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: Jul 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D equipped with Nexen Tires, Tire Line: Winguard Sport 2, Tire Size: 225/50/R17, DOT Number 8EJRHMEL2519. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the instrument panel alerted him that the rear driver side tire had begun to rapidly deflate. The contact pulled over and discovered that the tire was nearly flat and that the tread had separated from the tire. The... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The contact stated that the "check engine" warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The contact stated that the "check engine" warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated he detected an abnormal plastic burning odor inside the vehicle. 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 t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
Vehicle died while driving, luckily it happened when pulling in to a store versus on the busy highway that we had just been traveling on, would not restart. BMW Roanoke determined it to be a failed diesel injection pump. If this had occurred on the highway it could have been a very dangerous situation. I had found that previous and later models of this vehicle have been recalled for this issue,... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2022
I recently needed to have my Steering Rack replaced since the internal control unit had a fault. There was no warning prior to the failure and the sudden fault resulted in complete loss of power steering. Luckily, I was driving at a slow speed and was close to my house. I'm concerned because I have read of several other BMW models having similar problems and someone driving at a higher rate of spe... Read more
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 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
Front Passenger Seat Occupancy Mat (OC3) for the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS/Air bag system) Failure. Recall was done 06/2018 by BMW dealer, but problem came back 08/2022. Airbag warning light on in dashboard. Reading codes confirms problem. DANGER of bodily harm to passengers because the airbags will not deploy.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2022
driver seat will not move forward <driver restraint system malfunction, computer keep restarting while driving and SOS keep popping on the computer
Incident date: Jul 27, 2022
driver seat will not move forward <driver restraint system malfunction, computer keep restarting while driving and SOS keep popping on the computer
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
As car is placed in park, and even after the parking brake is applied a message on the dash board and alert pops up saying "Secure Vehicle from Rolling" even though I am on a very flat street. Under details it states "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." The parking brake is engaged!
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
As car is placed in park, and even after the parking brake is applied a message on the dash board and alert pops up saying "Secure Vehicle from Rolling" even though I am on a very flat street. Under details it states "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." The parking brake is engaged!
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
As car is placed in park, and even after the parking brake is applied a message on the dash board and alert pops up saying "Secure Vehicle from Rolling" even though I am on a very flat street. Under details it states "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." The parking brake is engaged!
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
there is an active recall on my current vehicle. i am in california and i cannot reregister until it is completed. recall states may cause fire. dealer states "no remedy available". so now i have a 5000lb paperweight in my driveway.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
there is an active recall on my current vehicle. i am in california and i cannot reregister until it is completed. recall states may cause fire. dealer states "no remedy available". so now i have a 5000lb paperweight in my driveway.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
there is an active recall on my current vehicle. i am in california and i cannot reregister until it is completed. recall states may cause fire. dealer states "no remedy available". so now i have a 5000lb paperweight in my driveway.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2022
BMW is not providing any owners with service and repair manuals in order to perform service or make any repairs. This is a safety issue, among other things,as these are adventure motorcycles meant to be ridden in very remote areas in difficult terrain where roadside repairs are often required. In addition, they are trying to force owner’s to purchase their services by not providing the required... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The drivetrain malfunction message was displayed. The contact was able to pull into a driveway. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty oil pump which caused damage to the camshaft. The independent mechanic dia... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The drivetrain malfunction message was displayed. The contact was able to pull into a driveway. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty oil pump which caused damage to the camshaft. The independent mechanic dia... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
When starting my BMW motorcycle it normally can be started in two modes: (1) in neutral or (2) In gear with the clutch handle pulled back to the handlebar and the clutch disengaged. However, my BMW 2015 BMW R1200RT motorcycle will NOT engage the starter motor to start the engine with the Clutch handled pulled back to the handlebar which disengages the clutch. The problem was noticed at 17,500 mile... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
When starting my BMW motorcycle it normally can be started in two modes: (1) in neutral or (2) In gear with the clutch handle pulled back to the handlebar and the clutch disengaged. However, my BMW 2015 BMW R1200RT motorcycle will NOT engage the starter motor to start the engine with the Clutch handled pulled back to the handlebar which disengages the clutch. The problem was noticed at 17,500 mile... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal smoke odor coming from the instrument panel. 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 not notified. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reas... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2022
At 44,000 miles, I began getting the error code "secure vehicle against rolling" every time I started the engine. Took car in to local dealership who advised I needed to have the gear shift assembly replaced as the car could roll even when placed in park. Out of fear that the car could roll and cause damage to myself or others, I requested they order the part immediately. After doing some resea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
This vehicle shuts down the engine when stopped at a stop sign or light. The engine resumes when you press on the brake or gas peddle. But sometimes, the engine will turn back on for no apparent reason. That is not an issue of concern. BUT, sometimes, when the engine turns on automatically, it will drop the transmission into PARK. So when you attempt to apply gas, the car will not move forward as ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW X3. The contact received a recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling). However, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving and the AC wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
A small spring in the shifter has broken not allowing the vehicle to recognize it is in park and could roll while parked causing injury. This is a known issue for BMWs in this model and year range. It can be fixed with a new spring but dealer insists that a new shifter is needed. So a $20 part fix vs. a $600 part fix. There are hundreds of others online and world wide that this has happened to. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
High pressure fuel pump failed while BMW dealership mechanic was test-driving car after replacing two tires/oil change/replacing fuel filter/performing fix for recall of egr cooler part; per the service manager at the dealership, metal particles were subsequently found in the quantity control valve, necessitating complete replacement of fuel system. There is a known recall for year, make and model... Read more
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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that whenever driving after a while the veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 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 on 8/2/2022 while parking at a gas station, he started to smell smoke. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he inspec... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 21, 2021
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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 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 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 had not ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Problem is that the display says "passenger restraint malfunction" -- which brings safety concern. Upon online search, it is likely caused by design flaw of passenger occupancy detector. Here are some reasons why it is design flaw (i.e. not just individual failure) 1. There has been a recall for the same problem for earlier year models (2006-2007 etc). It seems the other years have the same p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Problem is that the display says "passenger restraint malfunction" -- which brings safety concern. Upon online search, it is likely caused by design flaw of passenger occupancy detector. Here are some reasons why it is design flaw (i.e. not just individual failure) 1. There has been a recall for the same problem for earlier year models (2006-2007 etc). It seems the other years have the same p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Problem is that the display says "passenger restraint malfunction" -- which brings safety concern. Upon online search, it is likely caused by design flaw of passenger occupancy detector. Here are some reasons why it is design flaw (i.e. not just individual failure) 1. There has been a recall for the same problem for earlier year models (2006-2007 etc). It seems the other years have the same p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 535D. 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 ex... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2022
In Feb 2022 my vehicle reported low coolant and later the engine overheating. At one point the accelerator pedal became less effective and the car significantly slowed down while on the highway. After refilling the car's engine coolant and still getting alerts, I brought the vehicle to the BMW auto shop where it was determined there was an active coolant leak from the hose of the cylinder head exp... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2022
I purchased the above vehicle in June 02,2022. The previous owner stated there is a recall on the Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve heater. The issue was never resolved.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
The contact owned a 2016 BMW X3. 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 dealer had previously performed an engine inspection and pressure test for the coolant system due to coolant loss with the low coolant warning light illuminated. The contact had adde... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
My car will not start up to show ignition lights… blinks fast then shuts off / will not crank / after flashing lights on dash service engine light appears & car has smoking from under hood
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
My car will not start up to show ignition lights… blinks fast then shuts off / will not crank / after flashing lights on dash service engine light appears & car has smoking from under hood
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
BMW NA is aware of this problem with the sunroof leaking water on the dashboard and damaging the electrical of the car. BMW NA is colluding with the dealers to inform customers they are clogged to charge them money for a clog that is non existent. The sun roof are not clogged as BMW NA and the dealers are saying I have video of the unclogged drain tubes and have caught the dealers all lying that t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
BMW NA is aware of this problem with the sunroof leaking water on the dashboard and damaging the electrical of the car. BMW NA is colluding with the dealers to inform customers they are clogged to charge them money for a clog that is non existent. The sun roof are not clogged as BMW NA and the dealers are saying I have video of the unclogged drain tubes and have caught the dealers all lying that t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
BMW NA is aware of this problem with the sunroof leaking water on the dashboard and damaging the electrical of the car. BMW NA is colluding with the dealers to inform customers they are clogged to charge them money for a clog that is non existent. The sun roof are not clogged as BMW NA and the dealers are saying I have video of the unclogged drain tubes and have caught the dealers all lying that t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X5. The contact stated that the sunroof drain was faulty, causing water to leak into the dash and damage the interior lights and windshield wiper function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with water damage from the sunroof; however, the dealer informed the contact that water damage was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was then tak... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2022
My 2011 BMW 328i turned off while i was at stop sign at top of the street. My children and I could of died! Car starts but keep shutting off. Smells like its also burning! No remedy available still. Now have no vehicle to drive!!!!!
Incident date: Aug 13, 2022
This is a serious problem with the handling of this car in standing water situations. This car immediately begins to hydroplane when it encounters standing water, every time. We had been lucky so far of the numerous instances we had encountered with this vehicle hydroplaning and rotating. Always slowing down when encountering rain to avoid these situations. Tonight 08-13-2022, we were driving on t... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
The BMW's display showed "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling". We took the car to the BMW dealership and they repaired the issue with a complete gear selector display assembly. We are concerned that this is a safety issue and we understand this may be a common problem with BMW. The vehicle in question had only 22,669 miles on the odometer when repaired.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The engine timing chain failed due to faulty plastic guide around the timing chain which gets brittle and brakes in the engine causing catastrophic engine failure. Our safety and the safety of others on the Parkway was put at HIGH RISK because the car goes into some safe mode and puts itself into PARK!! This three lane parkway has no shoulder to pull over on at all! So we were blocking the entir... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The engine timing chain failed due to faulty plastic guide around the timing chain which gets brittle and brakes in the engine causing catastrophic engine failure. Our safety and the safety of others on the Parkway was put at HIGH RISK because the car goes into some safe mode and puts itself into PARK!! This three lane parkway has no shoulder to pull over on at all! So we were blocking the entir... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly brake and would stop abruptly though there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who duplicated the failure. However, the dealer was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The cont... Read more