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: Dec 14, 2023
Windshield started to crack after 150 miles on the car from driver side spreading across whole line of sight. No visible or audible rock hit the windshield
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
Check engine light is on with only 300 miles. AC RPMs go up but it won't accelerate. Code P2615 - 00 Apparently this is happening to all manual Versas year 2023+ and Nissan refuses to do anything. Car can just die in traiffic
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
While this Recal has been announced since August, the Manufacturer and Dealerships have not fixed this issue nor do they have a projected date for a fix. In the mean time, they have stated that the vehicle could catch fire and should be parked outside away from structures. This has placed our family at risk, devalued our vehicle and has us considering purchasing another safer vehile putting our fa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
- Due to the use of soy-based wire insulation, a rodents nest was formed and found in the engine compartment. Wires were severely damaged from being chewed. The Electrical system failed with multiple open circuits. Evidently, the car has a design flaw. - Open circuits (exposed wires) pose a risk to the vehicle due to fire. Engine performance was rough due to the loss of some of the engine contro... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
Display a message in screen "Pre-Collision System Malfunction", lost power and start blinking light in cluster
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
2020 AMG GLC 43 coupe here in Harrison, NJ. My driving style with this vehicle isn't different in any relevant way versus with past vehicles. There is an acceleration dead spot which is the default occurrence when I am coasting at a low speed and then go to accelerate. Common scenarios are driving toward an intersection and rolling forward as you determine if you are clear to go and then accelerat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving approximately 50-60 MPH, the Engine Failure, Mountain Mode Not Available, Battery at Zero Percent, Propulsion Power Reduced, and High Voltage messages were displayed. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle then inadvertently decelerated to 30-40 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turn... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
The electronic power steering system started to fail on its own. There was no real reason for this problem. There is full power to system and no blown fuses. It is a gamble as to when the system decides when it wants to work.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
I would like to know if the vehicle was in the flood of 2020 1st of all. I've had this vehicle in Many times before I was told there was no maintenance work done prior to me buying it from a dealer. Been addressing a bad odder upon starting the vehicle for over a year. The smell is in the cab also. Now being told it could be the catalytic converter @ 51,000 miles on the vehicle. I've already spent... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
Automatic braking occurs at any time for no reason. This is extremely dangerous. I've almost been hit from behind a dozen times when my car suddenly puts on the brakes for no reason. I submitted this information to you several years ago and never heard a thing back. This system was apparently designed for people who drive impaired/distracted who shouldn't be on the road to begin with. I drive... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The steering wheel will freeze up, and I have to forcibly jerk the wheel to the opposite direction to return directional control. This typically happens at freeway speeds in sweeping right hand turns. This problem has gotten worse over time. Problem not common in left hand turns, or at lower speeds.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The incident involves the malfunctioning of the Tesla Vision and Parking Assist systems in my 2023 Tesla Model Y. Over the course of owning the vehicle, I have experienced multiple issues with these systems that led to three parking accidents and safety concerns. On several occasions, the Tesla Vision system displayed a message indicating "Tesla Vision will experience degraded performance." This ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
having an issue with the warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling. gear selector replacement Needed. Shifter Linkage needed replacing
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Basically, when driving, the complete cars looses power and looses all electrical power. When I was making a turn, the car lost power, transmission and steering wheel locked up. Audi power system needs to be reviewed and seemed like the Audi dealership was aware of this incident happening to other customers. Quite dangerous
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
On July 12, 2023 Safety recall 23TA08 was issued and it stated that dealer cannot sell, offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction in interstate commerce a new motor vehicle under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code. But the next day on July 13, 2023 Larry H. Miller American Toyota in Albuquerque, NM sold the new car to me (agreement is attached) but didn't deliver it (... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the contact heard a tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the flex wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Incident date: May 15, 2020
Airbag deployed for no reason, while pulling forward slowly from a parking spot. An airbag that deploys when there is no impact or collision is a clear risk to the safety of the driver, passengers and other drivers on the road.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
I experienced a fuel theft while parked in a hospital parking lot. This vehicle has a fuel filler lid that opens from outside and can be opened by anyone. I came back to the vehicle to find the fuel filler lid open and the gas tank at a lower level than when I parked. I checked and there was no leakage. Fuel filler lids should open from inside vehicles or have a lock on them.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
My car has been consuming lots of oil. I took it in for an oil change and while test driving two of the mechanics stated the oil light came on and it ran out of oil on the test drive. Instead of saying anything about a possible issue with the engine, they went ahead and put oil in it and sent me on my way. Since, my car is still consuming loads of oil. I've taken it into the dealership several ti... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated during a routine oil change and tire rotation, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen and needed to be cut off to be removed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
Anti theft software upgrade.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
Vehicle died suddenly in traffic 2 times. Was able to restart after a short while. Was a serious safety issue as I was at highway speed 1 of the 2 times. Vehicle is now at an independent garage. 40k miles. Not under warranty. Has not been inspected or diagnosed yet. No warning lights or codes showing.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
I was driving approximately 30 mph. As I continued to accelerate the fuel system light came on and the car shut off in the road. I had to have it towed to the dealership as it would not start. Gas fumes could also be smelled coming from the car. Once looked at by BMW service center I was told “ EKPS and the fuel pump are intermittently failing. I was able to able to verify the concern briefly. V... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
Car was sitting in a parking lot and back windshield just shattered. Nothing hit it
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
The active head rest restraint deployed on the driver side while driving. The plastic holding the rod failed causing this to happen. Not very safe and concerned about the passenger side deploying.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
The vehicle has been giving a check engine light and a litany of other warning lights including: electric power steering system problem, brake system problem, forward collision mitigation braking system problem, tire pressure monitoring system problem, adaptive cruise control system problem, traction control system problem. This issue happened intermittently at first including the warning lights, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2023
I have a 2018 ford fusion 2.0L ecoboost with around 77k miles and started to see coolant loss with no visible signs in engine bay or below.car, rough start with error P0316 and occasional misfire. White smoke comes from exhaust on start sometimes. Also have to fill coolant every other day or so. It looks as coolant intrusion issue very common with these engines.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
Engine is making weird noise and a mechanic told me it’s related to this recall that still has “no remedy” when it should’ve been a recall YEARS ago when the cars first came out and this issue became more apparent. I do not want to keep driving the car I paid hard earned money for just for a manufacturer defect to destroy it
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
First of all, I have been driving tesla for 9 years and love them. But this new model S has a tiny button for a horn instead of a center horn. This was a meer annoyance up until today when I was nearly plowed into a by a car going the wrong direction at 60mph and no horn when I'm slamming the middle of the steering wheel. This is a serious and dangerous design flaw that needs to be remedied an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
The engine malfunctioned on the freeway causing my brother to have to pull to the side as safely as possible. The engine was smoking and all of the electrical systems started to fail. It said it was overheating.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2023
Ref NHTSA TRACKING # 11557625 Vehicle broke down again within 5K miles and 45 days of prior repair referenced in above case. Similar conditions, highway speed, bucking and vibrating, loss of speed control, no warning. Subsequent repair confirmed same issue (fuel injector) as original breakdown/repair and my initial notification to NHTSA.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Power loss, dash went black and loss of drive power. This failure has occurred twice and I more fully documented each failure to BMW. When was the last time this occurred? August 28th 2. GPS error, vehicle speed limit showed 25 under all conditions while actual speed showed correctly. When was the last time this occurred? Early August 3. Side collision system failures. Either fails ent... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the co... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Lost all power steering. Cannot steer or turn my steering wheel
Incident date: Dec 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while entering the vehicle and sitting in the driver’s seat, the contact heard a crackling sound. The contact looked behind and saw that the rear windshield was fracturing into pieces starting on the driver's side at the edge where the windshield was attached to the frame at a mid-level height. The contact stated that the shattering continue... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2023
My Jeep dealership has confirmed that a Steering Damper replacement is necessary to keep the vehicle from experiencing what is called the "Death Wobble". After going over a few bumps the entire front end shakes as if there is a flat tire. Slowing down and pulling over remedies the problem. A driver who witnessed this pulled me over to say he thought I was going to lose my driver's wheel and sugges... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
Wife was driving my kids to school this am. Driving up a slight hill on a speed limit 55 road vehicle started slowing down and wouldn’t accelerate. Stopped for a traffic light and it very slowly accelerated like a manual transmission stuck in a higher gear. Check engine light went on. I Was able to drive the traverse to the local gmc/Buick dealer which mentioned they were able to download some c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
Wife was driving my kids to school this am. Driving up a slight hill on a speed limit 55 road vehicle started slowing down and wouldn’t accelerate. Stopped for a traffic light and it very slowly accelerated like a manual transmission stuck in a higher gear. Check engine light went on. I Was able to drive the traverse to the local gmc/Buick dealer which mentioned they were able to download some c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Body - exterior. Door handles stop working and cannot open the doors. Engine - massive oil consumption issue. Having to put in roughly 10 QUARTS of oil in between oil changes, but low oil warning light inside of the cluster also never comes on to let you know if the oil is low.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
While driving, engine suddenly overheated due to coolant leak from cracked cylinder head. This was a known issue per the TSB 01-002/23. See attached. Vehicle only has 55k miles and has been maintained, only requiring oil change, topping off of fluids, and filter changes. Dealership has determined that it will require a completely new long block. Mazda USA is currently only willing to cover a small... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2023
I had a check engine light come on for a misfire in cylinder 4. I replaced all the things needed to get this check engine light off and it still comes in for the same issue. My car is now currently at the dealer I purchased it feom so they can do further inspection. I decided to do some research online and found out that multiple people have been experiencing the same issue. I paid more then enoug... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
Throttle body sensor, throttle body injector, and acceleration pedal are failing. I was in traffic and my car went into limp mode because of a code P2122 which is the throttle body sensor. My car did not want to go faster than 10 miles an hour.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
In the 5mph stop and go traffic of leaving a sloped parking garage, the brakes did not respond to repeated attempts to stop the Rogue. The brakes did not work with pumping them, hard pressure or light pressure. No collision warning alerts activated. (No beeping, lights or camera occurred as it usually does when an object is close to the vehicle.) No emergency braking activated. The only thing th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
I own a 2018 Macan GTS and the passenger airbag sensor was defective. My VIN was not covered by the NHTSA’s recall (21V131000) thought it is the same part that was defective and is the same make/model/year. I have submitted a request to Porsche for reimbursement for the repair, but they have denied my request without explanation.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that coolant was present inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
The vehicle has twice been disabled while driving due to “lost communication with hybrid module powertrain control module.” This breakdown is a significant safety hazard as the car loses power and coasts to a stop without any warning. The second time was on a 65 mph highway. Neither time has had any warning before the malfunction lights appeared. The first time occurred on 10/7, and the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang March E. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the message "Power Train Failure, Unsafe to Drive" was displayed and the speed was reduced to 55 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the high-voltage battery junction box and PCM were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
My rear fuel pump failed suddenly when we were driving in highway. No warning at all. We just completed our vehicle inspections by the Honda dealer 3 days prior. We also had them do oil change, replace brake and transmission fluid. It cost us about $2000 for towing and repairs. We found that there is a recall on other crv made the same year. How can I get my repairs reimbursed?
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
My Volt will suddenly lose propulsion. The air conditioner will stop working and the car will not properly accelerate. There has also been multiple occasion where the car will not power on. Additionally, there has been multiple occasions where the car won’t charge. The failed component is most likely the battery engine control module. My safety and that of others is at risk because of the sudden... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
I’ve had my 2016 KIA Sorento for a month. The engine locked up. So, I would like for it to be repaired at no cost to me since it was within the 30 period of purchase. I need to know what to do at this point. My car is at the dealership where I bought it from. Thank you for a speedy response.