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: Sep 9, 2021
On September 7, 2021, the tailgate of my 2019 BMW X3 opened on its own in my garage. The car had been turned off for approximately 20-25 minutes. My key was inside the house, nowhere near the garage. No one had touched the car after it was turned off. My husband was in the garage, standing approximately 6-10 feet away from the car when the tailgate opened on its own. I believe this is both a Safe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
In Buford GA at the corner of Elm Tree Terrace and Buford Dam road, I was waiting for the light to turn on a decline. It is important to note that the car was driving in all-electric mode on a full charge. Once the light turned green I stepped on the accelerator to go and the car stalled. I believe the transmission slipped. The gears caught at high torque and jolted the car involuntarily forward. ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
In Buford GA at the corner of Elm Tree Terrace and Buford Dam road, I was waiting for the light to turn on a decline. It is important to note that the car was driving in all-electric mode on a full charge. Once the light turned green I stepped on the accelerator to go and the car stalled. I believe the transmission slipped. The gears caught at high torque and jolted the car involuntarily forward. ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
In Buford GA at the corner of Elm Tree Terrace and Buford Dam road, I was waiting for the light to turn on a decline. It is important to note that the car was driving in all-electric mode on a full charge. Once the light turned green I stepped on the accelerator to go and the car stalled. I believe the transmission slipped. The gears caught at high torque and jolted the car involuntarily forward. ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
Error msg indicating “secure vehicle against rolling” appeared. Also, “Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center.” Apparently from many comments from other BMW owners and mechanics the issue is common and is related to an inexpensive spring that has broken in the shifter box. It seems the broken spring prevents the electronic system from receivin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact mentioned the air bags failed to deploy from the intensity of the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the driver sustained a broken right hand that needed medical attention and was unaware of the oth... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
I’m having an issue with the warning light saying “Secure Vehicle from Rolling“. Many other owners reporting same issue in online discussion groups and forums. Expensive fix for a recurring issue that should be subject to a recall.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
Since tires installed on 9/2021, I have been having a worsening vibration noise. I took it to the installer who checked the balance of the wheels and tires and said there were no issues. The vibration continued. I took the car to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle. He said it's either the wheel bearings or the tires. The wheel bearings were replaced and I continued to have issues. T... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in PARK, the "Secure Vehicle with Parking Brake" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was diagnosed by the contact's friend, an independent mechanic, with gear selector failure. The gear selector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL ) 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 while driving approximately 30 mph when attempt... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2021
Engine stalled at low speed. Was able to restart engine. Check engine light was on so was able to drive it to dealer. Dealer determined it was hpfp failure, with metal shards in fuel line, so entire fuel system replaced (injectors, lines, hpfp, etc). Hpfp was replaced with the same model that failed, just a new one. A while later, engine stalled again at low speed. No check engine light but was ab... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
The positive battery terminal connection on the thickest cable in the trunk of the car (this wire leads from the battery in the trunk to the fuse box behind the glove box of the car) was loose due to either natural loosening over time (i.e. loss of torque on the fastener) or improperly applied torque by various BMW service shops (battery was changed by independent BMW service shop in 2018 and chec... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2021
New 2022 BMW X5M with a little over 200 miles on it. Received a message stating, "driver assistance support reduced". This driver assistance package controls many of the safety features listed above, and then some (could only select 3 from the list above, but affects more). Sad part is, after minor research, I find this has been an ongoing problem with BMW for years, and has not been addressed as ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2021
New 2022 BMW X5M with a little over 200 miles on it. Received a message stating, "driver assistance support reduced". This driver assistance package controls many of the safety features listed above, and then some (could only select 3 from the list above, but affects more). Sad part is, after minor research, I find this has been an ongoing problem with BMW for years, and has not been addressed as ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2021
New 2022 BMW X5M with a little over 200 miles on it. Received a message stating, "driver assistance support reduced". This driver assistance package controls many of the safety features listed above, and then some (could only select 3 from the list above, but affects more). Sad part is, after minor research, I find this has been an ongoing problem with BMW for years, and has not been addressed as ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2021
I am experiencing a know issue others have complained about related to the high pressure fuel injector failure in my vehicle. There have been previous recalls for this and my vehicle should fall within the recall dates and is showing all of the symptoms of this failure yet is it some how not part of the recall. What is happening is on cold starts or even idle the car is shaking and has a very appa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2021
I am experiencing a know issue others have complained about related to the high pressure fuel injector failure in my vehicle. There have been previous recalls for this and my vehicle should fall within the recall dates and is showing all of the symptoms of this failure yet is it some how not part of the recall. What is happening is on cold starts or even idle the car is shaking and has a very appa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2021
My vehicle was part of a recall No. 21V-586. I was told I have metal shavings in the fuel system coming from the high pressure fuel pump and given a price to repair of $17,200.00. I first looked on line and found my make, model and year was part of a recall for this exact same issue I informed the dealership of the recall. The contacted BMW and they stated they would not cover the repairs because ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
2011 BMW x6m 115k miles the car system was burning smell coming. Smell like electrical problem the system of the car shuts down no power just enough power to pull over off the road. Turned it off and back on it went away. Check engine light and reduced of power keeps coming on. We look into the truck water is leaking into the electrical. Trunk electrical broken. Comfort access not working. This ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
2011 BMW x6m 115k miles the car system was burning smell coming. Smell like electrical problem the system of the car shuts down no power just enough power to pull over off the road. Turned it off and back on it went away. Check engine light and reduced of power keeps coming on. We look into the truck water is leaking into the electrical. Trunk electrical broken. Comfort access not working. This ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
2011 BMW x6m 115k miles the car system was burning smell coming. Smell like electrical problem the system of the car shuts down no power just enough power to pull over off the road. Turned it off and back on it went away. Check engine light and reduced of power keeps coming on. We look into the truck water is leaking into the electrical. Trunk electrical broken. Comfort access not working. This ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 750LI. The contact stated that upon refueling the vehicle, he smelled a strong gas odor. The contact recalled that the same issue had occurred with a BMW vehicle that he previously owned, so he drove the vehicle to his residence and restarted it. The contact exited the vehicle and as he was looking around, he noticed fuel leaking onto the rear driver’s side wheel and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
New vehicle purchased this past Saturday. Found out that BMW no longer ships the lug adapter in the vehicle. Sales person and BMW telephone call center rep. confirmed this. They said to order one thru the parts department at the dealer. Parts department said it might take a month and a half to get... What do I do in the meantime if the tire needs to be changed due to damage. My wife and I were goi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle. All the air bags except for the passenger’s side air bag deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a migraine from the collision but did not receive medical attention but planned to go to urgent care afterward. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 12, 2021
Leak from fuel pump located under passenger rear side (right rear). Gasoline pooling next to electrical connection and excess gasoline dripping into interior and exterior. Explosion risk. Gasoline fumes.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
BMW has recalled the HPFP and EGR Cooler but not the EGR valve, which also fails and causes power loss, due to the same issues noted in the other recalls. The EGR valve should be added to the EGR cooler recall. The dealers are hiding behind ambiguity on this point to charge consumers for a common failure that should be covered, for the same reasons the EGR cooler has been recalled.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
BMW has recalled the HPFP and EGR Cooler but not the EGR valve, which also fails and causes power loss, due to the same issues noted in the other recalls. The EGR valve should be added to the EGR cooler recall. The dealers are hiding behind ambiguity on this point to charge consumers for a common failure that should be covered, for the same reasons the EGR cooler has been recalled.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
BMW has recalled the HPFP and EGR Cooler but not the EGR valve, which also fails and causes power loss, due to the same issues noted in the other recalls. The EGR valve should be added to the EGR cooler recall. The dealers are hiding behind ambiguity on this point to charge consumers for a common failure that should be covered, for the same reasons the EGR cooler has been recalled.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
- Automatic transmission gearshifter, torsion spring. - The vehicle could roll when it is parked without engaging engine break and hit other vehicles and pedestrian. - Not confirmed by the dealer yet. The service visit is scheduled. However, on the Internet, many people complaining for $2,000-$3,000 repair estimates for $10 or less torsion spring breakage. - The problem started December 5, 2021.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
I turned on my heated seat and within about a minute and a half I smelled a burning smell. Pulled over as I started to feel a burn on my leg because the seat heater has burnt through the leather in my car. This is a known problem at BMW and they have not issued a recall for this.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
I turned on my heated seat and within about a minute and a half I smelled a burning smell. Pulled over as I started to feel a burn on my leg because the seat heater has burnt through the leather in my car. This is a known problem at BMW and they have not issued a recall for this.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
UNKNOWN- NOT SAFETY RELATED ISSUE: VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER PROVIDE NAVIGATION RELATED FEATURES REASON: BMW NORTH AMERICA DECLINED TO UPGARE CELLULAR 3G COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY TO 4G (SIM CARD INTERFACE) REASON: NORTH AMERICAN CELLULAR NETWORKS ARE DISCONTINUING THEIR 3G NETWORKS AND AND ARE UPGRADING TO 4G NETWORKS. MANY CANY MANUFACTURERS PROVIDE VEHICLE RELATED FEATURES THAT REQUIRE THE VEHICL... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2021
I have owned my 2020 BMW m340iX for 2 years. During that time I have had 5 tires blow out, including 3 in the past 3 months alone. The tires are "run flat" and need to be completely replaced if they develop any issues. The dealer I use for service, who is owned by the manufacturer, says it is simply wear and tear - but this pattern is concerning and a potential safety issue for the car and tires.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
Occasionally it is impossible to unlock the door from the inside with the manual door unlock. The door operates in a two-step manner - pull the door latch once to unlock the door, and then pull again to open the door. However, sometimes the first pull fails to unlock the door and the only way to unlock the vehicle is with the electric door unlock. When this occurs, there is notable tension in t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 328d. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2021
Purchased the car Feb 2020. Over 6 months ago, back seat belts (middle and left side) stopped working. Seat belt will not click. Brand new car with nonfunctioning seat belts. Been trying to get hold of the dealer to fix and did not get anywhere. After months of hassle, they ordered the seat belts to be replaced. After dropping off the car, I get an email asking me to approve the fix for a co... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 (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 while driving approximately 30 MPH and attempti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2021
Timing Chain Guide failure after 75k miles resulting in catastrophic engine damage. I was in heavy traffic at 60 mph when the engine began to knock loudly, just as quick the drivetrain malfunction warning came on along with the oil pressure warning light. Immediately lost power & the vehicle went into “Limp Mode” and within a 3 seconds it completely shut down causing a plethora of problems tha... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the engine malfunction warning message appeared on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact's daughter had the vehicle towed to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact's daughter then had t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2021
My car is leaking oil from one of the rings in the engine and it’s leaking on the manifold
Incident date: Dec 4, 2021
Engine Compartment Suddenly Caught Fire and Came into the Vehicle Cabin of my 2011 328i E90 BMW on 12/04/2021 at 10:04 AM PST in the city of Garden Grove, CA. Emergency first responder Captian Rick King of the Garden Grove Fire Department conducted an initial investigation of the cause of the fire due to a defective fuel pump. BMW North America LLC should be held accountable for this accident as i... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
2017 BMW 340I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MILEAGE DISCREPANCY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE COMPANY OFFLEASEONLY WAS RUNNING A SCAM, WHERE THEY ADVERTISE LOW MILEAGE CARS WHEN IN ACTUALLY THE MILEAGE IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 535I. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the drivetrain malfunction warning message flashed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. The contact had a friend replace the battery; however, the failure persisted. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 535I. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the drivetrain malfunction warning message flashed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. The contact had a friend replace the battery; however, the failure persisted. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2020
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat mat sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2020
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat mat sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag sensor warning light illuminated, whether a passenger was seated in the seat or not. The contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated even without a passenger seated in the seat. The contact was unable to reach the local dealer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V56... Read more