydraulic Control Unit doesn't work, because of this I can't use Cruise Control or the 4x4 component of the truck. The Traction Control System light is on making it difficult to break properly in wet surfaces. There are ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a left or right turn, there was a squeaking sound coming from the front passenger’s side wheel. The sound occurred while driving over a bump in the roadway and while accelerating. The tire pressure sensor failure warning light had been illuminated. The contact learned of NHTSA Campa... Read more