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 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW Z4. 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 while driving approximately 25 MPH, he started to smell a burning plastic odor. Additionally, white smoke started coming from the vents. The contact stated that the smoke was not heavy but ste... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2021
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 not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. The contact stated that the frame of the vehicle felt extremely hot after driving and the vehicle took a long time to cool down. There... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BWM X3. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine was running rough. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and noticed that the timing chain was stretched. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,000.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
1.I found the same issues the same as the NHTSA posted the recall number 20V094000 for my car. The 3rd brake lights starting lose and I bring my car to BMW dealership and they told me my car is not flag on it. The same year and the same model has the same problem but My car is not under the recall list. I have the BMW Invoice and Identify the problem is the 3rd brake lights screws lose and need re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
While driving on the highway my rear hatch opened and I was not given any warning that the hatch was open. My car was full of luggage on our return trip to florida and I could not see that the hatch had opened. We lost boxes that were in the trunk. It could have been a lot worse if we were not notified by passing drivers that something was wrong with my car. Looking for previous issues this happ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
While driving on the highway my rear hatch opened and I was not given any warning that the hatch was open. My car was full of luggage on our return trip to florida and I could not see that the hatch had opened. We lost boxes that were in the trunk. It could have been a lot worse if we were not notified by passing drivers that something was wrong with my car. Looking for previous issues this happ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
Left front air strut broke two weeks (600 miles) after delivery. There was no warning, just a loud noise when it broke. Warning light showed chasis issue. BMW towed car and replaced strut under warranty.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. 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 while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated with an abnormal burning plastic odor coming from the vents on the dashboard. The contact stated that the check engine warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 528I. 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 stated t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V1190000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2022
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 128i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated as he pulled into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH he began to smell a burning plastic odor. The contact said that the vehicle dash vents began to issue ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
Error message "Secure Vehicle against rolling engage parking brake" on starting car and when parking. Same problem is reported all over the internet regarding the 2017 BMW X1 having this same problem, error message caused by a faulty spring in the Shifter panel.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
Date of accident: 8/10/2022 Location of accident: 2436 Krueger Dr, Concord, CA 94520 Accident Summary: My wife own’s the above mentioned home and was in the process of getting a new tenant. She reached the Krueger home at around 12:15 pm. She drove onto the driveway as she normally does, put the car in park and turned on the hand/parking brake. It is to be noted that driveway is on an upgrade. ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact stated that an abnormal, coolant odor would emit throughout her vehicle without warning while driving at various speeds. As the failure persisted, a heavy, white smoke began to emit from the tailpipe with the check engine warning light on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on her veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact stated that an abnormal, coolant odor would emit throughout her vehicle without warning while driving at various speeds. As the failure persisted, a heavy, white smoke began to emit from the tailpipe with the check engine warning light on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on her veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 525I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair however, upon retrieving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure had worsened while at a complete stop. Over time, the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
Warning message on dash saying 'Secure Vehicle Against Rolling' when ignition is turned off, and immediately on entering vehicle. The dealer states that the shift lock solenoid needs replacing, and is a common issue that can make it impossible to shift gears If the vehicle rolls while in park, this could be a saftey risk for anyone nearby. Confirmed by dealer. Not looked at by anyone else. Warn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
Warning message on dash saying 'Secure Vehicle Against Rolling' when ignition is turned off, and immediately on entering vehicle. The dealer states that the shift lock solenoid needs replacing, and is a common issue that can make it impossible to shift gears If the vehicle rolls while in park, this could be a saftey risk for anyone nearby. Confirmed by dealer. Not looked at by anyone else. Warn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was a plastic smell while the heater was in use. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
Engine suddenly lost most of power, causing risks of losing control. Diagnosis suggests a bug in Digital Motor Electronics (DME) unit. Per TSB SI B12 08 18, the correction is to update software. This should be a recall to make sure drivers don't experience sudden engine malfunction during driving.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
- Bracket holding KAFAS camera system to windshield failed causing Driver Assistance system errors in vehicle; surrounding area gets very hot to the touch - System errors restricted certain driver assistance features including collision warnings - Problem was found by two dealerships; first dealership denied claim, second repaired via windshield replacement - Service advisor mentioned another vehi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
- Bracket holding KAFAS camera system to windshield failed causing Driver Assistance system errors in vehicle; surrounding area gets very hot to the touch - System errors restricted certain driver assistance features including collision warnings - Problem was found by two dealerships; first dealership denied claim, second repaired via windshield replacement - Service advisor mentioned another vehi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
On the night of 8/21/22, the fire department was callled to my detached garage when someone saw smoke comimg form the garage. The fire department determined that my car caught fire because of the cooling fan. The car was not running nor was the key in the ignition. The car was started 36 hours prior and had not been driven on a regualr basis for some time. The investigating office mentioned that t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
On the night of 8/21/22, the fire department was callled to my detached garage when someone saw smoke comimg form the garage. The fire department determined that my car caught fire because of the cooling fan. The car was not running nor was the key in the ignition. The car was started 36 hours prior and had not been driven on a regualr basis for some time. The investigating office mentioned that t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
A caution light appears and an error message "Secure vehicle against rolling. Secure vehicle with the parking brake when stopped." Come to find out there have been several complaints about 2017 BMW X1 having this same problem, error message caused by a faulty spring in the Shifter panel. Seems to me that this should be put on a Recall list as soon as possible as this could cause a safety issue if ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
My BMW 2012 E92 model vehicle currently has a malfunctioning Front Seat Occupancy AirBag sensor mat is very similar to the recall for E60 to E91 models. BMW refuses to fix it under the other recall and I'm wondering what can be done to add it to the recall? I also read of an extended warranty for this part but I do not qualify since my model is e92.( SI B01 01 18) . Please advise.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
My BMW 2012 E92 model vehicle currently has a malfunctioning Front Seat Occupancy AirBag sensor mat is very similar to the recall for E60 to E91 models. BMW refuses to fix it under the other recall and I'm wondering what can be done to add it to the recall? I also read of an extended warranty for this part but I do not qualify since my model is e92.( SI B01 01 18) . Please advise.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
My BMW 2012 E92 model vehicle currently has a malfunctioning Front Seat Occupancy AirBag sensor mat is very similar to the recall for E60 to E91 models. BMW refuses to fix it under the other recall and I'm wondering what can be done to add it to the recall? I also read of an extended warranty for this part but I do not qualify since my model is e92.( SI B01 01 18) . Please advise.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2021
Hi There, I recently received a recall notice for cylinder head ventilation line to be replaced in my BMW 430I 2017. Although, This part was replaced by BMW Riverside and I paid $1400 for this part BMW Riverside in March 2021. I contact BMW customer service for refund but they refused. Please assist. See attached copy of recall notice and service documents.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
Bike was serviced at Bmw Temecula and the dealer found a valve keep on magnet plug. Engine was “checked” to and all valve keepers were supposedly in place. So that means extra valve keeper was a manufacturer error. This could have locked up engine and killed me. Have asked for assistance from Bmw but have been shut down by them.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
The high-pressure fuel pump failed causing the engine to stop completely without any prior warning and the car put itself in park on the highway and would not get out of park to go into neutral or any other gear. This could have caused a very serious crash and highly increased my risk of injury or death. You are more than welcome to inspect it. It is currently sitting at the dealership waiting f... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
Drivetrain malfunction light due to bad EGR valve, which is causing car to run rough. Currently there is safety recall out for the EGR cooler. BMW of Bloomfield diagnosed and recommended EGR valve replacement but cost was excessive at over $1,100. Another BMW specialist (G&T in Jersey City) recommended replacement of EGR valve and cooler due to potential hazardous conditions described in safety... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 650 XI. The contact stated that both the front driver and front passenger seat belts would fail to retract upon disengagement. The contact stated that the seat belts would need to be pushed back manually into place by the occupants after use. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall and was no longer covered u... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
When I put the battery terminals after swapping a new battery, my FRM got damaged. No brake or head lights are working, no turn signals, no windows moving etc. It's a safety issue on the road
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
When I put the battery terminals after swapping a new battery, my FRM got damaged. No brake or head lights are working, no turn signals, no windows moving etc. It's a safety issue on the road
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
When I put the battery terminals after swapping a new battery, my FRM got damaged. No brake or head lights are working, no turn signals, no windows moving etc. It's a safety issue on the road
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
I was driving on the interstate and my 2015 BMW 428i suddenly went into neutral and almost got us killed. Mileage at 88k, no check engine light, rattling, or leaking of fluids and car had just been to my local shop for an oil change the week before. Towed to BWW dealership, as car was inoperable, and told the engine had seized.
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Quiet close doors do not latch
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Warning “Secure Vehicle against Rolling” light is on. Sound like a lot of BMW are having this issue
Incident date: Jul 29, 2022
I have been unable to get my BMW dealer (BMW of Bellevue) to remedy the recall issue. I received notice of the recall in January, 2022 but was informed that no remedy was available yet. I then received a letter in July 2022 informing me that a remedy was now available and I should immediately contact my BMW service center to schedule an appointment. I did that but was informed that they didn't ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the forward collision avoidance feature would be active without incident. The contact stated that both the warning chime would sound and a red alert warning light would appear on the instrument panel during the failure. The contact also stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop as... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had experienced a failure and stated that when she had started the vehicle she smelled a burning odor and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the burning odor had become a reoccurring failure an... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2022
The VANOS adjustment unit develops an internal oil leakage that will no longer allow the VANOS to adjust quickly enough. This will result in activation of the engine emergency mode and the engine malfunction will become permanently active. BMW Service bulletin that is applicable: SI B11 07 14 Recall Campaign 14V-176 Documentation was inspected by local BMW dealership. They denied the recall due ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
I got Safety recall letter in April 2022 for 22V-119 PCV valve Heater. As of today, 10/10/2022, the dealer in North liberty Iowa don't have the part and they don't know when they get the part.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
I have had 6-8 instances where the car "takes off" and accelerates without my touching the accelerator. It is not full-acceleration but strong enough that if a car was immediately in front of me - I might hit it. Hitting the brakes stops the acceleration and the car then drives normally. In all cases - the cruise control has been "off" and the unintended acceleration has occurred just after first ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
I have had 6-8 instances where the car "takes off" and accelerates without my touching the accelerator. It is not full-acceleration but strong enough that if a car was immediately in front of me - I might hit it. Hitting the brakes stops the acceleration and the car then drives normally. In all cases - the cruise control has been "off" and the unintended acceleration has occurred just after first ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2020
I was driving uphill on a winding, narrow highway, California State Route 18, when the range extender kicked in and I had a sudden loss of power. I could not maintain vehicle speed. It was terrifying. I was alone. I didn't know what to do. I turned on my hazard lights and I pulled over every time vehicles came up behind me.