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 2, 2023
Fuel system - vehicle surged (high RPMS) while gearshift lever was in the Drive position after release of pressure on the accelerator as I was parking the vehicle surged and smashed into a cement post, the vehicle traveled approximately 10 to 15 feet. The vehicle is currently at the dealership where an independent contractor, who is contracted by Toyota, will be doing a visual and diagnostic analy... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 10, 2019
On Oct 29, 2012, BMW recalled its 7-Series luxury cars due to reports of transmission control problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in the NHTSA campaign #12V502000 (power train and electric system) has caused at least 14 crashes and possibly 5 injuries, and in the NHTSA campaign #13V564000 (air bags). The recall involved 45,500 cars with model years from 2005 to ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2019
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause of failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2019
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause of failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
Passenger airbag constantly coming on when there is a passenger, and when no one is on the passenger seat. Oil light has been flashing/ lighting up and going off. I told several service members about this problem, they all shrug it off. One said I could pay $150 for diagnostic test, but why should I pay when they know what’s going on with it? This seems to be a common issue with this vehicle, ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
Hybrid Maverick: The brakes grab so abruptly while coming to a stop. It will jerk your upper body forward. Sometimes the brakes won't grab until the very last second. It feels like the transition from Hybrid braking to mechanical braking is lethargic then grabs all of a sudden. In stop and go traffic there is a lack of confidence that the brakes will actually stop you in time. It literally hit or ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
I was involved in a car accident where a truck pulled out in front of me causing me to hit him in his side with the front passenger side of my car resulting in the car to roll two times. As a result of the airbags not deploying the windshield came into the car causing lacerations to the face of the passenger and as the car was rolling his right arm was out of the window causing him to have to have... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
The motor locked and the car turned of completely.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
ABS/VSC actuator pump failure and with the abs alarm on causing constant drain to the system needing jump every time or to disconnect 12v every time parked. Dealer diagnosed wrong last year stating 12v battery needed replacement. I did the $500. It did NOT fix the problem. Now dealer states actuator pump failure - replace/fix price approx $4,000. I asked for diagnostic readouts to prove to me tha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
Bike has some fuel or engine issue. Surges frequently. Based on conversations with other owners, there may be an issues with faulty gas tank lining that erodes and causes issues with fuel delivery.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
I was driving with my family of five on I-15 in Utah County, UT, on 01-14-23 when the ability to accelerate was impacted. We noticed a strange noise from the engine compartment too. After about ten seconds of the strange noise and as I was attempting to cross four lanes of traffic to pull over, the car gave an oil pressure problem reading and shut off as we were in the process of coming to a compl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
Over the past 6-8 months, I have replaced the front passenger brake line two times and the front driver side brake line once. If needed, I have receipts showing I have purchased brake fluid and new brake lines on three separate occasions in recent months. I have pictures of the most recent brake line failure. On all three occasions the brake lines have split/burst, I’ve had no warning the b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Left for work steering locked up with no warning luckily not at a bad part of my morning commute I was doing 55mph was able to come to safe stop tried steering wheel back and fourth after a few attempts it started to tun but was very hard to turn so I turned around and on my way back home numerous lights came on on dash hill assist unavailable terrain management system fault loss of steering and I... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2019
2019 BMW GT640I ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS HAS STOPPED ABRUPTLY. 1) ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING MY VEHICLE STOPPED AS IF I HIT SOMETHING CAR RESTARTED SECONDS LATER. 2) DRIVING DOWN THE STREET VEHICLE CONTROL PANEL STATED OBSTRUCTION BUT NOTHING WAS AROUND THE VEHICLE, VEHICLE STOPPED WOULD'NT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART TWICE. 3) DRIVING MADE A LANE CHANGE AND VEHICL... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2019
My vehicle was having trouble starting so I scanned it and found out it might be part of a recall. I called Kia recall department and they confirmed that there was a safety recall for my engine and to make an appointment with the dealership. I called the Longmont Kia Fowler dealership in November but they refuse to service the recall for mr in a timely manner. They said it would take 2 months to e... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 19, 2019
My vehicle was having trouble starting so I scanned it and found out it might be part of a recall. I called Kia recall department and they confirmed that there was a safety recall for my engine and to make an appointment with the dealership. I called the Longmont Kia Fowler dealership in November but they refuse to service the recall for mr in a timely manner. They said it would take 2 months to e... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
Fuel pump failed with no notice while traveling on the interstate causing the engine to stop running. I was lucky that I was able to coast off the highway on to the shoulder. This occurred at night on a section of I-10 with a 75 MPH speed limit. If I had not been able to limp off the highway it would have been very dangerous. My Nissan Versa only has 75,000 miles and is well maintained. No w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
I have a BMW 430i Gran Coupe, there was a system coolant leak and now they are saying the entire system needs to be replaced because the plastic cracked and eroded from wear and tear. I began checking and found that over 1 million BMW vehicles were recalled for coolant system problems. My car seems it wasn't covered under the recall. I found a service bulletin which stated that certain BMW repa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The torque convert creates a shudder when under light load between 35- 50mph. Initially it was happen sporadically and when it was initially noticed it was always on the same stretch of road which prompt me to think it was the road surface. Only after about a year of this did it appear to happen more often and at different areas. With more attentive driving I narrowed down the speed and conditi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The torque convert creates a shudder when under light load between 35- 50mph. Initially it was happen sporadically and when it was initially noticed it was always on the same stretch of road which prompt me to think it was the road surface. Only after about a year of this did it appear to happen more often and at different areas. With more attentive driving I narrowed down the speed and conditi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2021
Gear shifting and transmission problems are on going and intermittent. computer system confused to witch location shifter is in. Sent to dealer for system up date witch only lasted one week before problems returned. error code p0810
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Power steering went out while driving. Nearly cause me to crash. Apparently this is an issue with these vehicles but my vin is not part of the recall?
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My engine is being effected by the recall. There is smoke and a burning smell coming from my engine. The Recall was issued March 2 2002 and today is January 11, 2022. My truck is driving worse daily and I can not get it inspected because it will not read my system.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My Vehicle has been on Recall since March 2, 2022. There are increasing problems and an occasional smoke and burning smell. This is effecting me getting an inspection and registering my vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My Vehicle has been on Recall since March 2, 2022. There are increasing problems and an occasional smoke and burning smell. This is effecting me getting an inspection and registering my vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My Vehicle has been on Recall since March 2, 2022. There are increasing problems and an occasional smoke and burning smell. This is effecting me getting an inspection and registering my vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
Care has stalled literally 4 times going down the road causing all the dash warning signs to flicker on and off. We almost got hit from behind two different times with my kids in the car. Wouldn't start but was turning over.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
There are issues with steering possible lane assist. I took it to Honda to be accessed, initially the rep tried to tell me there was nothing wrong/ didn’t understand the issues I was having. Then I was told it was a small hose that was constantly triggering lane assist feature and that they needed to take the dash apart and install this part they claim they special ordered. I left my car at th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz R350. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle made a squishing an abnormal knocking sound. The contact stated that as the speed increased to 15-20 MPH, the issue ceased. The contact stated that upon driving for an extended period, the brake pedal became stiff. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Many Jeep vehicles have gas blow back during refueling. This problem has existed for a number of years and Jeep has issued recalls. Please read the following: If each Jeep user spills .1 gallon during refueling and they refuel the Jeep 12 times per year they spill 1.2 gallons per year. This is a very low estimate. If there are 100,000 Jeeps experiencing this problem that is 120,000 gallons of gas... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine hesitated to respond then the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that while accelerating the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The transmission fault warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2022
The left rear frame of the vehicle is rusted out where the rear drive line bolts to the body or frame. Causing the rear drive line to have the ability of failing to stay attached to the vehicle. The rear suspension also connects at the same area. Just a huge rotted out hole at the moment.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2022
The left rear frame of the vehicle is rusted out where the rear drive line bolts to the body or frame. Causing the rear drive line to have the ability of failing to stay attached to the vehicle. The rear suspension also connects at the same area. Just a huge rotted out hole at the moment.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
No safety devices worked during accident that cause by another vehicle driver who ran red light. Neither air bags deployed, nor safety belt worked properly during an accident. Due to these mal functions of safety devices, my wife on the passenger seat hit the dashboard badly. She was wearing the seat belt properly which was released later by the ER personal at the accident location to transfer to ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
2015 FORD EDGE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO THE DEFECTIVE FLEXPLATE. THE CONSUMER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE BUT REQUESTING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL REPAIRS AND ATTORNEY FEES.
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
Issue with auto start-stop. Upon being stopped at a light, the auto start did not reengage and upon starting back up again the radio defaulted to an AM station and would not allow us to change anything.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
The contact owned a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH down an inclined road, the front driver-side air bag was erroneously deployed causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash down an embankment. During the crash, the driver sustained a concussion and left arm, neck, and rib injuries which required medical treatment. A police report ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
While driving the check engine light came on moments later the steering wheel stiffened up then released mid turn when I turn the steering wheel the tires didn’t respond I hit a curb
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Windshield was hit by a TINY piece of gravel or road debris - so small we didn’t even see it. It left a ding in the windshield about the size of a pencil point - maybe a couple of millimeters in diameter. Before we could even pull off the road, the grass has cracked about three inches. Within about ten minutes the crack spread another three inches. Within a couple of hours, the crack had travele... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Engine caught fire on drivers side.
Fire
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the temperature gauge showed that the engine was overheating. The message “Engine Overheating – Stop Vehicle” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, no failure was found. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact stated that coolant was added; however... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
While using “Autopilot” and “Traffic Aware Cruise Control” the vehicle will heavily apply the brakes when there are no forward obstructions or incidents. This causes issues for vehicles behind me and is very unsettling, as there never appears to be a reason for the dramatic reduction in speed.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
The door latches don't spring back into a position that allows the door to be closed again, once it has been opened. I have to stick my finger in the latch hole in the door while pulling out the latch handle to put the latch back into the position where the door will close. So far, this problem has effected three of the four doors in my sedan.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
While stopped at a traffic light on a busy street, the transmission shifted by itself from drive into neutral. The vehicle would not move forward and it would not let us shift it back into drive. I finally suggested to my wife that we turn the car off and see if that would help. After doing do , we were able to regain control of the car and shift it back to drive. We had another incident when ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2023 BMX IX. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at approximately 5 MPH while attempting to pull into a parking space the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and accelerated forward crashing into the rear of a second vehicle. The second vehicle then crashed into a third vehicle. The contact indicated that the during the incident the vehicle was bei... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the driver's side third-row seat belt had detached; however, the buckle was still intact. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
Car has been at dealer 3 times for Wi-Fi issue. Mechanic took car home for longer drive to check. No found issues. Brought in for small noise that comes and goes. They Came back saying $10000 for cam shaft and lifters they are assuming.
Incident date: Aug 9, 2022
Fuel pump supply / drive train malfunction. Vehicle was driven in freeway and has sudden message pop up on display screen and abruptly shut down. Unable to exit the freeway lanes. Stuck on the inbound lanes of freeway. Unable to re start vehicle to exit freeway. Took vehicle to local repair shop for inspection/repair to be made to fuel pump supply , only to have the same problem return in matter... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
First Failure 3/22- Vehicle makes clanking/rattling of metal sound when going over bumps. Sound is felt near driver caliper and rattles. Can be felt in steering. 4/22 Vehicle is taken to BMW for inspection; needed to come back as they couldn't figure it out. 5/22 Vehicle sound is replicated by BMW dealer service center. I have not received any warning messages or lights prior. Current lights... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
First Failure 3/22- Vehicle makes clanking/rattling of metal sound when going over bumps. Sound is felt near driver caliper and rattles. Can be felt in steering. 4/22 Vehicle is taken to BMW for inspection; needed to come back as they couldn't figure it out. 5/22 Vehicle sound is replicated by BMW dealer service center. I have not received any warning messages or lights prior. Current lights... Read more