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: Feb 10, 2023
High pressure fuel pump broke off while driving on highway causing truck to stall. Stabilitrack warning was activated and Engine Power Reduced message came on dash. Speed was rapidly reduced to 15 mph on the highway and started knocking hard. Mechanic found the pump physically broke and a bolt was sheered off inside of head.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2023
Vehicle Check Engine Light turned on a Vehicle Lost power. Vehicle often hesitates upon acceleration. Convertible Top does not close as well intermittently.
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly lose motive power and stall. Eventually, the vehicle could not be restarted and was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of water intrusion into the trunk space of the vehicle which caused the fuel pump and other parts of the vehicle to becom... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2009
The tucks are high so a backup camera is now more important than ever. During the day the image very grainy but useful. At night or in a dark garage it completely useless. I took my truck in to be checked and they agreed it was terrible but nothing could be dome until a recall was issued. I've done research and this seems to be a huge problem with the 2020 Silverado. I reached out to Chevy and the... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side front wheel was seized due to a malfunctioning yaw sensor. The ESC warning light was illuminated. The contact deactivated the traction control to prevent the failure from recurring. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light would intermittently appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic test showed that the wires in the front driver’s side seat belt buckle were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Car burns oil before oil changes, no warning light comes on. Technician at jiffy lube stated that this model vehicle has issues burning the oil with no warning light coming on. Have taken the car several times to get oil change services and they warn me of the same issue every time. no oil leaks coming from the engine itself. Car engine burns the oil which can cause issues with the engine if left ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
When coming to a stop the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated making it very difficult to stop. I had to put the vehicle in neutral and turn off the engine. When I restarted the vehicle, the problem no longer existed and has not happened since but this problem could easily cause an accident, resulting in one or more injuries. Have not had the vehicle inspected and likely won't, unless... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
The doors of the vehicle fail to latch closed when the temperatures get below freezing. There has been a recall previously repaired in 2016 per vehicle records, however this seems to be an issue now.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
My 2021 Ram 1500 eco diesel had roughly 20,500 miles on it. On January 17th I was driving in my neighborhood and the car completely stalled and all electrical systems shut down. I was able to drift to the side of the road, called roadside service and had it towed to the dealership. After inspecting the vehicle it was confirmed the problem stemmed from the unresolved recall issue. They repaired... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I had the F150 in for service on 1/26/23 for a unrelated repair to the driver seat, upon leaving the dealership and pulling on a 5-lane road the engine/tranny would not climb in rpm and the tranny started to go up and down its 10 speeds erratically and thumping into different gears. I quickly pulled off the road. I noticed the "check engine light" came on. I shutdown the F150 for a few minutes ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
After exiting the highway onto a side road, the vehicle began to shake violently (like we were on a very bumpy road). I pulled into a parking lot thinking we had a flat tire. Then the vehicle suddenly came to a stop and would not move forward and would not move backwards. There was no flat tire, but I noticed that the front left tire was turned inward in the direction that the steering wheel was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
In below-freezing weather, the driver's side door latch of our 2018 Ford Expedition cannot be operated from the inside or outside of the vehicle, greatly limiting the occupant's ability to enter or exit the vehicle. A Ford technician advised today that the latch would need to be replaced. There were no indicators of a malfunction. Similar year Ford F-150s are covered for this issue by Ford's Cu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2023
Car stalls occasionally while stopped in traffic, at a signal, stop sign, and in heavy street or highway traffic. I have read about this, and it is problematic for this make and model, posing a significant safety hazard.
Incident date: Jan 29, 2023
Car stalls occasionally while stopped in traffic, at a signal, stop sign, and in heavy street or highway traffic. I have read about this, and it is problematic for this make and model, posing a significant safety hazard.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
I've had my ford for almost a year and found that coolant was getting into my engine and causing it to overheat and went to get it checked out at a Ford dealership only for them to tell me I would have to buy a new engine I can't afford. I've been looking online at all the problems that could arise if I don't switch the engine like the car starting on fire in hot summer days and can't afford to bu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2019
Wiring harness and a fuse on the harness for the auxiliary Balmar alternator installed by Winnebago partially melted due to proximity to turbocharger. Very concerning due to other owners reporting Balmar alternator fires and alternator regulator failures.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The vehicle locked up and would't move at 10,000 miles. We were lucky that the car was in someone's driveway instead of on the road. The vehicle was new at the time of purchase. I have a relative who is an auto technician and he said that he has experienced this problem with Ford transmissions many times.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Received a yellow "electrical failure" warning while driving, instructing me to call Audi for service. Audi indicated that the car remained safe to drive, and offered a service appointment greater than one month later. Driving the car the next day, the electrical failure icon converted to red and a message said to pull over immediately. The car was able to make it to a local repair shop, with e... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
This is the second time I am reporting this issues. This time I got a video of it. On Feb 2, I was, again, at a red light and a buzzing alarm started going off with the error showing as “Engine Stopped. Steering Power Low.” Then it would flicker to show “Engine Stopped. Press brake firmly to restart.” At the top it said “Ignition On”. When it does this I can’t drive the vehicle. I ha... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
This is the second time I am reporting this issues. This time I got a video of it. On Feb 2, I was, again, at a red light and a buzzing alarm started going off with the error showing as “Engine Stopped. Steering Power Low.” Then it would flicker to show “Engine Stopped. Press brake firmly to restart.” At the top it said “Ignition On”. When it does this I can’t drive the vehicle. I ha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while in park and releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle rolled forward three to four feet and then stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called another local dealer, Middleton Ford (... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I parked my vehicle in front of my house for the night after driving for only about 15-20 minutes. Maybe less. Roughly 3-4 hours later, I was alerted to my car being completely up in flames by the sounds of fire trucks / police sirens. Flames were 20-30 feet in the air coming from the engine compartment area. Fire department / police worked to extinguish the flames, but the vehicle is totally dest... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Check engine light came on after replacing spark plugs and coil packs. Code reads cylinder 03 misfire. Engine has a ticking noise. Cam and lifters are what's causing the check engine light. If not replaced with the upgraded cam and lifters, engine will be no good. Would be very unsafe if my engine were to blow up while driving on the freeway or around town with my children. Dodge knows these cams ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Brakes keeps getting harder to stop , more pressure is needed to stop. Must press pedal really hard.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
The breaks have to be pushed too far down in order for truck to stop. I have had the breaks professionally bled and still… in order to come to a complete stop I have to put quite a bit of pressure for my truck to remain stopped at a red light. I hit a bicyclist crossing the road because my truck moved forward. There have been a few times I almost rolled into an intersection to oncoming traffic b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
While driving the vehicle within the city the engine turned off in the middle of the intersection causing near miss in the middle of the intersection as other vehicle were trying to pass me because my vehicle stalled. After having to towed the vehicle it was found that the engine has seized which is why the vehicle stopped.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2023
was going to work on rt 80 east had cruise control on and was getting off exit 45 in new jersey to get bus into manhattan at approx 430 amwhile getting off highway stepped on brakes pedal went to floor tried pumping nothing happened nor did criuise control disengage or collision warning come on a total collapse of system had this car for approx 1 month purchased used at paramus mercedes benz took... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
Both door locks freeze up in temps below 20 F. I cannot enter the vehicle and am stuck with no transportation.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
I drive on the freeway, and I lost any power with the car, I'm lucky my baby was not in my car on that day. It happened two times and I go to the Mopar service center, they tell me they don't have the part for that, and I ask them what's should I do with that situation, and they said that's a good question, I have no idea, but you can wait for the part and I don't know when the part comes in maybe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
I drive on the freeway, and I lost any power with the car, I'm lucky my baby was not in my car on that day. It happened two times and I go to the Mopar service center, they tell me they don't have the part for that, and I ask them what's should I do with that situation, and they said that's a good question, I have no idea, but you can wait for the part and I don't know when the part comes in maybe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
My bmw x5 40e is having issues accelerating from a dead stop. My safety was put at risk because I was stuck in the intersection going very slowly even after put the accelerating pedal to the floor. It did not properly engage until I got to the other side of the intersection and the stoplight went back to red. It has happened several times after. BMW North America stated that they could not duplica... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was ra... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was ra... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
ABS SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE SECOND TIME. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER THEY REPLACED A PART AND NOW ITS BACK ON AND OFF.
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
The headlamp assembly lenses have become warped and frosted due to excessive heat from the bulb and defective heat dissipation from the headlamp assembly . Poor visibility at night, as light output is significantly diminished creating a safety hazard..
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the power steering assist fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
Rear wiper will not turn off
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Driving uphill when the car suddenly jolted, lost power, and all warning lights became illuminated. All safety features were disabled as well. The sudden stop almost resulted in being rear ended and the car was barely drivable afterwards. Diagnostic trouble codes: P26A6, P2004, P2005, P060B, P0191, P24B9, P2200, P2400.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Vehicle window trim, (Front right) detached and flew off vehicle when traveling between 50-60mph. I was unaware that this wasn't an isolated incident until the news reported a potential investigation.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
While driving 60mph on the highway my windshield molding on the passenger side flew off.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2022
Bought a truck and drove around 420 miles home, within 24 hours of purchase warning lights and sounds went on and off over and over while driving. Took it to 3 mechanic shops, and all 3 said it was the same thing. All shops said it's been a problem for that truck, but there are no recalls on it yet. The warning lights are for the very important ABS brake system and traction control system. Having ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
Reporting very dangerous sudden unintended acceleration of 2015 BMW 328i: When about to back out of a parking space in a parking garage, I pressed the brakes and turned on the ignition switch. After looking around to ensure no cars or people were near the car, I put the gear shift in reverse, turned my whole head entirely over my right shoulder to look through the back windshield and, seeing nothi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
This vehicle has a stop/start function to shut off when the vehicle stops and then cut back on when you press the gas. Approximately 2 weeks ago my vehicle started stalling out whenever it stops and you have to put it in park and restart the car. Sometimes it starts back up, sometimes it takes a few minutes. This is EVERY time it stops—- red lights, stop signs, intersections and poses a haz... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
Had the Service Electronic Braking System Light warning activate at around 30k miles. Cycles off and on continuously rendering cruise control inoperative. The dealer diagnosed and replaced a faulty HCU. At 44K miles the problem appeared again with the same indications. Diagnosed as the same cause. Waited a few weeks for parts, now awaiting a service appointment to have issue fixed. Over 3 mont... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
ABS/STABILITY fault happens constantly.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
This car has randomly slammed on the breaks too many times to count and has been reported far too many times. Today while in the left lane on 95 southbound this car randomly slammed on the breaks so violently the speed was reduced 20 mph with seconds. This is incredibly dangerous, HOW LONG WILL YOU ALL THIS
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
I purchased the vehicle in Feb 2022. I received a call from my dealer about the recall last week, they said they would perform the repair on 01/26/23. I picked the vehicle up the next day without them having performed the repair because the VIN still shows "remedy not available". The dealer did not even assess the safety issue when the car was brought in. I do not know if the car is safe to driv... Read more