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: Jan 12, 2023
I lost assisted steering while traveling the interstate. I stopped at the nearest exit and shut off. I inspected the engine compartment and restarted, steering came back to normal. The same thing happened in a parking garage, , and has gotten more frequent. Took truck to Chevy dealership and they diagnosed a bad steering rack, and quoted $2700. to repair. The stability light comes on, followed by... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the water in fuel system message was displayed. The contact stated that the fuel gauge displayed conflicting fuel levels. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who cleaned the fuel tank. The contact received notificati... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Lexus ES350.The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the sun was reflecting on the dashboard. There was a mirror-like image obstructing the driver's vision. The contact stated that there was a shiny substance on the dashboard. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided a case num... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO POWERTRAIN FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED HAVING MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN FOR REPAIR WITH NO ETA ON NEEDED PART DUE TO THE PART BEING ON BACK ORDER.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
Failed Components: Sunroof Drains become clogged and overflow into trunk well, causing electrical shortage, mold/mildew, and water damage along headliner and side airbags. Safety Risk: Electrical shortage causes fire risk, and mold mildew build up in car for asthmatic makes it damaging for air intake myself and others inside vehicle. Side airbags at risk as over flooding runs down pillars along ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2023
Rear driver's side wheel speed sensor began to fail intermittently at 10K miles (confirmed and replaced under warranty by dealership, no longer have access to the failed part but can provide dealer contact info). This failure resulted in braking not working correctly – presumably ABS system would read a 0 RPM reading from the one wheel, which then led to ABS triggering at maximum strength for a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
I was driving to work January 12th and I turned on my left blinker and touched my breaks to slow down and make a stop at a red light in a turning lane. After touching my break my car stalled for the first time since I owned the vehicle in the middle of the road. I put it in park and tried to turn it over twice. The hood of my vehicle started smoking and my engine seized up. I dropped my vehicle of... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle failed to accelerate despite depressing the accelerator pedal numerous times. The contact then firmly depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle experienced an unintended acceleration at approximately 35 MPH. The vehicle drove into the neighbor's yard and crashed into the neighbor... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality without warning, causing the steering wheel to become stiff. The vehicle then crashed into another vehicle. No one was injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the axle had fractured causing the failure. the axle w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My car's hood continues to shake. It has been tightened by the dealer, Don Moore Honda in Owensboro, KY. I have taken it there three times because it continues to loosen. I am worried that it will loosen and fly up when I am driving on an Interstate. I am aware that other vehicles of the same year and make/model have been recalled due to this same incident but my vehicle VIN has not been recalled.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
as i was driving getting ready to make a turn i suddenly lost control of my car. The steering wheel became stiff and was unable to move it ultimately causing me to crash, Dodge/Chrysler needs to get there stuff together and do something about this, this is ridiculous, would not recommend buying anything involved with the brand whatsoever
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The vehicle's ignition coil and spark plugs have had to be replaced several times. Car lost power while driving. Stalled engine at red lights and green. The PCV Valve Heater is causing the ignition coil and spark plugs to malfunction, leading to expensive repairs.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
An SUV crashed into an apple store in Hingham Mass. The driver told police his foot became stuck to the gas pedal. More likely his foot became hooked under the brake pedal as he tried to quickly shift his foot from the gas pedal up and to the left onto the brake pedal. This has happened to me several times after accelerating and then having to make a 'panic' stop. I had to quickly wiggle-foot from... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that upon having the windshield replaced, the technician was unable to connect the LTA, RTA, and the pre-collision system. The contact stated that the LTA, RTA, and Pre-Collision system intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the system needed to be recalibrated. The contact was then informe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2023
The contact’s cousin owns a 2013 Dodge Avenger. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who drained the fuel system; however, no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advis... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the fog lights and exterior lights became inoperable. The contact noticed there was rust underneath the hood. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact also needed to add additional power steering fluid three times per week. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering gear box, pow... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Purchased October 8 2022. Vehicle is a 2023 Thor Gemini 24KB on a 2022 Ford chassis. Vehicle has been in for repair of these items for over 30 days. Vehicle warning light notifications - Antilock Brake Fault Hill Start Assist Warning Pre-collision Assist Not Available Adaptive Cruise Control Not Available All Wheel Drive Not Available. It was viewed by Ford technicians. It is stated by Ford tech... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
For the past month the radio has been changing channels continuously, the volume changes, the seat warmers and heater turn on and off. I researched this and found many others with this problem. It is a safety concern.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Passenger seatbelt alarm will sound randomly even when nobody is in the passenger seat.
Incident date: May 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while at the gas station the pump nozzle failed to go into the fuel filler neck correctly. The contact stated that the flap opened but the pump nozzle failed to fit as needed. The contact drove to another gas station to locate a pump nozzle that would fit into the fuel filler neck. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2022
My 1 week old iX had an unfortunate accident. I was backing it into the garage using the Recorded Path. This path has been used successfully multiple times since I got the car. Yesterday, while the car was steering into the garage, instead of steering onto the garage, it backed up straight into the wall opening, damaging the rear bumper and the garage wall. The garage wall moved in about 2-3 inche... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
Loud buzzing sound on passenger side when locking or unlocking doors front and side door very loud buzzing sound afraid if I have my grandbabies in back seat is the door going to fly open or worse what is the noise and is this a recall that can be fixed never happened before now it is all the time buzzing when you lock and unlock doors.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently came to a complete stop. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear wheels were crooked and rubbing against the inner fender well. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then later to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear axle was fractu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at night at various speeds, the headlights were very dim. The contact stated that the viewing distance was short. The contact used the high-beam headlights to see the road clearly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight bulbs needed to be... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2023
Power Steering quit working while driving
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
Sunroof randomly exploded/shattered while driving 65 mph on the highway. The noise sounded like an explosion/gunshot had gone off in my car. Nothing hit the sunroof and the sunroof did not have any cracks present at the time.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side shoulder. The low engine mode message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump failed, which caused fuel, metal, and debris to enter throug... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
Car passenger headrest is deployed and cylinder 6 is misfiring as described under the recall description from the previous years vehicles recalls.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
Power Steering Gear , no had it fixed at ford diagnostic code P07AE . Was driving on the freeway power steering went out and car jerked wheel all the way to right almost hit guardrail with 5 yr old daughter in car. Yes . yes. No.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
After recall done pvc valve and blower heat a/c now not working the car engine light come up abs /brake and more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
When I pushed the start button on my 900 mile F150 limited that I only had 6 months, I heard a very very loud noise that sounded like a bomb going off in the truck. After I gathered myself and verified nobody damaged my truck or windows and with my ears still ringing, I heard very loud static noise coming from all the speakers. I thought the loud noise that came through the speakers actually blew ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
While driving vehicle on the freeway there is a sudden lots of power. Excited freeway and tried driving slowly on streets. Check engine light came on. Vehicle knocks and losses power during acceleration and while driving at speed. Problem diagnosed as bad knock sensor. Had knock sensor replaced in November, 22. Two days ago exact same problem. Mechanic believes that it's engine malfunction. How'... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
My power steering went out so my mechanic checked it out and said my pump went out so I bought a new power steering pump and pulley had it put on and that didn't fix the problem. The next day I went out of town to visit family and my car caught on fire due to the power steering fluid leaked all out on the motor and got hot enough to catch on fire. then my ignition stoped going all the way in park ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
My power steering went out so my mechanic checked it out and said my pump went out so I bought a new power steering pump and pulley had it put on and that didn't fix the problem. The next day I went out of town to visit family and my car caught on fire due to the power steering fluid leaked all out on the motor and got hot enough to catch on fire. then my ignition stoped going all the way in park ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Good morning this is my ford focus car VIN 1FADP3K2XHL247975 i am in Iraq I checked my car recalls and it has one reacall, But when i went to the ford dealer named Alkasid in iraq locayed in Erbil it says we won't fix it because your car warranty cancelled and what i know is that even after warranty the recall is is still available.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Good morning this is my ford focus car VIN 1FADP3K2XHL247975 i am in Iraq I checked my car recalls and it has one reacall, But when i went to the ford dealer named Alkasid in iraq locayed in Erbil it says we won't fix it because your car warranty cancelled and what i know is that even after warranty the recall is is still available.
BMW
X5
(2013) - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS:HOSES/VALVES/SENSORS
Jan 20, 2023
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone where a diagnostic test was performed and produced codes: P1450, P0456 indicating (ECM fault) however, the contact stated that the purge valve failed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Unknown more than likely broken crankshaft.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2023
There is a coolant leak into my engine cylinders that has completely ruined my engine. They told me they’re surprised my engine hasn’t caught fire. They refuse to cover it even though the issue falls under TSB 22-2229 but they say the VIN doesn’t. There’s many lawsuits against them because it’s an issue with the Ford engine 2.0-liter turbo-four ecoboost engine. It’s happen to many peop... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle exhibited a slight hesitation with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the purge valve failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The vehicle frequently applies emergency braking when approaching overpasses at night while driving on highways at night at normal speeds. This happens about once per 100 miles or so.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The front-end of the vehicle was shaking uncontrollably. The contact pulled over and regained control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
"Service Electronic Braking System" intermittently flashes in the dashboard, along with the orange ABS and traction control lights. Seems to happen more on bumpy roads, goes away on smoother roads, then randomly comes back. Over the span of a few weeks, the frequency of the error message has increased, and now the error lights stay on almost all the time. 47,500 miles and purchased new 3 years ago... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
I was driving and all the sudden an insanely loud sharp BEEP noise started and would not stop. It was coming from the speakers. I could not get it to stop. It was so loud I have lost hearing in my left ear. I had to exit the truck and disconnect the battery. Others are having this issue and Ford has no recall.
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
I was driving and all the sudden an insanely loud sharp BEEP noise started and would not stop. It was coming from the speakers. I could not get it to stop. It was so loud I have lost hearing in my left ear. I had to exit the truck and disconnect the battery. Others are having this issue and Ford has no recall.
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
My 2017 Hyundai Elantra that I got in 2020, has been shaking at Idle for 3 years now off and on. I even got it serviced at Hyundai in Tyler Tx under warranty. I was told it’s the coil packs. I was driving to work yesterday and the Engine light was flashing at me, and my car was shaking and knocking extremely bad. I had to turn around and miss work due to this issue. Although, when I go to neares... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
I had over 40 Complaints with NHTSA. FUEL LEAK - vehicle can go on fire,fumes intoxicating in vehicle through vents..Every mechanic," VEHICLE CAN GO ON FIRE." 2.Electrical- All gages would go crazy while driving - had no idea what speed I was going. 3.3X All Brake fluid leaked out while driving - no brakes 4.FAILED INSPECTION REPEATEDLY - ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON AND AIRBAG LIGHT 5. LARGE EVAP Leak... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
Error code states please engage parking brake while car is in park to avoid rolling. Apparently this is a common problem with a faulty spring in the shift gear. BMW should do a recall as this is a very expensive repair and a common issue and is a safety problem.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
Issue with brakes - the vehicle has been at the dealership 4 times with no resolution to the noise coming from rear brakes and now the brakes seem to lock up at a stop and release suddenly creating a safety issue for my family and the motoring public. After the last attempt the noise is a lot worse then it was prior to the repairs recommended by Ford's TSB
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
Brakes temporarily fail at low speed when regenative brakes switch to hydraulic brakes.