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: Aug 31, 2022
The car is leaking from the third rear brake light (at the rear roof of the car). It appears the seals and possible clips/fasteners have failed and water is entering the car during rain or water immersion from the rear brake light, to the back seat, trunk, and rear floor. There is now visible mold in the car.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. The contact stated that he initially received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V384000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was performed. Three years later, with the passenger’s side front seat unoccupied, the passenger’s side air bag light illuminated and a warning chime was audible. The passenger’s side seat belt h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to the recall repair was unavailable. 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 amount of time fo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
squeaking and grinding in steering column, overheated steering column to the touch. Took to local BMW and was informed it was an issue with steering rack (after two visits there) and part has to be ordered and replaced.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
squeaking and grinding in steering column, overheated steering column to the touch. Took to local BMW and was informed it was an issue with steering rack (after two visits there) and part has to be ordered and replaced.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked overnight and off, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact was alerted by her father that the vehicle was on fire. There were no occupants at the time of the fire. The entire front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene. It was unknown if there was a fire report wa... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
I'm starting to lose gas mileage and a very strong smell of gas inside and outside of car .
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
I'm starting to lose gas mileage and a very strong smell of gas inside and outside of car .
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the "Steering Response Affected!" and "Chassis Stabilization" messages displayed and the steering wheel seized. The contact used physical strength to steer the vehicle and veered to the side road. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the warning messages disappeared. The vehicle was towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
"Secure vehicle against rolling" light came on after parking. Will not turn off despite engaged parking brake.
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: Aug 26, 2022
The sunroof of my 2014 BMW 328i sedan exploded while driving on a highway at 75mph. The explosion sounded like a gunshot or a truck tire exploding. Thankfully I kept control of the car and the pull shield was closed preventing a majority of the glass from raining down on me and my passenger. We did pull over to the side of the highway were a witness described the glass as exploding up and slidin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was notified of the issue and scheduled an appointment for vehicle inspection. During the repair, the contact was informe... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2021
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 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 stated that while the vehicle was idle at a re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2021
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 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 stated that while the vehicle was idle at a re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2021
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 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 stated that while the vehicle was idle at a re... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2022
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside of a friend's home, her friend received a call from a neighbor that a vehicle outside the home had caught fire. The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was completely destroyed but had yet to be towed. The dealer n... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) 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 stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate with th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) 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 stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate with th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2018
While driving my car at about 30 miles per hour the engine suddenly seized up. There was no warning at all. I had it towed to the dealer, Baron BMW in Merriam Kansas. After evaluating the car they determined the engine failed and it was an issue of lack of oil. I had taken the car to this dealer prior to buying the car to make sure there were no problems. After their inspection I went ahead and b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
When the car is being driven in B mode (one pedal driving for EVs) and is going around a turn, the car rapidly randomly accelerated. This has happened 2 times.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
When slowing the vehicle, at about 4-5 mph, the car seems to engage the auto-start system and force the car to lurch forward (adding power to the wheels) potentially causing an accident by forcing the car forward when the driver is attempting to slow the vehicle. This only happens 15% of the time (estimated). I have taken it back to two different BMW dealerships a total of four times, having the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
I have a 2013 BMW X3 i28 4-cylinder turbo with 70 383 miles. I have maintained it regularly through my BMW service center here in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I was away and had my car since I brought it north on the auto train to save wear and tear and mileage. Unfortunately, on July 14th, I was headed from Buffalo, NY, to Rhode Island on the NYS thruway when my engine died on me; thank god I could get it... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328D. The contact stated while in traffic with the vehicle idling, the vehicle started jerking. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked increasingly. The message "Drivetrain Malfunction - Drive Carefully" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transfe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 330I. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light and "Stop Immediately" message was displayed. The contact pulled off the highway and noticed white smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact safely placed the vehicle in park(P), turned the vehicle off, exited the vehicle, and lifted the hood. The contact stated that a l... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
Pulley bolts for power steering, water pump and I believe alternator broke and I lost power steering function which almost caused me to crash into another car and guard rail. I have seen many reports of this problem on social media with other X5 owners. Car has 139k in miles.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330I. 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, she noticed that the engine was extremely h... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
I brought my 2015 BMW 328i to a local BMW dealership service center to inspect why my check engine light turned on. As part of their multi-point inspection, the service technician found an unrelated problem with the rear left tail light. This was identified as a critical electrical issue that required immediate repair. The details are listed in the service center's repair estimate /invoice: Mu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2018
Passenger seat indicator light keeps going off intermittently. Dealer says its a seat pad issue. We identified it in 2018 but dealer was not able to fix it and it continually keeps happening and didn't do anything because dealer did not fix it at that time. Now dealer is re-diagonising it saying it is a different diagnostic code but we have seen the same issue since we got the car. After rease... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2018
Passenger seat indicator light keeps going off intermittently. Dealer says its a seat pad issue. We identified it in 2018 but dealer was not able to fix it and it continually keeps happening and didn't do anything because dealer did not fix it at that time. Now dealer is re-diagonising it saying it is a different diagnostic code but we have seen the same issue since we got the car. After rease... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2018
Passenger seat indicator light keeps going off intermittently. Dealer says its a seat pad issue. We identified it in 2018 but dealer was not able to fix it and it continually keeps happening and didn't do anything because dealer did not fix it at that time. Now dealer is re-diagonising it saying it is a different diagnostic code but we have seen the same issue since we got the car. After rease... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
I had the recall repair for the HVAC harness done in 2018, and the recall fix failed in 6/22, I took it into BMW and they determined there was a short, I do not know why a replacement part failed so soon in my eyes after being replaced for a recall. I had to pay $670 to fix this issue from a "free" recall fix, this seems like an issue to me with their replacement harnesses. There are a lot of po... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2018
Water linkage down door panels to the floor, Drivers side ECM is located in that area, water damages the components and caused it to produce codes, interfering with car engine, causes surges, and vehicle to all of sudden shut off even while driving on freeway or streets. Water linkage on the passenger side down into the fuse box. All so causing electrical malfunction that opens the door for poten... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2018
Water linkage down door panels to the floor, Drivers side ECM is located in that area, water damages the components and caused it to produce codes, interfering with car engine, causes surges, and vehicle to all of sudden shut off even while driving on freeway or streets. Water linkage on the passenger side down into the fuse box. All so causing electrical malfunction that opens the door for poten... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2018
Water linkage down door panels to the floor, Drivers side ECM is located in that area, water damages the components and caused it to produce codes, interfering with car engine, causes surges, and vehicle to all of sudden shut off even while driving on freeway or streets. Water linkage on the passenger side down into the fuse box. All so causing electrical malfunction that opens the door for poten... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
While driving, an error message appeared on the car screen that said: Passenger restraint system malfunction: Contact BMW Carefully drive to the closest service center. Passenger restraint system is limited. Increased risk of injury in case of a collision. Continue wearing safety belt. 1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Passen... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
While driving, an error message appeared on the car screen that said: Passenger restraint system malfunction: Contact BMW Carefully drive to the closest service center. Passenger restraint system is limited. Increased risk of injury in case of a collision. Continue wearing safety belt. 1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Passen... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
While driving, an error message appeared on the car screen that said: Passenger restraint system malfunction: Contact BMW Carefully drive to the closest service center. Passenger restraint system is limited. Increased risk of injury in case of a collision. Continue wearing safety belt. 1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Passen... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2021
My car is suffering from recall 19V472000 for my bmw 328i . My car horn dash lights windshield wipers and all my electric functioning in this aspect have continued to go on and off causing me to almost wreck numerous times as well as causing others to wreck into my car. Yet my vin is not included in this recall when I type in my vin. My car type year and model is however. I have another recall jus... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Car was parked in fairly level spot with engine off, gear selector in park position, , key fob not near vehicle. Approx 30 minutes later, I returned to find vehicle approx 30 feet behind parking spot, having apparently drifted into another car in parking lot. No idea how car moved. I believe some electronic release of parking selector allowed car to roll.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Car was parked in fairly level spot with engine off, gear selector in park position, , key fob not near vehicle. Approx 30 minutes later, I returned to find vehicle approx 30 feet behind parking spot, having apparently drifted into another car in parking lot. No idea how car moved. I believe some electronic release of parking selector allowed car to roll.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Car was parked in fairly level spot with engine off, gear selector in park position, , key fob not near vehicle. Approx 30 minutes later, I returned to find vehicle approx 30 feet behind parking spot, having apparently drifted into another car in parking lot. No idea how car moved. I believe some electronic release of parking selector allowed car to roll.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Component failed: passenger seat occupancy sensor (BMW error code: 0x93C3) Implication: passenger airbag will not deploy in case of accident if the occupancy sensor is defective. Similar problems: similar recalls were issued by BMW for the same model and year but with only sports seat; regular seats were not recalled. Previous inspections: this issue has not been previously inspected, but persona... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Component failed: passenger seat occupancy sensor (BMW error code: 0x93C3) Implication: passenger airbag will not deploy in case of accident if the occupancy sensor is defective. Similar problems: similar recalls were issued by BMW for the same model and year but with only sports seat; regular seats were not recalled. Previous inspections: this issue has not been previously inspected, but persona... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2018
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 530I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the A/C vents. The contact also noticed the burning odor whenever opening the hood. The message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). However, the parts to do the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW Z4. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amou... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528XI. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 55 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the engine, and blue smoke from the exhaustion pipe. Additionally, there was oil blowing out from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.