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: Sep 1, 2022
Front Windshield trim panels gets loose from multiple places. I can hear wind noise inside the cabin clearly at speeds of 50 mph and higher. Its a known issue with 2019 BMW X5. Took it to dealer under warranty and decline to fix it.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
* What component failed: The VANOS gear bolts broken on the 2011 BMW 328i. *How was your safety put at risk? The car will suddenly stall during high speed driving that risk some car will hint from behind or high possibility of lost the control. The car stall and shaking very bad during high speed driving *Has the problem been confirmed by dealer and independent service center. Yes. It was confirme... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2022
I have an F30 body style bmw with the N55 engine. After purchasing the car I noticed a very rough idle for a few moments when warming up the car. The idle would be so rough that when in gear to reverse out of my driveway, it would jerk the car further than it should be meant to go. A slight tap of the throttle and the jerking would propel the car forward resulting in a dangerous situation. I almos... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
Hello, my car keeps posting a message "Stop Your Car from Rolling" and I've learned that it's a simple spring that probably needs to be repaired. However, in order to repair a $3.00 spring, the dealer is trying to charge upwards of $3,000 to replace it. I really think this should be a recall for such a simple fix that should not be needed at all. The message appears every time I put the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owned a 2015 BMW X3. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The contact stated that unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the recall repair, and the contact was made aware of additional unknown failures and repairs that were needed. The recall repair was completed, an... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle but could not find any failure. However, as the contact continued driving, he heard an abnormal banging sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle became unstable, almost ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 535D. The contact stated while driving out his driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the SCR active reservoir needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
My vehicle stalled on a busy street and could not be restarted. Other drivers stopped and assisted me pushing the vehicle to a nearby intersecting street, which placed everyone in imminent danger of being hit by another car. Vehicle was towed to the dealer who has performed all the service work on my car. The dealer diagnosed the issue as failure of the high-pressure fuel pump. Warning messages ap... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2022
Foot wells or FRM module failed when installing a new battery. Now my windows and turning signals does not work after service when it was working before I took it to BMW of Bloomfield.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated that the driver’s side headlamp had condensation inside the headlamp housing. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the headlamp housing. The contact stated that the failure recurred with the passenger’s side headlamp housing and the driver’s side replacement headlamp housing. The failure had caused the turn signals to... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
A warning light appears: "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error". I went online to see what the issue was and found that there were numerous vehicles owners with the same exact problem. It appears that a component in the gear selector has failed to properly detect the gear selector position, specifically when it is in park. Even though the gear selector is in park and the parking brake is applied... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
A warning light appears: "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error". I went online to see what the issue was and found that there were numerous vehicles owners with the same exact problem. It appears that a component in the gear selector has failed to properly detect the gear selector position, specifically when it is in park. Even though the gear selector is in park and the parking brake is applied... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
I was accelerating from a green light in ELECTRIC only mode, once nearing 25 mph, felt a single strong jolt that caused acceleration to pause, the Hybrid mode automatically kicked in and acceleration continued under engine power. Received several warnings and alerts on the display- Stop Carefully: Power Supply Drivetrain Malfunction Continued Driving possible: Drivetrain Electric drive limited ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
I was accelerating from a green light in ELECTRIC only mode, once nearing 25 mph, felt a single strong jolt that caused acceleration to pause, the Hybrid mode automatically kicked in and acceleration continued under engine power. Received several warnings and alerts on the display- Stop Carefully: Power Supply Drivetrain Malfunction Continued Driving possible: Drivetrain Electric drive limited ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
I was accelerating from a green light in ELECTRIC only mode, once nearing 25 mph, felt a single strong jolt that caused acceleration to pause, the Hybrid mode automatically kicked in and acceleration continued under engine power. Received several warnings and alerts on the display- Stop Carefully: Power Supply Drivetrain Malfunction Continued Driving possible: Drivetrain Electric drive limited ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle hesitated, and revved up approximately three times. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as needed after driving approximately a half a mile. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Coolin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
My father was sitting in his parked car in his driveway and his car caught on fire. A neighbor witnessed it she said it was engulfed in flames within seconds and my father died from smoke inhalation due to the fire. Aberdeen WA police department and fire department examined the vehicle and investigated the cause and determined it started in the vehicle engine. Also the coroner did an autopsy to de... Read more
Fire
1 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
My father was sitting in his parked car in his driveway and his car caught on fire. A neighbor witnessed it she said it was engulfed in flames within seconds and my father died from smoke inhalation due to the fire. Aberdeen WA police department and fire department examined the vehicle and investigated the cause and determined it started in the vehicle engine. Also the coroner did an autopsy to de... Read more
Fire
1 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
My father was sitting in his parked car in his driveway and his car caught on fire. A neighbor witnessed it she said it was engulfed in flames within seconds and my father died from smoke inhalation due to the fire. Aberdeen WA police department and fire department examined the vehicle and investigated the cause and determined it started in the vehicle engine. Also the coroner did an autopsy to de... Read more
Fire
1 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
The vehicle (at 102k mileage) failed to start at the heavy traffic interaction without any warning signs, and was then towed to a local BMW shop. A mechanic found the broken timing chain guard with many debris of plastic guard recovered from the engine during repairing. A total cost to replace the timing chain was $3685.05. The vehicle had oil change at a local BMW dealership about 6 months before... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
out of nowhere with only 1 day warning car requested coolant refill. After refill within 10 minutes car engine ran hot and completely stopped on the expressway. I’ve read hundreds of reviews online and youtube where this exact same thing has happened to others with this same car.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
out of nowhere with only 1 day warning car requested coolant refill. After refill within 10 minutes car engine ran hot and completely stopped on the expressway. I’ve read hundreds of reviews online and youtube where this exact same thing has happened to others with this same car.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
I was in a busy Freeway driving & Now my 2014 Bmw 328 D high pressure fuel failed which caused me to stall and be stuck in the middle of the freeway which also almost made me cause like 10 car crashes it was sorry scary but lucky police helped out and other driver where also caution
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
I was in a busy Freeway driving & Now my 2014 Bmw 328 D high pressure fuel failed which caused me to stall and be stuck in the middle of the freeway which also almost made me cause like 10 car crashes it was sorry scary but lucky police helped out and other driver where also caution
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
Passenger restraint system malfunction. An independent repair shop tested and found the passenger seat sensor pad is bad. From my research, BMW has a problem with this part.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2022
RECAL 94V219000: Double-lock Feature GCM Revised. "The double-lock feature can engage with occupants and the door/ignition key inside of the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle would be unable to exit either from the doors or from the windows of the vehicle." NOTE: IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PRESENTED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND THE REMEDY IS NOT PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2022
RECAL 94V219000: Double-lock Feature GCM Revised. "The double-lock feature can engage with occupants and the door/ignition key inside of the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle would be unable to exit either from the doors or from the windows of the vehicle." NOTE: IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PRESENTED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND THE REMEDY IS NOT PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Open recall since March of 2022, no remedy yet still available
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 530XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
The SOS malfunctions by disabling the center display panel. The satellite radio and navigation don’t work. An error message populates the main dash display and cannot be reset by driver. The SOS device box is located in the rear overhead panel where it’s very difficult to access. The dealer replaced the SOS box and Li battery. After 3 weeks, the SOS malfunctions again where it randomly calls t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
During the parking of my BMW X1, when I put the gearbox shifter in the P position and turn off the engine I receive the following error message: "Secure Vehicle with Parking brake, have problem checked by service partner." This happens each time and also when the vehicle is parked on level ground. The error will remain even when the parking brake is applied. BMW Error Computer code is "420106... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Dealer states my occupancy detection mat was already reworked, however the original mat is still in the seat and no evidence exists to show what was done to prevent future fatigue of the mat. The date code on the mat is 2005 and the dealer stated it only needed replacing if it showed visible cracking during inspection. They stated it wasn't required to replace it but the date of warranty started f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that white smoke was coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
Transmission system is not functioning properly. The shifter automatically shifts into "N" or "P" when shifting into "D" or "R". The instrument cluster displays "transmission malfunction". Check engine light comes on. The code is P17E1 "Ratio monitoring clutch "A"
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
At-fault vehicle (charged with improper lane usage) in Toyota Corolla attempted to abruptly merge left from "local lanes" going north of IL 53 to the "express" lanes hitting a Toyota Camry which veered into my front right tossing me across 3 lanes taking out 70' of guardrail and totaling my 2018 BMW X1. My airbags did not deploy. My engine came away from the chassis and left front wheel came away ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
Error: Secure Vehicle Against Rolling. This just appeared on my dash 12/16/2022 while it was in park mode. I’ve done some research and found it’s just a small spring in the shifter that costs about $10. To get spring replaced at the dealer will cost about $3,000! This appears to be a problem with the BMW X1s. My vehicle has not been in an accident and I’ve always maintained it since owners... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
I took my car to the dealer after I started to get an error message saying that I needed to put the parking brake on to prevent rolling. It was very stressful driving the car while this error message was in place. When I took it took the dealer, I was charged $200 for a diagnostic and was told there's nothing operationally wrong with the car but the sensor can't tell that the car is in park and is... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
According to the dealer, a transmission sensor underneath the gear shifter got wet due to a liquid spill from the cupholders. While driving on the highway returning from scheduled dealer maintenance on the car, the informations screen showed a warning that there was a drive train malfunction and that the car would not be drivable after the current drive ended. The cupholders were not in use at thi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
This recall notice received almost 8 months back. This recall concerns me. I didn’t have any accidents to report but it’s too bad no remedy was given by BMW.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2022
I was out of town and my Drivers Side Door locked and would not open, not even with the key. It is making a sound when I try to unlock and once I start the car and drive, it makes the same clicking sound. If I were in a wreck and both doors locked and would not unlock, is that not a safety problem if I could not get out of the car? Who would design such a locking feature that the door would not u... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 128I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
I was driving on the freeway when all of a sudden a lot of white smoke started to come from the engine. The car instantly overheated and it shut off. My car had no problems until now. I called a tow truck to bring it home. I had many mechanics check it out and they couldn’t figure out why this happened out of nowhere. They all said the same thing that this car was in fixable and it’s not ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2017
The contact owns a 2007 BMW Z4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not e... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
NHTSA Recall Number 21V907 It has been over a year since I received notification that there was a recall on my vehicle. I have contacted BMW for this to be repaired several times, but the local dealer always says, "We're sorry, there aren't any parts available for your recall." This recall is NOT being performed in a timely manner and based on my interpretation of the recall notice that keeps ap... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
2010 328i bmw That I own. Vehicle will not start. I had to leave it where it sits as we speak at my baby mamas apartment complex in Lacey Washington. Very dangerous and strong smell a burning smell I am finally after getting the trunk open come to find out that my battery was more than just “smoldering” and the positive terminal was melted all the way to the point where we panic and I had to d... Read more
Fire