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: Oct 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic showed that the vehicle had a faulty front driver’s side air bag inflator. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the contact was informed that the vehicle warranty had expired. The vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The frame has completely rotted through and the truck is not driveable as the mechanic has said the frame is likely to crack and that there is severe frame deterioration near the fuel tank putting it at risk of catching fire.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
No brake fluid reaching front brake calipers. Technician said it was due to a faulty ABS. Dealership won’t further diagnose and see if it is related to NHTSA Recall Number 23V651000. Front brakes would lock up when moderate pressure applied to brakes.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated upon starting the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was no sound of the starter motor. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the starter motor needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
I was driving home on i-91 S when my car started smoking from under the hood. There were no warning lights and the temperature gauge read normal with the lever at the center. I pulled off at the next Exit and parked in a parking lot. I popped the hood and found that a fire had started around the engine. The fire grew to the point that the whole front half of the car was burned before the fire depa... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 15, 2018
On the evening of 12/20/2023 suddenly the loss of engine oil pressure with an illuminated oil pressure warning lamp came on and the engine started knocking loudly. Then as we pulled out of traffic into a parking lot spot it died and would not restart. We were in heavy traffic and if we were not able to exit as quickly as we did our family would have been stranded and blocking in the heavy traffic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
I have a huge issue with the safety of my vehicle. while i am driving the car will race the RPMs up 6,000 up and down while I am going 65 on the highway, but the car down not speed up. the only way to stop it is to pull over the busy highway and restart the van. it will also sometimes drop down in gears and cause the vehicle to skid and shift the back end to the side. I called the deanship and the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
During the month of November while driving on Interstate 35 inTexas I attempted to administer my braking system during slowed traffic and they did not respond. The brake pedal became completely stiff and I had to apply incredible pressure to get the vehicle to slow down until I turned on my hazards and rolled to a stop on the shoulder. I did not have any alerts or warnings until I powered the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN too... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
Door will not open from inside or outside of the vehicle and it is a safety issue. There are forums of the same issue with this make and models
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
STEERING WHEEL STICKS WHILE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE ABOVE 40MPH. CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DRIVING CORRECTIONS TO BE MADE TO THE STEERING WHEEL ESPECIALY OVER 60MPH.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
When driving at higher speeds, the steering wheel feels "stuck," causing the driver to have to steer harder to overcome the "sticking." There have been no warning lights that have come on due to this problem. This is especially noticeable on the expressway. This is a clearly disconcerting issue on the expressway as I am constantly having to tug one way or the other on the steering wheel to "fre... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
While trying to make small adjustments to the wheel, such as while driving on the freeway, the steering wheel sticks and has to be moved more harshly to adjust. This causes the car to jerk and makes it very difficult to make steering adjustments.
Incident date: May 31, 2023
Steering sticks. It feels like it sticks then releases. Does this every time it's driven. I reported to dealer where I purchased vehicle. They took it in and were not able to notice any issues. They put on computer and nothing alerted. It drove normal for about a week after I picked it up, but then issue came back again.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
Airbag pre-tensioner fired without any collision.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The software system in regard to the BSW and FCM. The car tried to put itself in reverse while we were driving. Yes, the problem has been reproduced on the computer only. The vehicle is currently at the dealership being looked at now. The transmission service light came on, the FCM temporarily not available, came on, and the BSW light came on.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, shortly after 8:30 p.m., I turned into the driveway for my Columbia residence and proceeded with caution toward my carport. The weather was clear, with no rain or ice, and my driveway was free of all obstacles. My 2021 BMW X5 began to accelerate and move forward at a dangerous speed. Though I applied the brakes, they were unresponsive, and the vehicle collided, wi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
My Steering wheel is getting stuck on high speeds, causing me to unwillingly Change lanes trying to correct the stuck steering wheel I took the car to the dealership for recall, said it wasn't the part they're looking for Service writer took it for a test drive and was unable to verify happens within 30 minutes of driving. I believe it's a faulty electric power steering.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
While pulling up to the drive thru window to pick up our food, at very low speed, vehicle would not stop had put all of my body weight on brake pedal to get it to stop and avoid hitting car in front of us.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Transmission went out at 145k miles
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
When I am driving, my passenger sometimes does not trigger the airbag to activate. Depending on how they are sitting, many times the passenger airbag is set to "off" because it can not detect a passenger. The Rivian service center has investigated and mentioned there is no problem and that the passenger needs to sit more upright, but this still seems like a safety issue if we are driving and fail ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The headrest styrofoam was exposed allowing my son to dig pieces of it out with his finger and swallow it. This poses a choking hazard. They replaced it once and said the issue had been resolved but it happened again with the carseat I'm now reporting. The carseat has not been inspected. Also, the website is not allowing me to upload pictures at this time so feel free to contact me for pictures ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Cracked broken well spots on front left door (driver door) at the check arm attach attachment points in door assembly. Prevent driver window from opening or closing.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
I had 2 accidents with this car. The first was on October 10, 2023. I pulled into a parking space and braked. I move forward a little more and braked again. The car suddenly accelerated and hit 2 vehicles parking across from me. My car was damaged, and one of the cars I hit was badly damaged, and the other had less damage. My 93 year old father was not injured. I had an injury on my hand, wher... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
Drive train malfunction came on and veh started to act very different like check engine lights and a lack of power !!! had it sent back to the dealer they switch #4 coil pack to # 5 and the code cleared . Then about 1500 miles later the same thing happen ,so I changed plugs& wires and still the same thing happen again so then I received a P0100 code and P0172 so I changed the pcv and both Ma... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
The vehicle’ Full Self driving control malfunctioned two times. This vehicle delivered to me on Aug 31, 2023. The recent full self driving malfunctioned on Dec, 16th, 2023. The vehicle was on self driving mode and about to get into a near fatal crash. I had immediately intervened and avoided the crash. This caused damaged to front passenger side tire and wheel apart from mental trauma to myself... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
The vehicle’ Full Self driving control malfunctioned two times. This vehicle delivered to me on Aug 31, 2023. The recent full self driving malfunctioned on Dec, 16th, 2023. The vehicle was on self driving mode and about to get into a near fatal crash. I had immediately intervened and avoided the crash. This caused damaged to front passenger side tire and wheel apart from mental trauma to myself... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2016
Strong fuel smell from defective part on fuel assembly. I was told this is a $4000 fix for a part that was knowingly bad and GM did nothing about it. This is a fire hazard and could burn my house down the gas smell in my garage is overwhelming
Incident date: Jun 10, 2016
ABS/HCU is a known issue for failure. Mine is intermittently flash alerts for service/problems. 1000’s of people are having these issues. Where is the recall? This is a safety issue, is it not.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the contact became aware that there was fluid leaking from the rear brakes. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a tire shop, and the contact was informed that the brake fluid was leaking, and the rear brake assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The local ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
I was pulling into a parking spot. I was riding slowly into the correct position. Immediately the car went into full acceleration. Knocked the parked car in front about 8 feet, turned and knocked another car on the side. I stood on the breaks, it went another 10 feet and engine stopped. I never heard this level of acceleration of engine ever before. The airbags for me and my passenger did not op... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Failure of electronic power assist steering system. Without power steering, maneuverability becomes difficult as effort required for steering the vehicle drastically increases, putting the driver and those around them at risk. The dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps appear until failure is ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Going over a bump at 45 mph or greater results in the death wobble. Will not stop shaking until the vehicle slows down.
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
Steering assist disabled comes on while driving and Steering locks up and shuts everything off,and then starts back. Very Very dangerous on the road not knowing where or when you're not in control of the vehicle. When this occurs engine stops,no brakes.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) had failed. The fuel system as... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to slow for traffic or a traffic signal, the contact required more force to depress the brake pedal before the vehicle would slow. The contact became aware that while making a right turn, excessive pressure was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated there was no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Received the new OTA recall update. The driver monitoring is now too sensitive and I cannot check the cross traffic when approaching intersections without receiving alerts to pay attention to the road. The car then requires me to apply varying amounts of turning force to the steering wheel, which sometimes can cause accidental disengagement, which also disengages TACC and auto braking. This is dan... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 made ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated. The brake pedal was engaged and continued to depress independently. After turning off the vehicle, an abnormal sound was detected. The contact stated that while driving, there was a line on the screen. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was referred to the local dea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
nhtsa recall 23V-838; TC2023-657 has made my car less safe to drive. The constant nagging and nannying requires me to take attention off the road. Please stop.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while attempting to activate the headlights, the headlights failed to respond. The contact stated that several attempts were needed for the headlights to become operable. However, the failure reoccurred, and the low-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact checked the high-beam headlights and the high-beam headlights fun... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
I have been having issues , not sure what the problem is but the car doesn’t seem like it’s getting proper gas , & it shakes when I drive . I had to park it in the garage after having it towed home due to an unknown issue .
Crash
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Model Y Autopilot Update To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model Y's autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model Y owner for over two years, I have generally found the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model 3’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over two years, I have generally found the vehicle and its features to be reliable and safe. However, the recent up... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic discovered fuel in the oil. The dealer was alerted of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. A test was performed on the vehicle and the contact was instructed to drive the vehicle for 700 miles to test the fuel system. The contact's father t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
My power tailgate control unit is fried due to a leak in rear driver side.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
1st winter of owning vehicle. The engine started to Rev with high rmps about 8000, and no power / speed incrase would happen. This was looked at by dealer within first year. This then happened again, dealer looked at it. Third time, the dealer had a code to look at, and the transmission was upgraded with software. We are now a 4th time at the dealer, and the observed reving is happening agai... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
Complete failure of the car to start or turn on. This occurred once in 2021 and a second time in 2023. Taken to dealership. Diagnosed with a computer problem. Fixed by dealership.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
APIM unit and plastic body components 2016 F150, 31,071mi., Sync3 v3.0.20204 Symptoms: Malfunction of the power window controls, radio controls and instrument panel. The APIM also controls many other safety functions, such as rear camera, safety lanes, park assist, backup guides, gps, cruise control, trailer/tow information, and other warnings/features. It is notable that Ford has issued recalls... Read more