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: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH, the transmission downshifted from 3rd gear to 1st gear. Additionally, the engine revved up and the RMPS increased significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that after the failure had occurred, he veered to the side of the road. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2023
This is to report a safety report for a potentially serious, even fatal windshield, body, engine and transmission defect. Rain water pours down the windshield and floods the engine overcoming al engine parts especially electrical, transmission and engine parts that should remain dry and safe. Windshield to cowl to engine compartment will flood and overcome safety equipment. When driving in rain I ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
Transfer case actuators plastic gear(s) might be worn out due to bad quality of the material used. On some of the BMW X5 models there was a problem with the differentials and a recall was issued to fix those. But some how some cars with particular VINs went missing in that. Codes thrown by my system are : 005219, 005F3A, 006EC4 Code 005F3A signifies that the Transfer case actuator is not engagin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
I was driving & my sunroof shattered. My sunroof was closed but it completely broke. It sounded like a loud bang, or gun shot. When I pulled over, I realized it was the sunroof.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the vehicle displayed a message reading "Electronic Power Assist Fault". The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that power to the EPS was lost due to a fault with the ba... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Steering wheel feels sticky/stiff. As if it is missing steering fluid on a 150k mile car!
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The vehicle components started failing first with lighting and electrical malfunctions. Due to the concerns I was on the way to the mechanic on 9/16/23 when the air bags deployed on the passengers side without any impact. The Vehicle is at Chrysler dealer on central avenue Albany, NY and available for inspection. I had just dropped off my grandchildren this could have severely had a horrible impa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
When going into curves on interstate, car thinks its gonna hit something and slams on the brakes when cruise control is engages. When passing a semi (semi slow lane, passing in passing lane), vehicle detects something in front of it and slams on the brakes. Does this on straight stretches. Slows down extremely fast to mabye 40 mph, then floors it once it thinks the "obstacle" has disappeared an... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
There is a short circuit of some type in the dash gauge that houses the odometer and gas gauge. It slowly started several years ago, mainly when the weather is cold/humid. The gauge will sometimes flash garbage codes Or sometimes not work at all. This can interfere with knowing how much fuel is in the car or mileage for annual inspections. My personal mechanic is aware of this problem but hasn’t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
I was driving on the highway and when I stopped because there was traffic my car completely cut off. Screen and display went back and then it came back on and went into neutral and when I went to shift gears and try to change into drive it would not allow me to change gears. I had to turn the car off and turn it back on. THIS WAS ON THE HIGHWAY!!! This happened 2 times on my way home. I have a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
I was driving on the highway and when I stopped because there was traffic my car completely cut off. Screen and display went back and then it came back on and went into neutral and when I went to shift gears and try to change into drive it would not allow me to change gears. I had to turn the car off and turn it back on. THIS WAS ON THE HIGHWAY!!! This happened 2 times on my way home. I have a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Last December my airbag light came on. I took it to Minot Chrysler Center and Toyota Center and they told me the wires for the airbag under the drivers seat were frayed and needed to be replaced. They also had to replace the harness because they said that too was not working. I had it fixed. Three weeks ago the light went off I made an appointment right away and today they told me it was the same ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
I was driving on the highway and then I heard a loud boom, and looked in my rearview mirror and my rear window was shattered. I had to pull over and there was no sign of any impact. I was so terrified that I called the police to come out to inspect it and they did not see any sign of impact either. I called Honda, and they advise that my warranty does not cover the glass since the glass does not c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
I have to add oil every 500 to 800 miles no visible smoke from engine or exhaust when cold or hot. ???? HELP
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Driving 68mph with cruise control engaged, truck violently jerked. Gear indicator went to 1st and started flashing. There was no gas pedal response. The truck was just coasting. About 10 seconds later, the gear indicator went back to 6th and resumed normal operations. This seems to be the same lead frame issue earlier f150s had with this transmission but no recall has been made for the 2015’s. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
failed torque converter/software results in car surging during moderate acceleration. This is unsafe when vehicle will not accelerate properly under load. The problem was repaired by the dealer who indicated this issue to be a widespread problem with this car. There were no warning messages.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
On 11/4/2023 I turned off my Durango. 10 minutes later I turn it on and it makes a clicking noise and wouldn't turn over. After 10 attempts to start I let it rest for the evening. The following day 11/5/2023 I try to restart and it stalled. After 5 more attempts the vehicle stalled after 10 Seconds each time. 11/6/2023 I contacted my insurance company to have my vehicle towed because it wasn't dri... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
Passenger side front headrest airbag deployed without incident. There were no warning lights, messages or symptoms prior to deployment. The vehicle was inspected and certified upon purchase. This could have caused injury to myself or my children. My biggest concern is the same incident happening without warning to the driver’s side while I’m driving and causing an accident which results in inj... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
I was driving on the highway with cruise and my car started to go limp, then started to accelerate without my foot on the gas. Then my check engine light came on and I pulled off and turned the car off and back on. It drove fine but when I went to have it checked they said it threw a code for my TCM. My coworker also drives a Chrysler 300 and had the same issue in the same week! He never got his c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
car stops while driving, battery also draws while not in use. which is very dangerous. Already filed report with dealer ship for car. We will be having an another baby this winter and it is getting to the point where It can be very dangerous for my family. We got it checked but since it’s a manufacturer issue is what they said. Since this car doesn’t have any recalls dealer doesn’t want to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
Windsheild trim is breaking into pieces on the sides and coming off.The bottom trim going across the hood is getting wavy and cracking and not laying flat on the surface anymore. It is also starting to break away. Dealer said no repairs for this are covered under warranty and if I want it fixed its very expensive.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
Shock absorber severe noise driving over road imperfections , lower front ball joint failure full pull through of the joint off of the control arm assembly pulling the cv axle apart and basically having the front wheel more or less completely separate from the body where the vehicle is no longer moveable
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
While driving on freeway with Adaptive cruise control set, vehicle automatically brakes when passing large vehicles, like semi trucks. ACC set at 75, I'm in left lane to pass truck going around curve and brakes come on and slow vehicle down to 60. I am clearly in the left lane to pass and truck in right lane. My safety and those behind are at a HUGE risk. This will cause an accident if not addre... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
size 19. I have had two tires fail in 3 months. Less than 3k miles on both. There was no road hazard but both tires blew out on the side.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximate... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
I bought a BMW on November 3rd and within 48 hours on the 5th of November at 6:30 the engine seized while the car was driving when I took it to BMW they did a carfax on it, it said the car had 197,000 miles on it and the car was listed with 97,790 miles and the odometer still says 97,000 and the transmission is also slipping because it had 197,000 miles on it and the font headlights won't work.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40-55 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Brake lines are bubbled and do not pass inspection. Tesla claims this is my fault as I live on an unpaved road. My mechanic has seen the same problem in another 2019 tesla and there are few of these cars in Central VT
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the Electronic Power Steering Module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the SRS warning light had been illuminated intermittently. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
LED daytime running lights went out a few weeks ago at the same time, then yesterday both headlights went out at the same time as well. There have been no damages or wrecks in my vehicle and I am the only owner. There are no warning lights and according to the MyVW app, everything is fine. I cannot see well while driving at night anymore and this will cost me $2,000 to replace at only 60,000 miles... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
LED daytime running lights went out a few weeks ago at the same time, then yesterday both headlights went out at the same time as well. There have been no damages or wrecks in my vehicle and I am the only owner. There are no warning lights and according to the MyVW app, everything is fine. I cannot see well while driving at night anymore and this will cost me $2,000 to replace at only 60,000 miles... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside the interior of the vehicle. After a visual inspection, the contact observed corrosion on the fuel filler pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
Forward Collision Warning appeared, vehicle lost power and would not accelerate. Vehicle kept loosing power. Multiple codes appeared. I am an ASE certified mechanic, so I went to my own business to get my scanner and there was a list of codes. Vehicle is currently at dealership and they are tracking down issues. Currently blaming an ECM but unsure. This is the second vehicle I have had this exact ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2020
Dealer and Manufacturer said that the Anti-theft software upgrade is not compatiable for my 2013 Accent and that they are working on an update. they should be required by NHTSA to complete this upgrade because WE could be injured if someone tried to steal my car
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
2016 Ford Focus with 53,000 miles, driven less than 150 miles per week on average just getting back and forth to work and running errands. Check engine light came on on November 2, 2023. I got a P0344 code from my mechanic who is 5 minutes away from when the check engine light came on. He advised me not to drive the vehicle until he could get my car in on November 7. When I started the car to t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
ABS/HCU second time malfunctioning. Causing no abs and no cruise control. Parts are on back order until feb 2023. Causing me not to be able to safely operate my vehicle
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
RE: Recall Campaign No. 23V-337 It has been roughly half-of-a-year and MINI has not offered a solution. My car lost power while driving and it appears to be related to this issue--that is only my NON-EXPERT opinion. Can NHTSA direct BMW/MIONI to solve this problem, it's is looking like more than $1k to fix their issue. The vehicle is not operational. This situation is unfair.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
I was driving hearing music, I did a reverse and hit the poll
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Starting to exhibit signs of the death wobble at 46000 miles
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Starting to exhibit signs of the death wobble at 46000 miles
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Headlamps are faulty. Replaced the drivers side at almost the end of the 49k miles and after about another 900 miles, the passenger side went out. There is a defect with these lights and they’re back ordered through the UK. Police have told me that I have a headlight out and there is nothing I can do about this.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
The driver door makes a popping noise when opening and closing. Door now has problems closing and sometimes will not shut properly. Also, the window is not going up and down as fast as it should. Both problems happened around the same time and are believed to be related.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
Driving 60+ miles you hit a bump and the truck starts shaking real bad the whole truck That the only way to make the vehicle stop from shaking is slowing down the speed to 30 mph or complete stop until it goes away the terrible shaking. I already reemplace many suspension parts like the track bar,tie rod and the drag link and still having that issue
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
Driving 60+ miles you hit a bump and the truck starts shaking real bad the whole truck That the only way to make the vehicle stop from shaking is slowing down the speed to 30 mph or complete stop until it goes away the terrible shaking. I already reemplace many suspension parts like the track bar,tie rod and the drag link and still having that issue
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
While driving I noticed my Seltos felt like it was shifting hard. I then attempted to put it in reverse. There was NO reverse. I had to get bystanders to push me off the road. This is a safety risk because there were no warning signs that reverse would fail to engage. Kia states there is no recall, but several of same instances were found in forums. My car is scheduled at dealership next week. No ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
Extremely loud, ear-piercing noise from speakers when the vehicle is started. Lasts about two to three seconds. My ears have been damaged by it. My young boys cried while in their car seats and said that their ears hurt. Noise occurs randomly. Dealer states that they can't do anything since it is not reproducible. I offered to record the noise when I enter the car. I would have to have my... Read more
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