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: Mar 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 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 and BMW of Springfield Parts & Accessories (391 US-22, Springfield, NJ 07081: (908) 232-1466) were contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had ex... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
Passenger side rear sub-frame crack observed . Vehicle has never been in any accident or collision. It's a commonly know problem about BMW 3 series made between 1999 to 2006 that happens naturally without cause due to manufacture issue, so I decided to look under my car to look for any cracks as described. I identified at least one crack. After calling BMW USA for assitance, I was instructed to br... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V755000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The EGR cooling message was displayed in the information center. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V755000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The EGR cooling message was displayed in the information center. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 128I. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local BMW dealer. The dealer diagnosed the root cause of the warning light to be a failure of the passenger seat occupancy detection mat. When this part fails the passenger side air bags will be permanently deactivated. This... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the drivetrain malfunction warning light was illuminated and the speed began to decelerate. The contact was able to drive to his residence approximately at 25 mph. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and the engine intake manifold to be repl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred 6 months later. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
Passenger door lock failed and does not allow the door to be opened in an emergency. The door is designed to be unlocked by the first pull of the door handle then unlatched with the second pull of the handle, however after the first handle pull the lock immediately locks again preventing the second pull from unlatching the door. The system would be available for inspection. This problem has been... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the drivetrain malfunction warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact placed the vehicle into park(P) but could not restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. Additionally, the contact stated ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2019
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) however, upon picking up the vehicle and driving 25 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and the vehicle started making abnormal beeping sounds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed the contact that he needed ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
There's not a current solution available for the car from the dealer or anyone please advise on what needs to be done?
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
Received the vehicle less than a week ago, rear right damper/shocks need replacement.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2022
Fuel level sensor failure. Fuel gauge showed half a tank full, but it was actually empty. The engine stalled. Brakes do not work with engine stalled. The BMW dealer confirmed the malfunction and said it was a common failure. There were not previous instances of this same problem with my motorcycle. No warnings of any kind.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
ISSUE: HPFP High Pressure Fuel Pump is failing resulting in an increasing deposit of metallic shavings within the pump housing and a corresponding deviation in the measured fuel rail pressure. SAFETY: The vehicle will code and shut down while you are driving. BMW DEALERSHIP: Replaced items other then the root cause HPFP. A new fuel rail and sensors installed at my expense because of dealership dec... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The Instrument Cluster Display Shakes and goes completely black unable to know haw fast Your driving with all the system down You never know when its going to happen
Incident date: Mar 18, 2022
The bracket welds on the front of the right side fuel tank support strap pulled out while on the highway, leaving the fuel tank supported by only one strap. The bracket pulled right out of the sheet metal, leaving two holes where it was previously spot welded to. The support strap itself was hanging off its rear mount, dragging behind the car and potentially sparking. This was extremely dangero... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
I am getting a this message “passenger restraint system malfunction. a lot of people are getting the same message. I find out the reason for that is Water is getting inside the car every time is raining from the passenger side and moisture buildup causing that. Every time I have to use a space heater to dry the car and is cleared it. But I am afraid the airbag not work properly if this keep hap... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
I am getting a this message “passenger restraint system malfunction. a lot of people are getting the same message. I find out the reason for that is Water is getting inside the car every time is raining from the passenger side and moisture buildup causing that. Every time I have to use a space heater to dry the car and is cleared it. But I am afraid the airbag not work properly if this keep hap... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My BWW X5 hybrid give me a sudden error in the middle of the road. The error was Drive train malfunction and suddenly it stopped couple of seconds after the warning. Leaving me in the middle of the road. Thankfully I was on a low traffic road, so there was no accident. It was a scary situation to be at. After that, I managed to start the car after couple of tries and pull it over to a safer pla... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My BWW X5 hybrid give me a sudden error in the middle of the road. The error was Drive train malfunction and suddenly it stopped couple of seconds after the warning. Leaving me in the middle of the road. Thankfully I was on a low traffic road, so there was no accident. It was a scary situation to be at. After that, I managed to start the car after couple of tries and pull it over to a safer pla... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
My BWW X5 hybrid give me a sudden error in the middle of the road. The error was Drive train malfunction and suddenly it stopped couple of seconds after the warning. Leaving me in the middle of the road. Thankfully I was on a low traffic road, so there was no accident. It was a scary situation to be at. After that, I managed to start the car after couple of tries and pull it over to a safer pla... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2022
Defective Headlights on Brand New 2022 BMW R1250GS. I recently purchased a new BMW 1250 GS. Unfortunately, every time I ride at night I get an "Active headlamp faulty" warning. I took the bike in a day after the purchase and the dealer was able to verify multiple instances of the error code. A month has passed since I reported the issue but so far both the dealer, BMW Motorcycles of Escondido, and... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2022
Defective Headlights on Brand New 2022 BMW R1250GS. I recently purchased a new BMW 1250 GS. Unfortunately, every time I ride at night I get an "Active headlamp faulty" warning. I took the bike in a day after the purchase and the dealer was able to verify multiple instances of the error code. A month has passed since I reported the issue but so far both the dealer, BMW Motorcycles of Escondido, and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
Sunroof exploded and shattered while driving down the highway.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
I started smelling burning oil from my engine and brought it to the mechanic. He confirmed that my car has a valve cover leak and a electrical issue. The Car dies after being left off for more then 12 hours. The car miss fire and have ruff idle. Warning lights power train came on after I had the miss fire. Had P0171 and 02 sensor code.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
I started smelling burning oil from my engine and brought it to the mechanic. He confirmed that my car has a valve cover leak and a electrical issue. The Car dies after being left off for more then 12 hours. The car miss fire and have ruff idle. Warning lights power train came on after I had the miss fire. Had P0171 and 02 sensor code.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
I started smelling burning oil from my engine and brought it to the mechanic. He confirmed that my car has a valve cover leak and a electrical issue. The Car dies after being left off for more then 12 hours. The car miss fire and have ruff idle. Warning lights power train came on after I had the miss fire. Had P0171 and 02 sensor code.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 550I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the battery warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 330I. The contact stated that an indicator light had appeared on the instrument panel indicating that the rear taillights were inoperable. Upon investigation, the contact discovered a service bulletin (SIB630611) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was then notified of the service bulletin and the dealer informed him that his vehicle was not manufactured during t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 330I. The contact stated that an indicator light had appeared on the instrument panel indicating that the rear taillights were inoperable. Upon investigation, the contact discovered a service bulletin (SIB630611) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was then notified of the service bulletin and the dealer informed him that his vehicle was not manufactured during t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
The FRM module has failed for a 3rd time in my 328xi. This module distributes power to many components and since it has failed I have no headlights, no turn signals, no interior lights, no dashboard lights, and cannot roll my windows up or down. This is a known flaw with these cars and if you look on eBay there are bootleg repair services than can temporarily reset it however they often fail again... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
The FRM module has failed for a 3rd time in my 328xi. This module distributes power to many components and since it has failed I have no headlights, no turn signals, no interior lights, no dashboard lights, and cannot roll my windows up or down. This is a known flaw with these cars and if you look on eBay there are bootleg repair services than can temporarily reset it however they often fail again... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
Car was t-boned by another vehicle at 65-70 MPH (other driver was cited as negligent and responsible for accident)—and other driver’s car caused damage to the BMW and driver (my daughter) due to the side airbags on the BMW not deploying (damage to daughter would have been significantly less had the BMW side airbags deployed as they should have upon impact).
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328XI. 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 notified about the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was still safe to drive despite the parts for the recall not being av... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
the transfer case crack while driving at a 35 mph street thank god it didn't happen in the highway how do I know I herd a grinding noise and stop look under car and oil was driping got home jack it up and Sure enough I saw a hole in the transfer case
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
Over heating and smell of burning plastic
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
Over heating and smell of burning plastic
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Important safety recall issued, rcall campaign No 21V-907: EGR Cooler. BMW. Since the recall the engine is producing a weird noise, indicated as one of the effects, and the car has had so far two repairs performed in February and March, most probably as effects of this recall: diesel transfer pump had to be replaced and diesel particular sensor. Remedy is unavailable and BMW is not giving any solu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Important safety recall issued, rcall campaign No 21V-907: EGR Cooler. BMW. Since the recall the engine is producing a weird noise, indicated as one of the effects, and the car has had so far two repairs performed in February and March, most probably as effects of this recall: diesel transfer pump had to be replaced and diesel particular sensor. Remedy is unavailable and BMW is not giving any solu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2008
I purchased this BMW Z4 from a private seller on Thursday (3/10/22) located in Myrtle Beach, SC. On the way home (187 mile trip), about ¾ of the trip, I was driving about 55 mph on 701 North and the steering felt as if it was sticking to the point where moving the wheel took a effort to unstick it which put me into oncoming traffic in the other lane. I almost was involved in a head-on collision!... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2022
The retractable sunshade has fallen from the track obstructing the rear view visibility. The glue that was used is faulty according to several repairmen and no one will work on the part. After reviewing several online forums, this looks to be a common problem for the 2016 BMW X1. This should be a recall and covered by BMW because it cannot be remedied and obstructs the drivers view and ability to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V683000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
Was driving at 35-40 mph when suddenly where locked and the car stopped causing skid marks. Car had to be dragged out of the road by tow truck. Car will not move in neutral, reverse or drive but engine is on.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 328i. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated he smelled a burning odor and parked the vehicle. The contact looked under the hood and did not see any damage. The contact restarted the vehicle to drive home and heard a loud noise coming from the engine and vehicle started over... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
The steering wheel is "sticky" and has play in it when you are driving it. It appears to have steering drift. I feel this car is not safe to drive and is hard to control. No warning messages have come on. When I searched online, it appears that many others are having trouble with their 2004 z4 steering.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
I recently had my car serviced and the oil changed over the summer, so there were no warning indicators or service issues prior to this incident. I left for work and had no indications of any problems. I drove for about 10-15 minutes when a warning notification popped up stating engine oil pressure low. A few seconds later, the check engine light came on with a notification there was a "drivetrain... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
I recently had my car serviced and the oil changed over the summer, so there were no warning indicators or service issues prior to this incident. I left for work and had no indications of any problems. I drove for about 10-15 minutes when a warning notification popped up stating engine oil pressure low. A few seconds later, the check engine light came on with a notification there was a "drivetrain... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
I recently had my car serviced and the oil changed over the summer, so there were no warning indicators or service issues prior to this incident. I left for work and had no indications of any problems. I drove for about 10-15 minutes when a warning notification popped up stating engine oil pressure low. A few seconds later, the check engine light came on with a notification there was a "drivetrain... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Grievance/Complaint for 2020 X5 BMW Firer December 9, 2021 (49 days Owner) I was on my way to work, and I stopped at the local Bank of America drive through. While on my way, I received two (2) malfunction message saying the same thing, “ Scam Likely 1-470-781-9727; (Check Control) Vehicle key missing, Close message; Vehicle key not available or malfunctioning. Drive-ready mode cannot be start... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Grievance/Complaint for 2020 X5 BMW Firer December 9, 2021 (49 days Owner) I was on my way to work, and I stopped at the local Bank of America drive through. While on my way, I received two (2) malfunction message saying the same thing, “ Scam Likely 1-470-781-9727; (Check Control) Vehicle key missing, Close message; Vehicle key not available or malfunctioning. Drive-ready mode cannot be start... Read more
Fire