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: 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
Incident date: Dec 4, 2021
Malfunction of the passenger restraint system. Warning indicator states system is not working properly.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2021
Malfunction of the passenger restraint system. Warning indicator states system is not working properly.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
Loss of power failure, it lights up several times when turning corners and then accelerating.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
Loss of power failure, it lights up several times when turning corners and then accelerating.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
Loss of power failure, it lights up several times when turning corners and then accelerating.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2019
low oil pressure light then Drivetrain malfunction light came on car completely shut off, no steering, no control very hard to get it to the side of the road. Would not go into neutral for tow, had to be dragged onto a tow truck bed. BMW knows of this problem with the PLASTIC drivetrain, BMW still refusing to recall this car, or engine. MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE!!! CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT APPARENTLY I... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
Warning light appears: Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error. I went online to see what the issue was and found that there were numerous complaints by BMW X1 owners who discovered that it was a $10 spring in the shifter that dealers were charging between $2,000 and $3,000 to repair. Many opted not to do the repair due to the excessive cost, a decision that could prove catastrophic for some. In the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
Warning light appears: Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error. I went online to see what the issue was and found that there were numerous complaints by BMW X1 owners who discovered that it was a $10 spring in the shifter that dealers were charging between $2,000 and $3,000 to repair. Many opted not to do the repair due to the excessive cost, a decision that could prove catastrophic for some. In the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
Driving on highway got Low Oil Pressure light followed by Drivetrain Malfunction. Engine failed, managed to pull over on shoulder because road was deserted. Could have been rear ended or crashed into another vehicle if any cars were on road. Also dangerous to be stranded on the shoulder of a deserted dark highway at night. Towed to BMW Dealer and they diagnosed premature Oil Pump failure causing ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
EGR Cooler leaking soot/exhaust into engine compartment.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2021
Experienced a catastrophic failure of the throttle body cable cam mechanism on the throttle body of the motorcycle. In fact, both cams (2-cylinder motorcycle) are made of plastic, which degrades over time, and failed simultaneously, leaving me without the use of the throttle. This can be a catastrophic failure if happens at highway speeds or heavy traffic. Luckily for me, it happened close to h... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
component: headlight covers, fogged risk: significantly reduced headlight illumination confirmed: Fields BMW service Winter Park Florida inspected by Fields BMW service Winter Park Florida No warning lamps/messages/other symptoms Message sent to email: [email protected] -- "2014 BMV X1 headlight covers are fogged. "This safety concern has no solution besides buying $2,000 new headlight covers.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
The contact leased a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V601000 (Electrical System) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for 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 notified of the issue and confirmed that... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
On November 21, 2021 Will I was in church my vehicle caught on fire while it was park and not running. Before I went into church I was waiting for my friend and his wife in the parking lot for about 20mins, just sitting there without the car running. I did not see any fire/smoke or even smell any smoke when I got out of the car. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 23, 2021
Vehicle stalled with no power while driving highway speed. Engine is locked up and needs to be replaced
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
Our BMW X1 needs a new front differential. It has 88,500 miles. Dealer explained that this could cause the vehicle to stall in an unsafe way. BMW has developed a repair kit for this fix and we have found many complaints from owners online saying they've had the same problem atttributed to a flawed bearing design. A repair on this vehicle is $4,157 for a new BMW unit or $2800 for a used unit. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2021
On 23 Nov at approx 8:30 pm I was on I35N heading home in my 2012 BMW 328i. Out of nowhere I get a low oil pressure light, followed immediately by the Drivetrain malfunction light. I pulled over to the side of the road immediately for safety. I stopped the engine and sat for a couple of minutes to see if the error may have cleared, which it did not. I attempted to restart the engine and it would... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
While driving the vehicle will loose all power steering, and becomes very difficult to steer, warning lamp comes on with a steering wheel and a exclamation point. Has been diagnosed as needing a steering wheel column assembly.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
headlights faulty module no longer sealed and taking water water making all components in the headlights malfunction to repair this issue costing me 2,800.00 for ONE HEADLIGHT
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The timing belt broke with no warning and destroyed the engine.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
The wiring inside of the headlights has dried up and fallen off, leaving bare electrical wire. The resulting was both of the headlights became non operational at night. To replace the headlights in the car with all the factory features is about 3200.00 for parts alone. I know of others who have had this happen, and everyone i know who owns one, has the same exact problem. The vehicle in question b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
The wiring inside of the headlights has dried up and fallen off, leaving bare electrical wire. The resulting was both of the headlights became non operational at night. To replace the headlights in the car with all the factory features is about 3200.00 for parts alone. I know of others who have had this happen, and everyone i know who owns one, has the same exact problem. The vehicle in question b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 525I. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer where it was both diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking fuel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 188,318.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 550i. The contact stated after parking and exiting the vehicle, he noticed coolant leaking on the front driver’s side and saw white smoke exiting near the water pump. The contact stated the low coolant fluid and the drivetrain malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated the smoke disappeared on its own. The contact stated that he continued driving ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 550i. The contact stated after parking and exiting the vehicle, he noticed coolant leaking on the front driver’s side and saw white smoke exiting near the water pump. The contact stated the low coolant fluid and the drivetrain malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated the smoke disappeared on its own. The contact stated that he continued driving ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2011
Hi, my name is [XXX] and the owner of the 2001 BMW mentioned with the VIN number above. My airbag deployed for no reason as I was driving with my mother in the car on Tuesday the 26th of November around 5:30 p.m.. , the airbag deployed for no reason at all I was doing the speed limit, driving with the flow of traffic on Paramount Boulevard in the city of Paramount or borderline Downey I'm not sure... Read more
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V601000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not mad... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2021
The car is equipped with Driving Assistant. BMW Active Driving Assistant is a collection of driving assistance and collision avoidance technologies. Active Driving Assistant includes forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning. BMW Active Driving Assistant systems help a drive... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: May 28, 2021
The car is equipped with Driving Assistant. BMW Active Driving Assistant is a collection of driving assistance and collision avoidance technologies. Active Driving Assistant includes forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning. BMW Active Driving Assistant systems help a drive... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Nov 1, 2013
The problem with the 2008 BMW X3 transmission is going to get someone KILLED!! This transmission DOES NOT RESPOND when depressing the accelerator at random times & HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. it happened once after pulling away from an ezpass booth - the car just froze and would not accelerate nearly causing an accident. Now it has caused an accident. How are you not doing anything wh... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2013
The problem with the 2008 BMW X3 transmission is going to get someone KILLED!! This transmission DOES NOT RESPOND when depressing the accelerator at random times & HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. it happened once after pulling away from an ezpass booth - the car just froze and would not accelerate nearly causing an accident. Now it has caused an accident. How are you not doing anything wh... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2013
The problem with the 2008 BMW X3 transmission is going to get someone KILLED!! This transmission DOES NOT RESPOND when depressing the accelerator at random times & HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. it happened once after pulling away from an ezpass booth - the car just froze and would not accelerate nearly causing an accident. Now it has caused an accident. How are you not doing anything wh... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 28, 2021
I am working with a journalist at CNBC to get info about this death trap out since NHTSA is ignoring the issue completely. People are telling you their family members are injured and/or dying because 2008 BMW X3’s simply loose power at 70mph and transmission issues that make this care not accelerate, jerk, stall, etc. I have been helping contact other owners in an effort to see if they have a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2021
I am working with a journalist at CNBC to get info about this death trap out since NHTSA is ignoring the issue completely. People are telling you their family members are injured and/or dying because 2008 BMW X3’s simply loose power at 70mph and transmission issues that make this care not accelerate, jerk, stall, etc. I have been helping contact other owners in an effort to see if they have a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2021
I am working with a journalist at CNBC to get info about this death trap out since NHTSA is ignoring the issue completely. People are telling you their family members are injured and/or dying because 2008 BMW X3’s simply loose power at 70mph and transmission issues that make this care not accelerate, jerk, stall, etc. I have been helping contact other owners in an effort to see if they have a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
The BMW X7 caught on fire going down the HW.
Fire
Incident date: Nov 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328d. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact stated that a drivetrain error message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the fuel pump replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campai... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
Car is smoking when starting upon looking up this is a common issue with my 2016 bmw 328i m sport. From what I have been reading bmw knows of the issue and made a change to the part but are making customers come out of pocket to buy the updated part and pay for the repair.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2021
We took our recently purchased BMW 2006 330xi in for recalls and a few fixes. However, the BMW service center wasn't able to fix one of the issues through the recall process since it doesn't show up for our vehicle. However, everything that I read suggests that it was a recall for this make and model. We are not sure if it was supposedly addressed before we purchased the vehicle and it is now a re... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2021
We took our recently purchased BMW 2006 330xi in for recalls and a few fixes. However, the BMW service center wasn't able to fix one of the issues through the recall process since it doesn't show up for our vehicle. However, everything that I read suggests that it was a recall for this make and model. We are not sure if it was supposedly addressed before we purchased the vehicle and it is now a re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
Rod bearings, got rod knock. When is bmw going to fix this? This is my second N55 engine to dies from this problem, first one being my 3 series. They should be held accountable for this problem.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
While driving regularly the engine started sputtering and the throttle became non responsive. It seems to have been a transmission problem. A warning light came on noting Drivetrain Malfunction but that continuous driving was possible. Driving was not possible since there was no power. This was an unsafe condition for everyone in the vehicle (and other drivers) since the car stopped in the middle ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
Secure vehicle against roll. This is a common issue but there is no active recall.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2021
Car won’t start, I brought a new battery and still won’t start. No electricity running through the car at all. I haven’t even had it a year yet. 44,000 miles on it!
Incident date: Sep 27, 2021
Car won’t start, I brought a new battery and still won’t start. No electricity running through the car at all. I haven’t even had it a year yet. 44,000 miles on it!
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
1- The component failed (timing chain and and oil pump chain broke inside the engine compartment. The car is located in the BMW yard and is available for inspection at BMW Shrewsbury MA. 2. The safety was extremely dangerous. The engine suddenly and stop in the high speed Route 20 State highway. The timing chain and the oil pump have been complete damage and could not be fix. The only solution ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
THE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL PUMP CHAIN IN THE ENGINE BROKE DOWN. THE ENGINE CEASE AND STOP IN A HIGH TRAFIC STATE ROAD. NEAR MISSED WHICH COULD KILL PEOPLE IN THE CAR. EMTREMELY SERIOUS SYSTEM FAILURE. MY SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED. THE AUTO HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW CENTER IN SHREWSBURY MA AND BE INSPECTED BY BMW DEALER. NOWARNING OF PROBLEM. THERE IS A RECALL ON SYSTEM CONTROL UNIT. THE ENGIN... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
My vehicle was covered under a 10 year BMW limited extended warranty to address factory defective bolts that caused a dangerous failure of the VANOS system (bolts backing out) - which can be read about in service bulletin SB-10057335-7958 or SI B01 10 14. I started experiencing the symptoms (warning lamps, rough engine, engine noise, stalling) outlined in this bulletin in 2018, then in 2020, afte... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
I had been having problems with my seatbelt alarm coming on for a while with nothing in the seat of the passenger and then as I was trying to turn in to park I heard a click from my steering wheel as if it didn’t want to turn and the driver seat restraint malfunction error popped up . Now my horn will not work as well . I’m told that the dealership is the only place it can be repaired. I’m w... Read more