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: 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: Dec 30, 2022
I parked my car in the garage and secured everything and when I turned the ignition off and cluster message appeared "secure vehicle against rolling". The car is parked on a level surface and parking brake engaged.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
Timing chain malfunction and power train malfunction
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
Timing chain malfunction and power train malfunction
Incident date: Dec 6, 2022
This vehicle was involved in a collision, none of the safety features worked. The front end collision warning did not go off. The automatic emergency braking did not engage. The Car jolted forward after the collision and did not stop, potentially risking another collision. The SOS or emergency collision BMW assist was not activated, there was no call from anyone from BMW after the accident. No w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 6, 2022
This vehicle was involved in a collision, none of the safety features worked. The front end collision warning did not go off. The automatic emergency braking did not engage. The Car jolted forward after the collision and did not stop, potentially risking another collision. The SOS or emergency collision BMW assist was not activated, there was no call from anyone from BMW after the accident. No w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 6, 2022
This vehicle was involved in a collision, none of the safety features worked. The front end collision warning did not go off. The automatic emergency braking did not engage. The Car jolted forward after the collision and did not stop, potentially risking another collision. The SOS or emergency collision BMW assist was not activated, there was no call from anyone from BMW after the accident. No w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
When parking or starting the car a warning message is issued indicate that I should secure the vehicle against rolling and the transmission is flagged as the problem. I did some research online and found out this is a very common problem with the BMW X1. A small spring breaks in the shifter linkage. https://f48.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1840937. BMW is charging upwards of $3000 to mak... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
While driving at approximately 45 mph on Florida Highway 10 with no other cars around the sunroof suddenly shattered. There was a loud “pop” and the sound of glass hitting the top of the car. The sunroof and shade were closed at the time and most of the glass ended up in the street. There is considerable paint damage to the roof of the vehicle from the glass hitting it after shattering.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the front drive shaft failed to operate as designed, rendering the vehicle undrivable. The contact stated that during the failure, the driveshaft detached, and caused damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the front drive shaft and hydraulic steering lines were replaced. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated with an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was linked to the recall; howe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
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 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
This car has factory HID Xenon projector headlights. Over time the reflector bowls burned and melted from the heat of the light bulbs, causing some wire insulation to melt, and a brown film to cover all surfaces inside the headlight assembly. The brown coating makes the headlights dangerously dim. From various online searches, it appears this is a common failing of these headlights. BMW has not re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
I was driving down the highway, doing the speed limit, when my moonroof suddenly exploded. Luckily, the shade was drawn. But, if it had been open, I could have been seriously injured. There was no projectile, nothing fell and hit the window. On inspection of the roof after I safely made it home, the glass was bowing upward. Prior to the incident, the appearance of the glass was completely normal -... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
It took them 6 weeks to replace the battery component that was part of the recall. My car was unable to be driven during this timeframe. Under my state lemon laws I am eligible for a car buyback from BMW as it was out of service over 30 days. I registered a request for this through BMW corporate and it was denied by them.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2022
While at complete stop engine shut off with no warning lights on dash board. BMW dealer related they do not know what is wrong with engine.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that she started to notice a burning odor throughout the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of tim... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
My 2003 BMW X5 was parked outside of my house, turned off and not driven for hours and burst into flames consuming the whole dashboard, fire department said that fire was due to some electrical problem with car, very scary please help could of killed my family the incident was recorded on home surveillance footage, but I cannot upload because of size
Fire
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
My 2003 BMW X5 was parked outside of my house, turned off and not driven for hours and burst into flames consuming the whole dashboard, fire department said that fire was due to some electrical problem with car, very scary please help could of killed my family the incident was recorded on home surveillance footage, but I cannot upload because of size
Fire
Incident date: Dec 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 BMW IX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V541000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated the battery power capacity had decreased. Additionally, the contact noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2022
Vehicle brakes malfunctioned.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
BMW has Recall: #22V-119:407 - POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION (PCV) VALVE HEATER still open with no remedy in sight. It has been months if not a year already (or longer) and I am waiting, together with thousands of BMW owners to get this issue fixed. It is totally unacceptable that a company as BMW leaves their customers hanging and allowing them to drive unsafe cars due to their laziness to fix t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
My serpentine belt broke causing my car to shut down. Apparently only BMW’s have a terrible design that the belt gets sucked into the engine and then the engine is gone. No other cars have this design. There are thousands of this model vehicle that are dead cars being sold online. This seems to be a problem
Incident date: Dec 30, 2022
The high pressure fuel pump failed. I still have the vehicle but it does work. It cannot be driven with a bad high pressure fuel pump. To repair it is over $2000.00.
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 17, 2022
I purchased the used BMW from a very reputable dealership May 2021. Last week, I was driving the car and all of the dashboard lights went on suddenly. The car began to buck and I pulled over immediately. I had the car towed to the local BMW dealership. The service department informed me, the serpentine belt broke, wrapped around the crankshaft, and grinded into pieces. The pieced of the belt were ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
I purchased the used BMW from a very reputable dealership May 2021. Last week, I was driving the car and all of the dashboard lights went on suddenly. The car began to buck and I pulled over immediately. I had the car towed to the local BMW dealership. The service department informed me, the serpentine belt broke, wrapped around the crankshaft, and grinded into pieces. The pieced of the belt were ... Read more
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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 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: 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: 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