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: Oct 30, 2022
vehicle caught on fire while no one was driving and the engine was not on. It was parked for approximately 45 minutes. The fire started at the front under the hood. It destroyed melted the engine parts
Fire
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
The Vanos Cam Tensioners bolts were a known issue (to back out and shear inside of the engine) in my car and a few years prior, and BMW recalled 150,000~ and gave 170,000~ vehicles a 10year unlimited mile warranty on the issue. My car had this issue a month ago and BMW would not help (a year out of the warranty with only 74,000 miles). A BMW dealer diagnosed it and I got it repaired at an independ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2022
2013 bmw 328ix 82k miles timing chain guide broke blowing the engine. This should not be happening on a bmw. I do not have the money for this!
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the recall was repaired however, while driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact heard a sharp whistling sound coming from the engine. The service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnose... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2022
The high-pressure fuel pump on my 2014 BMW 535D failed while driving at 55 MPH, causing a sudden, and dangerous shut down of the vehicle. I was barely able to get the vehicle off the road and had to block one lane of traffic until the vehicle was towed away. The car lost power QUICK and then would not start back up after it shut off. This specific issue is listed for the exact year, make, and mode... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 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 while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was white smoke coming through the HVAC vents. The contact pulled over, stopped, and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that after turning t... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2002 BMW R 1150 RT. The contact stated while driving at 15 MPH, the front wheel brake locked causing the contact to flip off the motorcycle. The contact suffered a concussion, laceration, stitches, fractured his left ankle and had problems with his left knee. A police report was filed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted, and suggested that the motorcycl... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
We were towing a rental travel trailer (~3500 Ib), going east bound on highway 80 near Martinez, CA. The travel trailer suddenly went into oscillation, the amplitude got larger and larger, and finally both SUV and trailer landed on the sides on the embankment. The SUV was supposedly in "tow" mode, so the feature "Trailer Stabilization Control" should have been activated to reduce the sway/osci... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 525I. 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 while driving approximately 30 MPH, she noticed the odor of burning plastic. The contact stated that the check radiator light was illuminated. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle t... Read more
BMW
R 1200 GS ADVENTURE
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING:SWITCH/SENSOR/FLOAT
Oct 26, 2022
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycle. The contact stated while riding 65 MPH, while attempting to stop the motorcycle, the brakes failed to operate properly causing a delay in stopping the motorcycle. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that they aware of the failure. The mechanic bled the brake lines and the motorcycle remained at the dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
2018 BMW X1. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE REPAIR OF A SAFETY RECALL PERFORMED ON VEHICLE.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the front passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V605000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
My vehicle caught on fire while parked and unoccupied. Fire started in the engine compartment.
Fire
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
My vehicle caught on fire while parked and unoccupied. Fire started in the engine compartment.
Fire
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
My vehicle caught on fire while parked and unoccupied. Fire started in the engine compartment.
Fire
Incident date: Jun 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 25-30 MPH, he smelled a burning odor and saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood. The contact veered to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who informe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2022
This incident happened twice while I was driving. After driving for about 20 minutes my 2013 BMW 335i (Sedan) shifted into neutral as I was making a turn. I was shown a drivetrain malfunction error along with an error that my car was not in Park position and my car's motor suddenly shut off while it was in neutral. I pulled over to the side of the road and I managed to start my car again without a... 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 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: Oct 1, 2022
The bolts for my VANOS adjuster unit failed at approximately 143,000 miles on my 2011 328i xDrive Wagon (chassis code E91). In 2014, BMW issued a recall (campaign No. 14V-176) for this exact issue. On the first page under the "Model" section, it is stated that the E91 chassis is affected. However, on the second page, the E91 chassis is not listed under "Affected Vehicles". When checking the VIN n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 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 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: Oct 14, 2022
The throttle body has plastic pulleys for the throttle flapper cam. These plastic parts fail. My motorcycle lost power in freeway traffic and I nearly was ran over by traffic when this part failed.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked he noticed that there was a crack on the windshield.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The car started to make a popping noise and then the collision warning light, Steering Light and Pedestrian warning lights came on and the steering became very tight. The electric steering became manual. Yes problem has been reported to Braman BMW Jupiter as well as BMW USA.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The car started to make a popping noise and then the collision warning light, Steering Light and Pedestrian warning lights came on and the steering became very tight. The electric steering became manual. Yes problem has been reported to Braman BMW Jupiter as well as BMW USA.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The car started to make a popping noise and then the collision warning light, Steering Light and Pedestrian warning lights came on and the steering became very tight. The electric steering became manual. Yes problem has been reported to Braman BMW Jupiter as well as BMW USA.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. 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 not 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 and confirmed th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 540I. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the front and rear passenger’s and driver’s side seat belts failed to detach after being connected. The contact stated that he forced the rear passenger’s side seat belt to detach with a screwdriver. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer stated that candy was lod... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW Z4. 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 while driving approximately 25 MPH, he started to smell a burning plastic odor. Additionally, white smoke started coming from the vents. The contact stated that the smoke was not heavy but ste... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BWM X3. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine was running rough. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and noticed that the timing chain was stretched. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,000.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 530XI. 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 vehicle was overheating while driving. The contact stated that the frame of the vehicle felt extremely hot after driving and the vehicle took a long time to cool down. There... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
Left front air strut broke two weeks (600 miles) after delivery. There was no warning, just a loud noise when it broke. Warning light showed chasis issue. BMW towed car and replaced strut under warranty.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2022
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 128i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated as he pulled into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH he began to smell a burning plastic odor. The contact said that the vehicle dash vents began to issue ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V1190000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... 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 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: Mar 6, 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 while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated with an abnormal burning plastic odor coming from the vents on the dashboard. The contact stated that the check engine warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
While driving on the highway my rear hatch opened and I was not given any warning that the hatch was open. My car was full of luggage on our return trip to florida and I could not see that the hatch had opened. We lost boxes that were in the trunk. It could have been a lot worse if we were not notified by passing drivers that something was wrong with my car. Looking for previous issues this happ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
While driving on the highway my rear hatch opened and I was not given any warning that the hatch was open. My car was full of luggage on our return trip to florida and I could not see that the hatch had opened. We lost boxes that were in the trunk. It could have been a lot worse if we were not notified by passing drivers that something was wrong with my car. Looking for previous issues this happ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 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 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 stated t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
1.I found the same issues the same as the NHTSA posted the recall number 20V094000 for my car. The 3rd brake lights starting lose and I bring my car to BMW dealership and they told me my car is not flag on it. The same year and the same model has the same problem but My car is not under the recall list. I have the BMW Invoice and Identify the problem is the 3rd brake lights screws lose and need re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
Error message "Secure Vehicle against rolling engage parking brake" on starting car and when parking. Same problem is reported all over the internet regarding the 2017 BMW X1 having this same problem, error message caused by a faulty spring in the Shifter panel.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
Warning message on dash saying 'Secure Vehicle Against Rolling' when ignition is turned off, and immediately on entering vehicle. The dealer states that the shift lock solenoid needs replacing, and is a common issue that can make it impossible to shift gears If the vehicle rolls while in park, this could be a saftey risk for anyone nearby. Confirmed by dealer. Not looked at by anyone else. Warn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
Warning message on dash saying 'Secure Vehicle Against Rolling' when ignition is turned off, and immediately on entering vehicle. The dealer states that the shift lock solenoid needs replacing, and is a common issue that can make it impossible to shift gears If the vehicle rolls while in park, this could be a saftey risk for anyone nearby. Confirmed by dealer. Not looked at by anyone else. Warn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 525I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair however, upon retrieving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure had worsened while at a complete stop. Over time, the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
Engine suddenly lost most of power, causing risks of losing control. Diagnosis suggests a bug in Digital Motor Electronics (DME) unit. Per TSB SI B12 08 18, the correction is to update software. This should be a recall to make sure drivers don't experience sudden engine malfunction during driving.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
Date of accident: 8/10/2022 Location of accident: 2436 Krueger Dr, Concord, CA 94520 Accident Summary: My wife own’s the above mentioned home and was in the process of getting a new tenant. She reached the Krueger home at around 12:15 pm. She drove onto the driveway as she normally does, put the car in park and turned on the hand/parking brake. It is to be noted that driveway is on an upgrade. ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 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 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 am... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact stated that an abnormal, coolant odor would emit throughout her vehicle without warning while driving at various speeds. As the failure persisted, a heavy, white smoke began to emit from the tailpipe with the check engine warning light on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on her veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact stated that an abnormal, coolant odor would emit throughout her vehicle without warning while driving at various speeds. As the failure persisted, a heavy, white smoke began to emit from the tailpipe with the check engine warning light on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on her veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was a plastic smell while the heater was in use. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
- Bracket holding KAFAS camera system to windshield failed causing Driver Assistance system errors in vehicle; surrounding area gets very hot to the touch - System errors restricted certain driver assistance features including collision warnings - Problem was found by two dealerships; first dealership denied claim, second repaired via windshield replacement - Service advisor mentioned another vehi... Read more