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 10, 2022
Unable to read oil level, high or unusually alarming oil pressure. High oil pressure codes
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
Steel bolts holding the face of the transfer case which is aluminum is causing a corrosion response between the two metals. Transfer case is severely pitted and flaking apart. It crumbles to the touch around some bolts.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
stopped at a stop sign started going front tire locked up threw me to the ground. Picked the scooter up got it to the side of the road. started back up and the abs is flashing now. My right shoulder is in pain left hip, and knee.
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 21, 2023
Sound system randomly stops working and makes an extremely load cracking and popping sounds. Usually happens a few minutes after start up
Incident date: Apr 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V263000 (Fuel System, Diesel) 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 ex... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
Tesla autopilot made a turn into oncoming traffic without warning and caused a collision.
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The rear driver side dock is locked and will not open. It may randomly become unlocked but as soon as the door closes again, it will remained locked. It looks like this is an issue that the dealers were supposed to rectify at one point but know they want $900 (latch assembly)to fix. It is a safety issue as the passengers of the vehicle cannot get out if something were to go wrong.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
Driving in rainy conditions, no puddles or standing water observed on road. Driving about 50mph, slight bend in road. The car suddenly veers left and I cannot control the car with steering wheel. The car hits the median, spins completely around and then hits median again and stops. I put the car in park and turned the car off. The airbags on driver’s side windows, steering wheel, and drive... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to charge at 120 or 240 volts. The charging unsuccessful alert was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle only charged on a DC fast charger. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) that allowed both high-voltage and secondary batteries in v... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
The starter failed and I was towed to the repair shop where they noted it was unable to kick out bendix to meet flywheel. Upon reviewing subaru's website and forums, there have been many reports of this problem on the crosstrek.
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle began to violently shake with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine and the engine oil pressure warning lights flashed but disappeared. The contact veered to the side of the road and towed the vehicle to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-55 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound underneath the vehicle. The contact parked the vehicle and inspected underneath the vehicle and noticed that the rear cross-member was completely rusted. The contact had not spoken with the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
19April2023 at approximately 13:30 HRS, While traveling northbound highway 65 between Cullman and Hartselle Alabama, the right side windshield moulding detached while traveling approximately 70 MPH. The detached moulding flew rearward into traffic behind me. Upon inspection, it appears the piece is held in place by a single clip and a small strip of hook and loop tape. There were no warnings prior... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Panoramic sunroof panel exploded while driving the vehicle. The sunroof was closed with shade extended. Less than 2 months new. No debris/ collision or object came in contact with the vehicle.No other vehicles were within either side of the road. The glass panel shattered completely with a very loud explosion noise , raining glass into the truck and onto myself(driver). There were no warning or r... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
This vehicle is dangerous and going to kill someone. I owned it 4 months and had to have it taken to 3 different dealerships 7 times in 6 weeks because it would die without warning while driving. It left me stranded in 2 different states and I was told every time nothing could be found as to why this would happen. However, there were several codes that came up that lead me and my mechanic to belie... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2023
The first half of the panoramic moon roof exploded as I was driving down the road. There are several article about this same issue happening to other GM vehicles however, it was never determined to be a recall. The vehicle has not been inspected. It is sitting in my garage waiting for a part to come in so a glass company can install a new one. There was no warning, the roof was not hit by anyt... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
On March 26,2023 my house was total loss due to the 2010 BMW X6 was caught on fire inside the garage. The vehicle has 79xxx mileage and all recall has been check. My two dogs save my life but I did not save them. The dogs was barking while I was in the master bedroom talking to my daughter. As soon I walk to the kitchen I hear crackling, popping noises, and smoke coming from living room. I open t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward. When having to quickly get on the gas it will delay to where your not really moving. This almost caused accidents multiple times. ( not pulling out in front of people) entering interstate is ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward. When having to quickly get on the gas it will delay to where your not really moving. This almost caused accidents multiple times. ( not pulling out in front of people) entering interstate is ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not exceed 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown repair was completed. The mechanic test drove the vehicle uphill; however, the failure reoccurred. The mechanic referred the contact to the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The engine made noise and then turned off. Would not restart. BMW dealer diagnosed the problem as a failed exhaust camshaft Vanos unit. BMW refuses to repair it even though it the engine, model and year fit the Vanos recall. This is the second BMW vehicle I have owned that failed for this reason, but was outside the covered claimed VIN numbers. I am requesting that you investigate this as wider r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that after parking and returning to the vehicle 30-minutes later, there was an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of vehicle. The contact discovered a small burn mark on the center of the front passenger’s side seat. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provide... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated and shuddered before responding as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and happened at various speeds. The contact had taken ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Sport Contact, Tire Size: 225/40/R19, DOT Number: LMJAD5UR (Front Tires) and Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: P Zero, Tire Size: 225/40/R19, DOT Number: 93X2Y082 (Rear Tires). The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the TPMS warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2022
Intermittent door lock recycling
Incident date: Apr 16, 2023
There was not an incident. But the vehicle is not so safe. The driver needs to move eyes from the road for many normal functions like wipers, horn, high beam. In addition, using the phone is dangerous because all the information is displayed on the main screen and requires the driver to look away an select options. This should be displayed in the dash board behind the steering wheel (like it w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2023
Due to cold weather the PCV froze which caused pressure to build up in the vehicle’s crankcase which caused the rear main engine seal to pop out. Results in losing all engine oil without and warning driving down the highway. I was lucky enough to get off the highway but currently without a vehicle due to possible engine damage
Incident date: Apr 16, 2023
Due to cold weather the PCV froze which caused pressure to build up in the vehicle’s crankcase which caused the rear main engine seal to pop out. Results in losing all engine oil without and warning driving down the highway. I was lucky enough to get off the highway but currently without a vehicle due to possible engine damage
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
I was at a stop light with the car in drive and the wipers on intermittent. The auto on/off feature was also enabled since the car was stopped. There was a failure related to the auto on off that seems to correlate with the windshield wipers being used. The engine shut off and the error message appeared on the screen "engine stopped steering power low". The check engine and power steering lights c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
I was at a stop light with the car in drive and the wipers on intermittent. The auto on/off feature was also enabled since the car was stopped. There was a failure related to the auto on off that seems to correlate with the windshield wipers being used. The engine shut off and the error message appeared on the screen "engine stopped steering power low". The check engine and power steering lights c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
When traveling on the highway going 65 mph hit an uneven spot on highway and the truck started shaking vigorously and had to hold on tight and slow down in the middle of the highway. No safety lights came on. I have an appointment at a dealer to look at it. A goggle search on the problem names it as DEATH WOBBLE
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
When traveling on the highway going 65 mph hit an uneven spot on highway and the truck started shaking vigorously and had to hold on tight and slow down in the middle of the highway. No safety lights came on. I have an appointment at a dealer to look at it. A goggle search on the problem names it as DEATH WOBBLE
Incident date: Apr 14, 2023
My coolant reservoir kept on going empty, I took to dealer for service they replaced the radiator fan module and told me my engine was not porous. I was driving and my engine ended up stalling, turned off while I was driving in the freeway at a high speed cause me to almost lose control of my vehicle because everything stopped working. It looks like an inner rod failed possibly because of the cool... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Vehicle states “ secure vehicle from Rolling” message. This could be a safety issue with something with the trans selector and/or parking brake and/or a door open, or not being recognized as being closed. I’ve read lots of other complaints Online too so thought be worth posting.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Electrical system malfunction. Car will not run
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Hello, I am the second owner of this car since 6+ years. I had given the car for fluid flush as part of regular service at a local Firestone. The technician was on a test drive after service and the engine hydrolocked. I have been without a car since last 5 days and no one seems to take the responsibility and help me with replacing the defective engine as it has major known issues with engine. Ple... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Adaptive headlight, turn signals, daytime/parking lamp and headlamp vehicle aim malfunctions. it is available for inspection. Hand signals are required due to the front signals inoperability. It is reason to be aware certain enviromental conditions can prevent hands signals and or other to see the signals. an inability to signal as vehicles are mandated to provide, potentially can be a dire situat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
While driving home from work, the low engine oil pressure light came on. I immediately pulled over and checked the oil. There’s plenty. I continue to drive and start hearing a knocking sound. My check engine light is now illuminated as well as low engine oil light and the wrench and the display says SEE MANUAL. I parked. I’m being told my mechanic that the engine needs to be replaced. This hap... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Car has a hard time starting mutiple times. Battery is fine and starter is fine.
Incident date: May 24, 2022
I received a Safety recall notice in February 2023. I immediately called to schedule an appointment to have the work done. Upon driving to the dealership, I was told that they needed to order the part from Ford Co. and it would take a month to receive the part. I again called the dealership after 5 weeks had passed, and again they told me that Ford is not making the part available, when the Recall... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
My car loose power engine light and sometime A orange light . Vibration and cheking and clicking Temperature engine go up when start ac come down. I already change spark plug sprockets coil Water pump thermostat . I have same problem . Leaking oil. The inspection failed Code 0302 105
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
My car loose power engine light and sometime A orange light . Vibration and cheking and clicking Temperature engine go up when start ac come down. I already change spark plug sprockets coil Water pump thermostat . I have same problem . Leaking oil. The inspection failed Code 0302 105
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
In a parking garage I found a open space and slowly moving towards that to park, car was approaching space at about 10 ft from that, all of a sudden car accelerated and lurched forward and hit the parking structure wall. Airbags deployed for all three of us, one of my colleagues was in passenger seat, another in the back seat. There was no warning on no time to react, this happens in seconds.
Crash
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
High beams no longer work
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
There has been a series of constant issues with this model and each issue has been brought to a certified Honda dealership and was supposedly "fixed" engine code P0300 (random/multiple cylinder misfire),P2651 B rocker arm Actuator system, P0087 Fuel Rail/system pressure, P0304,P0303 cylinder 3 and 4 misfire, engine temperature always above normal. These issues on multiple situations has put my ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
Driver activated defrost in the rain. Exterior temperature was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Crack occured on the windshield. No impact by road debris. It was an edge crack. Occured due to improper installation of the windshield, which seems to be a common issue in the Palisade of all years.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the electronic brakes and ABS warning lights illuminated, causing the cruise control to deactivate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ABS module needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the headlights became inoperable, without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, after turning off and turning on the headlight switch, the headlights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several local dealers were 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 exper... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while she was reaching inside the trunk, the trunk gate independently closed. The contact mentioned that the security sensor did not function which caused the failure. The contact sustained injuries on her right knee, right hip, right shoulder, right glutinous, and right shoulder and was seeking medical attention. The contact called the lo... Read more
1 injured