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: 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 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
Sunroof exploded and shattered while driving down the highway.
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 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 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 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 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 15, 2022
Over heating and smell of burning plastic
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
Over heating and smell of burning plastic
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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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
Incident date: Jan 21, 2022
I had just parked and about a minute later, there was a huge amount of smoke coming through the front cabin vents and hood. I immediately turned my car off and opened the hood to find more smoke and hearing popping sounds coming from my catalytic converter. The smoke left residue all over my windshield as well as an unpleasant smell lingering in the car. I emailed my local mechanic and he told me ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2022
The car sos system “masses a dos call” to the police department. After clsryfiyng the error, the car shows the following message: “ emergency call malfunction”. BMW disabled my car emergency system to avoid this problem again but tried to change me to fix the problem
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
After driving, sometimes while driving the engine smokes
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
I was driving the car when the car began smoking. I pulled over and the was fire underneath the vehicle. It burned the car up completely within 10 mins.
Fire
Incident date: Jun 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated temporarily. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that the hood warning light had been illuminated for approximately 2 months, even though the hood was securely closed. The vehicle was taken to an inde... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated temporarily. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that the hood warning light had been illuminated for approximately 2 months, even though the hood was securely closed. The vehicle was taken to an inde... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
Alert to ‘secure vehicle from rolling’ when put vehicle into park
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
My BMW 2016 is displaying a message “Secure Vehicle against rolling”. This message is coming up only today (03/11/2022). I tried to search in the web forums and could see many many users reported same issue. I am worried about the safety of myself and family driving the vehicle with this message. I am planning to take it to the dealer for consultation. I feel this is a manufacturing issue and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at 25-30 MPH for 10 minutes, the engine started misfiring, went on overheating mode and stalled. The coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned off the vehicle for some time; however, when he restarted the vehicle, the coolant temperature wa... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact received a notification through a rideshare app that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2022
The high-pressure fuel pump failed while the car was in motion and the engine completely shut off. This was incredibly dangerous and put the lives of the driver, passenger (young child) and surrounding cars at risk. The problem was diagnosed by an independent BMW service center and is currently being repaired. There were no warning lights or messages apparent to the driver, but the service t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2021
while driving in a highway far from any measure city, the car start slowing down and overheating signal showed up. fan start running like a jet engine. after towing it to a mechanic. it turns out the water pump failed a long with thermostat and the plastic resurve water leaked. it seams like a design fault to make a plastic resurve water that hold hot water. the car had 121000 mile. coast was $5... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
suspension warning came up. air suspension bags. and air pump fail while driving at 65m/h. car was hard to control. I had to slow down to 40m/h. to drive safely.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
oil leaked from the engine dripping over auxaust and casing fume to inter the capen. mechanick indicate the engine cover is made out of plastic and it warped and cause the oil to leak.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2019
car will not start. towed over 120mil to the closest mechanics. starter was dead.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2018
ear conditioning will not work while driving in the desert.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
Car has an emergency call system in case of a crash. The dashboard shows a malfunction that flashes every few minutes. Call to dealer for a repair was not considered a safety hazard and was scheduled for the next month.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
Car has an emergency call system in case of a crash. The dashboard shows a malfunction that flashes every few minutes. Call to dealer for a repair was not considered a safety hazard and was scheduled for the next month.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
transmission error - faulty gear selector
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
I took my car for a new battery. I was told I needed to replace the gear selector.at a cost of 3,000. After reading reading several post about this situation happening to a bunch of people.it should be a recall.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
I drove my 2007 bmw to work and got to work and I walked inside my job and clocked in maybe 5-10 of being inside a customer came inside and said a car was on fire 🔥 and it was my car on fire My boss called 911 and the fire department got there and put the fire out and called my insurance and got told to call bmw bc there was a recall on my vehicle
Fire
Incident date: Jun 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 525i. The vehicle had previously been serviced by the dealer under an unknown NHTSA campaign; however, the failure recurred with a burning odor detected. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not y... Read more
Fire