Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 41,082 complaints for BMW
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed, and the vehicle began to decelerate. The Service 4-Wheel Drive warning was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road where smoke began coming from underneath the vehicle near the power steering unit. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who ... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
THE COMPONENT IS THE ELECTRIC DASHBOARD, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE DASH BOARD GOES BLANK, I AM UNABLE TO SEE THE GAS LEVEL NOR THE SPEED. AT WHICH POINT IT BECOMES DISTRESSFUL FOR THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD TO REPORT THE ISSUES WITH MANUFACTURER. THE DASHBOARD HAD ALERT US FOR A TIRE ISSUE AND IT WAS RESOLVED HOWEVER THE SIGNAL KE... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
The third row seats both have reachable access to the third-row PowerFold buttons even in car seats. My two toddlers can easily reach the fold buttons while strapped in to their seats and are able to recline and move their seats forward and backwards. This caused major safety hazard because their car seats become loose. The buttons are placed very close to the third row seat and are accessible to... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
The third row seats both have reachable access to the third-row PowerFold buttons even in car seats. My two toddlers can easily reach the fold buttons while strapped in to their seats and are able to recline and move their seats forward and backwards. This caused major safety hazard because their car seats become loose. The buttons are placed very close to the third row seat and are accessible to... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
was driving my 2022 Mustang Mach-E in "One-Pedal" Whisper mode on. I always drive in that mode because it has a great feature where as soon as I take my foot off the accelerator the car slows down significantly. I feel safer in this mode especially in high traffic or on the freeway. I was very slowly turning into a parking spot in a private parking lot, stepped on brake to put car into Park when t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 8, 2026
I was slowing down to turn left and felt a stutter, like when antilock brakes activate. Then a red triangle appeared on the display on the dash that said something like "pull over safely vehicle will turn off soon." I came to a stop to wait for oncoming traffic. When I hit the gas again it had barely any power and the power steering had disengaged. I was able to get through the left turn at about... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
We have lost instrument panel info while driving twice in less than a year, it reboots while driving. We took the vehicle to the dealer and were informed there was no tow hitch as stated in the recall letter. My concern is that my car is doing what is described in the recall letter, (during rebooting the control cluster will not show info such as speedometer or warning lights), we have a blank pan... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The vehicle engine catastrophically failed on the road due a rod bearing failure on cylinder #3. This was verified after getting towed to a dealership during a bottom engine inspection. This model year of this vehicle has an active Safety Recall as published on Honda SB 23-097 which is for rod bearing failures. Honda is stating that even though my vehicle has experienced the exact same failure a... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
Crash
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
With speeds in excess of 70 MPH, the car have a violent shake. The shake gets worse as you approach 80 MPH. This is in both the 2025 and 2026 Ford Expedition models. This put drivers at risk, as they must keep control of the car at all times on the highway if they are in excess of 70 MPH. The car has already been inspected by Ford and they did a road balance test and replaced one tire. The car sti... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
I own a 2017 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle began experiencing severe coolant loss with no visible external leaks, requiring nearly a full coolant reservoir refill daily. Along with the coolant loss, the vehicle developed constant bubbling/gurgling noises from the cooling system, rough cold starts, engine shaking/misfires, intermittent failure to start, loss of acc... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
oil filter/coolant housing fail at 69,00 miles. Dumped coolant and got quoted for an expensive mechanic fix $4000
Incident date: May 1, 2026
When using the rear camera while towing a trailer, the image is partially blocked by a persistent message stating “full view not available”. This creates a safety issue as it obscures the driver’s view of the trailer and/or the trailer load. It is critical to be able to monitor the trailer and the load during towing to ensure a hazardous condition is not developing. I believe the rear view ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
Recently, my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe was affected by the 68C Fire Safety recall where the Jeep was stuck at the dealership for battery replacement for 6 weeks. The dealership didn't have a loaner vehicle to offer during the time of the Safety recall. I was asked to contact the Jeep customer care about securing a rental vehicle during the time. I got this email from Stellantis before I started th... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
My engine ticks, and during the winter, I noticed white smoke coming from exhaust pipes in cold and warm weather. I believe there may be an issue with my engine. My vehicle is not on the list provided, and I’m concerned that the dealership responsible for my oil change package will not identify the problem, possibly because newly hired mechanics may lack the experience to make an accurate diagno... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the emergency brake engaged without warning. All the warning lights were illuminated. The windows went up and down without application. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The main FSD computer has given me a fault which probably necessitates replacement of the main computer at a cost of $3250. Car is 2024 and is just out of warranty with 52,000 miles within the last month. Tesla states they will not cover. Safety features are "not available", per the warning on my dash.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
I have a 2005 Toyota 4runner with frame rust that has caused everything under my 4runner to rust. Toyota knows these frames have problems with rust and corrosion and have done nothing, I am far from being the only one with this complaint or problem. It is up for inspection anytime. I have taken it to get work done at shops and been turned away because of the amount of rust on all bolts, lines,... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
I have a 2005 Toyota 4runner with frame rust that has caused everything under my 4runner to rust. Toyota knows these frames have problems with rust and corrosion and have done nothing, I am far from being the only one with this complaint or problem. It is up for inspection anytime. I have taken it to get work done at shops and been turned away because of the amount of rust on all bolts, lines,... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Vehicle Body Exterior Paint Coating Peeling I am reporting widespread paint delamination/clear coat failure on my 2016 Cadillac SRX. The paint began peeling and flaking across multiple panels including the hood, roof, and additional body panels. The vehicle has been well maintained and has never been in an accident. A Cadillac dealership inspected the vehicle in February 2026, photographed the da... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, I turned off the highway and came to a stoplight. While preparing to accelerate as the stoplight turned green, I heard what sounded like a gunshot and saw that my entire rear window had spontaneously shattered. There was no external impact which caused this to occur. I have photos of the incident. Although my one year old son was not in his rear facing car seat at t... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
On 5/72026@app 3:14pm after picking up one grandchild, and at a stop light on the way to p/u the other, the Jeep without warning just disengaged when the gas pedal was depressed, but to no avail. While frozen, the dashboard may have displayed something that was not noted in the panic to get the car moving! The internal panel was still illuminated, however the car would not move forwards although s... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
My vehicle engine caught fire after getting gas. It started smoking then went up in flames.
Fire
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
There are three dangerous systems in my 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L that should be permanently disabled or removed by the manufacturer or dealer. In order of danger; (1) Collision Mitigation Braking System, (2) Auto Idle Stop, and (3) Road Departure Mitigation System. All three of these systems have nearly caused wrecks for me several times. The Collision Mitigation Braking System (1) is especially dang... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
There are three dangerous systems in my 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L that should be permanently disabled or removed by the manufacturer or dealer. In order of danger; (1) Collision Mitigation Braking System, (2) Auto Idle Stop, and (3) Road Departure Mitigation System. All three of these systems have nearly caused wrecks for me several times. The Collision Mitigation Braking System (1) is especially dang... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The vehicle The contact stated that while driving, The approximate failure mileage was 202,427. The oil light illuminated, looked and there was no oil. The vehicle knocked. the vehicle stalled.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
On 5 separate occasions the vehicle locked up the brakes while at highway speeds. Nothing around to trigger any systems
1 injured
Incident date: May 13, 2026
While driving on the highway, the sunroof suddenly shattered outward. There were no other vehicles around us at the time.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Driving downhill at 70mph on highway. crossed from #2 lane to #1 lane. I did not hit any potholes, I believe I just drove over the "bot dots". This started the "death wobble", the uncontrolled oscillations in the front suspension/tires. I had to take my foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle come down to about 35mph before the violent shaking stopped. I could reproduce this on my own by hitt... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped and attempting to turn to exit a highway ramp, he observed a loud banging noise emanating from the engine compartment. An "engine reduced power" message appeared. The vehicle then went into limp mode, and when the brake pedal was depressed, it was stiff as a rock. The vehicle coasted while he continued attempting to depress... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the driver’s side windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part required for the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 15-30 MPH and shifting gears, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle began to shudder at 50-60 MPH. The yellow engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the gear system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 15-30 MPH and shifting gears, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle began to shudder at 50-60 MPH. The yellow engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the gear system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 HONDA Accord. The contact stated while driving the vehicle she noticed multiple waring lights on the dash, ABS waring, traction control, tire pressure lights blinks, service engine light and steering wheel light with exclamation point. The contact stated there is a trembling feeling with applying the brakes, feels like the tires are not balanced. The contact referenced NHTS... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The rear view camera stopped working (black screen.) I have tried to soft reset the infotainment display unit as well as a hard reset by disconnecting car battery to no avail. The trunk lock mechanism is operational (the rear view camera unit is located in the same unit.)
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The rear view camera stopped working (black screen.) I have tried to soft reset the infotainment display unit as well as a hard reset by disconnecting car battery to no avail. The trunk lock mechanism is operational (the rear view camera unit is located in the same unit.)
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) in my Kia K5 GT (2.5T engine) has experienced a recurring internal electronic and mechanical fault. This is the third failure of this component. The failure causes the cooling system to malfunction, either by over-cooling or failing to cycle coolant once at operating temperature. Under acceleration—specifically when merging onto expressways—th... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Vehicle had lifter failure. This could’ve have caused a devastating accident to myself or family which includes my 8 year old daughter. GMC has knowledge of this problem with this motor
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The vehicle has experienced life-threatening safety defects during operation; shaking, hesitation, and stalling in high-speed traffic. The vehicle unexpectedly stalled/lost power while driving, putting myself and others in direct risk of collision. The Hyundai dealership claimed it needed an Actuator Gasket replacement, Throttle Body replacement, and ECM/TCM update. The vehicle had NO warning lig... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The vehicle has experienced life-threatening safety defects during operation; shaking, hesitation, and stalling in high-speed traffic. The vehicle unexpectedly stalled/lost power while driving, putting myself and others in direct risk of collision. The Hyundai dealership claimed it needed an Actuator Gasket replacement, Throttle Body replacement, and ECM/TCM update. The vehicle had NO warning lig... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2026 Chevy Traverse that occurred on May 9, 2026 at 6:46pm. While driving at freeway speed in the carpool lane with adaptive cruise control and gap assist engaged, my vehicle suddenly applied the brakes unexpectedly even though there were no vehicles directly in front of me. The nearest visible vehicle was a significant distance ahead, and ther... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Power train automatic transmission park/neutral start interlock Reverse lights not illuminating increasing risk of collision Recall was issued not listed here WRQ-23 Recall issued 1/8/23 My issue started in 2026 off and on Why is this Recall not listed Subaru service department states not able to provide service without the recall on file Car purchased August 2025
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Today, May 12, 2026 at 12:10pm the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded. I heard some shacking sounds in the car, right as I was picking up speed on the freeway and then heard a bang above my head. Nothing had hit the car. It sounded like a balloon had popped in my ear. When I stopped the car 5mins later, I could see the glass was getting pushed out from the inside and then broke apart in the... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Vehicle stalled approximately 15 times between April 17 and May 4, 2026, including once on Interstate XXX at approximately 50mph with minor children ages [XXX] and [XXX] in the vehicle. The oil and battery lights illuminated simultaneously at each stall. Diagnosed as ABS module failure first, then left front wheel speed sensor failure on the 2nd occasion, both confirmed by a Hyundai dealership. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gears properly with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact later received notif... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Vehicle still does not have a remedy after nearly a year preventing use.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Car just starting shutting off only will drive a certain amount of time then turns off again
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The forward-facing multipurpose camera unit (ADAS camera) failed internally while driving, causing the simultaneous deactivation of multiple critical safety systems including Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS). The failure is indicated by persistent dashboard warning messages stating 'System Fault' or 'Honda Sensing Problem'.A professiona... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
I was made aware of recall last fall. Dealer looked at the vehicle, confirmed diagnosis and stated that there was no fix for the problem. Last month I was contacted by the dealer to have the recall repair completed. I scheduled appointment and brought the car in only to have them tell me that despite back up camera having the issues that they are not able to perform the recall because ford will no... Read more