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: Sep 17, 2023
**Known Ford recall for this exact issue not attached to my VIN***. While driving (9/20/23) on the highway, a wrench illuminated on my dash, odometer went blank, speedometer went to zero, vehicle attempted to accelerate and struggled to shift; shortly after my wheels locked up then released reducing my speed to about 30 mpg within a short period of time (left skid marks on the highway). I nearly... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
This is a second failure of the steering rack on this vehicle after being replaced at a Ford dealer eleven months ago. Just like the first failure the vehicle is difficult to control and requires significant effort to steer. Dashboard message indicates power steering not working. This is clearly a safety issue resulting from a poor steering rack design. Winter driving with this vehicle will be ver... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
My 2014 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk has a failed Power Transfer Unit (PTU) This failure causes harsh grinding noises and extremely jerky gear shifting at any speed. The vehicle lurches forward when changing gears and is a safety hazard. Pulling the F10 fuse seems to bypass the PTU but renders the 4x4 and other safety capabilities like slip/traction control useless. The problem has been confirmed b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
We began having major issues with our van in October 2022. There were numerous incidents of loss of power and sudden increase in temperature gage. We kept fluids checked. Kept oil changed on time. We reported this to the dealership multiple times before they agreed to fix under warranty. Even after fixing factory recall (which we were charged for by the dealership) and then replacing batteries, we... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
While driving on expressways vehicle will suddenly lose all power. making it difficult to get to vehicle off the road. this has occurred 5 times in the past year, most recently 09/192023, all times with adults and children in car. One of the incidents, I was unable to get off road as was in a construction zone with no shoulder, so had to sit in lane with oncoming traffic and was very fortunate not... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
Thermo control valve needs replacing at 34k miles. Not covered under warranty. Also needed new tires at 30k miles and now faulty ignition coil
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The ramp door of this RV has a common problem with the door rotting at the hinges. These doors are used to load 1000lbs per axle into a toy hauler camper. Over several years, the structural wood inside the door rots without warning to the owner. I caught it just before it failed and did a web search to discover that this is a very common problem where people don't discover that there is an issue u... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
We started experiencing a problem with our clutch on our manual transmission 2019 Jeep Wrangler Sport in December 2022. It felt like it would slip out of gear on its own, sounded like when someone first learns how to drive a manual and grinds the clutch. The dealer couldn't figure it out. Kept getting worse. Multiple trips back to the dealer. Mind you at the time this car was 3 1/2 years old and o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Sometimes the cruise control works. Sometimes it doesn't work. Even after vehicle is warmed up still no resolution. Engine oil disappears without notice or warning.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Air bag warning light is on. I talked to local Ford garage they said 1500 to 2000 to fix . Looking online at f150 forums this seems to be a common problem. This is a government mandated safety device it should be fixed for free. It can't get reset or erased without being fixed
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
I purchased my car brand new in 2016. I did not drive the vehicle often since working in NYC and parking was impossible. Then we had the Pandemic in 2020-current and I have been working from home for the last 2 years and 8 months. The car had been in an indoor garage and occasionally I would take the car for a ride and then the car wash. I took very good care of the vehicle. On September 11, ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to steer the vehicle off the roadway, but the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being charged, the battery failed to fully charge. The contact stated that the vehicle was only able to drive for 29 miles after being charged. The contact then stated that on multiple occasions while attempting to make a left turn or while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle intermittently stalled with... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
THE VEHICLE IS DOING THE EXACT BEHAVIOR OF TECHNICAL BULLETIN N206NAS1. THE FUEL GAUAGE INDICATES LOW FUEL AND THE LOW FUEL WARNING LAMP IS ILLUMINATED ALTHOUGH THE FUEL TANK IS KNOWN NOT TO BE EMPTY. THE ENGINE WILL CUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO GIVE THE VEHICLE A SERVICE UPDATE WITHOUT HAVING THE TECH CHARGE A LA... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
Engine light came on, checked with diagnostic machine shows a crank shaft issue. I have maintained the car with regular checks and maintenance. This has to be a defective part.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to shift properly. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the floorboard, undercarriage, and shock mounts were rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
The ABS light came on and went off intermittently, which also disabled the cruise control when the light was on. Eventually the light stayed on. Most recently the start button quit working properly. We have had it at the dealership twice with no results. We have talked to the dealership many times and been getting the run around. The latest was today and was told the parts are back ordered until 2... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The side Window Molding and mounting panel broke off while driving. When it broke off it could have hit a person or vehicle causing significant injury or damage, luckily it just narrowly missed the vehicle in the lane next to us. As this broke off while we were driving on the freeway we were unable to stop and retrieve the piece. Additionally, the molding along the side windows on the front d... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake lights intermittently failed to illuminate. The brake lights occasionally illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electrical Stability ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
Coolant bypass valve failure my car has less than 50k Dealerships informed me that they fix around 10 a month for that part there is a defect regarding this pump
Incident date: Aug 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH a second vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. During the crash, the front driver's side air bag deployed and the contact sustained multiple fractured ribs and a left ankle injury which required medical treatment. The contact indicated that upon the vehicle's impact, the air ba... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Received an "Important Safety Recall" notice from Kia recall number 23v218 in May 2023. This indicates my Kia Soul EV by VIN. The notice warns of a possible short in the main battery that can cause a fire. The notice says Kia is working on a remedy and that another letter will follow when the remedy is ready. No second letter yet, as of 9/13/23. The recall notice states that if in the meantime own... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
This is in reference to Safety Recall 22S56. The recall talks about the possibility of the vehicle catching fire. I received the recall over a year ago and have contacted the dealer several times and they keep saying that a replacement part is on backorder and there's no timeline for when it'll be available. Meanwhile, I feel like my vehicle could potentially catch fire at any time. Are they allow... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
As I was driving the vehicle suddenly braked to a complete stop in the middle of a street as I was crossing railroad tracks. I was at significant risk of being rear-ended as the car came to a complete stop without notice; there’s also risk of being run over by the train as I was stopped in the middle of the train tracks.
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
Car engine stalling while driving and failure of the EPS/EPC light comes on When attempted to start the car warning start stop system malfunctioning unable to start at times
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Car engine stalling while driving and failure of the EPS/EPC light comes on When attempted to start the car warning start stop system malfunctioning unable to start at times
Incident date: Feb 18, 2022
My heat and air and defrost comes on and off when it is raining my defrost do not work that is a safety hazard if I Can not defrost my window when it rain and snow nothing works in my truck it works when it wants to . This should be a recall this was a brand new when I brought it should not be having these problems already at theses miles , also my locks don’t want to lock my driver door I have... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
The car turned off several times while I was stuck in traffic, it was raining an the wipers were on. This happened on Riverside Drive, NYC on 9/8/23 around 5 pm. The warning said: low steering power. There were cars behind me and could have crashed my car.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
Tires are cracking and I had to patch 3 diff tires since I purchased this 2022 Tacoma
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
Tires are cracking and I had to patch 3 diff tires since I purchased this 2022 Tacoma
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
As I was getting into my vehicle with my family, we heard a loud noise come from the front of the vehicle ( windshield are). We immediately noticed the windshield had cracked and it had started right underneath the driver area and was going up the middle and turned to passenger side of the windshield. All of this occurred while vehicle was parked. Have been reading this has been an ongoing issue w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The transmission since buying it at only 16000 miles has been nothing but a problem. Every recall to reprogram the tcm has not worked. It hard shifts all the time, shudders and jerks when going slow, and twice it has locked down and forced trans into neutral. Has to be towed and reprogrammed so not just unsafe but costs money to fix a problem it shouldn't have. I live in the mountains it could eas... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
My steering and braking go completely out of control when my Uconnect radio goes crazy and switches to different stations,modes etc. I lost control of my steering and braking which lead me to run a red light and nearly crash.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
My steering and braking go completely out of control when my Uconnect radio goes crazy and switches to different stations,modes etc. I lost control of my steering and braking which lead me to run a red light and nearly crash.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine revved but the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. However, the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated after removing the foot off the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the Service Electronic Stabili-trak warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
AFTER MY OIL CHANGE 2500 MILE LATER THE DRAIN PLUG FELL OUT FOR NO REASON
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to shift was needed. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission control module (TCM) and clutch failure. The contact was informed that the TCM and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
While on cruise control on US-93 North bound on between mile marker 116 and 110 ghost breaking occurs. Can cause an accident. It happened multiple times.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond immediately. The contact stated that the failure recurred on a raining day, causing the vehicle to glide. The air bag, traction control, and the ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the br... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence and turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the leadframe and the wheel speed sensor needed to be replaced. The contact was also infor... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
Steering wheel locked after only 9k miles on the car. Won’t turn so cannot drive the car. Brand new car. God forbid this happens while driving the car on road.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
Plastic oil pan is warped and is leaking oil. Gap has formed between the pan and the RTV gasket. There is a known TSB 23-2083 from Ford outlining the issue. The has recently been redesigned. I was told that there is a design issue in the oil system and I could possibly have to replace the valve covers. So, now due to a known issue with the design of the oil system, I am getting charged $3000 ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
Similar to the 2019 & newer Ram HD recall for the ABS electronic control module, my 2018 Ram 2500 has the same issue. It was recently diagnosed at the dealer in August 2023, but due to the abundance of impacted trucks, the dealer estimates that replacement parts will not be available until at least February 2024. While I wait for the repair I have no ABS, traction control, stability control, or cr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
Over the last 3 years we have had ongoing issues with our truck going into limp mode. We have spent thousands of dollars at dealerships and mechanics trying to troubleshoot the issue. Several occasions while trying to merge onto the freeway the truck would slip into limp mode causing us to have other drivers slam on their breaks almost hitting us. We had 2 cars in January of 2023 veer off the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
I have a Kia 2014. Sorento, Snow White mother-of-pearl. In the summer of 2019, I first noticed paint peeling (or what bodyshops call delamination) on the windshield frame. My paint started peeling off in a tiny spot, it looked like a tiny chip of paint the size of a piece of rice, but quickly started flakes all over the body. The dealership says that this is not cover a warranty, since I am not th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
No start issue. I initially started my truck and it was running very rough and the check engine light came on so I shut it off, and then attempted to restart my truck and it turned over fine but would not start. This left me stranded out of town late in the day so I had it towed to my home. I have now learned that there are two outstanding recalls, one for the tone wheel (20V475) and for the high ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
The vehicle was delivered to me with Ring type anchors for the carpets and all of the US specific floor mats that Kia sells for the EV6 require Hook typos anchors. This is an identical issue to the existing KIA TSB 310 (Rev 1, 11/18/2022)
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
The back up camera stopped working approximately 1 month ago. I had returned home from work, parked in the garage, everything was normal. Next day as I started backing out of the garage there is no camera screen, just a message stating, Rearview camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership. Because of a neck injury, I rely on my back up camera to drive safely. I had no warning, the ca... Read more