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: Mar 8, 2026
Poorly sealed front monitoring cameras. I know it’s poorly sealed on many Tesla vehicles and my own. Allowing fluid and dust to enter to block camera view and use.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
A transmission problem occurred shortly after a CVT transmission service was performed at an authorized Honda dealership, Classic Honda of Midland in Midland, Texas. After the service, the vehicle began experiencing abnormal noise, vibration, and harsh driving conditions. The vehicle was later inspected at another authorized Honda dealership, Ocean Honda of Burlingame, California. During the insp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Suspensions. I know there’s been known defects with the suspensions and they’ve only recall 422 vehicles so far (2018-2019 Tesla model 3, I feel more vehicles in those years are affected.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
Owner of 2020 Kia soul experiencing engine failure symptoms including stalling and oil consumption vehicl is associated with engine fire risk safety recall vehicle is currently disabled at mechanic and unsafe to drive I requested kia arrange a tow to authorized dealership for recall diagnosis but kia customer service refused to cover tow bc this involves potential engine fire hazard I believe manu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
This car is a very well-maintained, low-use vehicle with regular oil changes and routine maintenance performed on schedule. Early in this drive, I noticed an unusual hissing sound as I approached a stop. When I tried to brake, I realized my brakes didn't seem to be responding. I pressed the brake pedal harder and realized that with 50-100 pounds of pressure (guess), I could slow the car down. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
This car is a very well-maintained, low-use vehicle with regular oil changes and routine maintenance performed on schedule. Early in this drive, I noticed an unusual hissing sound as I approached a stop. When I tried to brake, I realized my brakes didn't seem to be responding. I pressed the brake pedal harder and realized that with 50-100 pounds of pressure (guess), I could slow the car down. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle eventually stalled on the side of the road. The key, battery, oil, and engine warning lights were illuminated. There was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact later received an extended warranty notification from the manufacturer stating that the extended warranty on the engine for 10 years/120,000 miles. However, the contact received a secon... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
i have have 2 problems, both was recalls, but this one they say expired in 2021 when i bought the car and toyota dealer didnt tell me had recall so i could fix it before it expired. there is a class action lawsuit in the brake booster, master cyclinder actuator abs pump fialing loosing brakes making grrr noises leaking all brake fluid out continously dangerous to drive can cause bad accident wrec... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
SUMMARY OF FACTS FOR LEGAL CONSULTATION Bad Faith Redhibition Claim — Louisiana Civil Code Art. 2545 Prepared for Attorney Consultation 1. Vehicle & Transaction Information Vehicle2020 Ford Explorer ST — AWDPurchase DateMarch 2025Purchase Structure$17,000 trade-in applied + $17,000 remaining loan balanceAdditional Warranty$2,500 paid warranty purchased through dealership at time of saleSellin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
The contact owned a 2024 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that his wife was entering a parking lot at approximately 10 MPH when she heard the vehicle engine abnormally revving and the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle drove through the parking lot and crashed into a tree. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger front air bags deployed, and the front collision avoidance had no... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
I received an "important safety recall" notice 25S82 from Ford motor company in August, 2025. The notice from Ford states that replacement parts are available and to schedule an appointment with a local Ford dealership to replace necessary parts and address the safety recall concerns. Since August of 2025, I have contacted my dealership several times and they continue to indicate that parts are ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
In November 2025, after charging car overnight, backed out of driveway and began to drive. Within 100 feet, received red error message and tone: “Stop vehicle and check power supply”. Stopped the vehicle and got it towed to Kia dealer, who confirmed that the ICCU had failed, despite the car having received the software patch purporting to fix the problem. The ICCU was replaced under warranty ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while shifted in reverse(R), the rearview camera image displayed was not clear on the screen. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
My 2016 Lexus NX200t with approximately 157,000 miles experienced sudden engine stalling, loss of acceleration, and the check engine light illuminated while driving. The loss of power created a dangerous situation because the vehicle was unable to accelerate normally in traffic. These symptoms are consistent with the defective low-pressure fuel pump recall affecting certain Toyota and Lexus vehic... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
The electric power steering is malfunctioning. At highway speeds, steering becomes sticky. It is difficult to make small adjustments (such as to stay within the lane), leading to overcorrections to compensate. I worry that the stickiness and associated overcompensation may lead cause a crash if it persists. The issue has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center nor inspected by manufac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The transmission shutters and jerks
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
I have had issues with my car since the day that I bought it. First, my car squealed every time that I backed up. I took it to my local Ford dealership 3 or 4 times without this ever being fixed. This then progressed to my brakes squealing anytime they’re used. I barely have 25,000 miles on my car. Additionally, I have had numerous occasions where my car will get stuck and not shift, not acceler... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
Driving on rt 42 at 1042pm on March 1st going 60mph my cars break light came on for me to break like there was something in front of me but there wasn’t.
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
I own a 2022 MDX Type-S. I recently read about complaints about TLX and MDX models losing their AWD system and only resulting to FWD. I was a victim of this in Montana and it was a long fight with Acura / Honda to look at the problem. It was also very dangerous as I worked up in Big Sky and would rely on the AWD system in snowy conditions. This system would always fail. After a long fight, they fi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V896000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera failed to display a clear image on the screen. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the rear vehicle detection sensor failed ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, she discovered that the driver's side window was shattered. The sunroof was brown, and there was a hole in the dashboard showing the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle had caught fire; however, the fire extinguished on its own. There were no prior warning lights illuminated. There were n... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
Vehicle Details: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq (leased from McGovern Hyundai, Wilmington) Recall Services Notes: ICCU S/W,DTC CHK,&FUSE/REP([XXX]) • 272 Mileage: 10,714 mi Owner: [XXX] What Happened ([XXX]): My Ioniq suddenly died in the center lane on [XXX] near CVS Market, Burlington MA This created a dangerous nighttime traffic jam, The dashboard showed "12V battery voltage low. Stop safely" -... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact rented a 2025 Nissan Rogue from Enterprise Rental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear glass unexpectedly shattered when the door was closed. The vehicle was not occupied at the time of the failure. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
This car keeps burning excessive oil. I am on my 3rd oil consumption test each time it burns 0.75q in 1000 miles. The dealer states that that is not enough oil. My mile 3000, there is no longer oil on the dip stick, and we start the process all over again. This car has been burning oil that doesn’t even meet a standard oil changer interval since the cars had 70,000 miles on it. It now has 9... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
3 to 4 months ago my truck steering wheel light with an exclamation point will appear and my steering wheel will lock up and it is hard to steer unless I cut the truck off and back on, it is so dangerous that it went out when I was in the middle of a turn that I almost ran into a truck. I cannot get this issue fixed because my warranty ran out. So what am I to do. It's terribly scary. I Haven't ha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact state while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message that the Auto START/STOP system needed to be serviced was displayed, and that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, and the ca... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
2022 ZR2 Silverado with the L87 6.2L. Have been complaining of shuttering starting at 22,500 miles and a few times after that. Vehicle passed PICO recall test and engine failed within 2,000 miles with zero warning. I was merging into traffic accelerating.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
Center stack display freezes. This prevents access to nav, radio, comfort settings. Only way to clear freeze is to turn vehicle off then back on. Then the center stack console reboots. Which takes multiple minutes to complete. This has occurred on multiple occasions.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
When putting vehicle into reverse the backup camera froze. Low buzzing sound coming from within vehicle from undetermined location. Tried to go to nav, screen locked. Turned vehicle off/on. Screen un-froze. But center stack rebooted. It took a few minutes for center stack screen to work again. TomTom did a long reboot. This has occurred multiple times.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
When putting vehicle into reverse, the backup camera display had a blue screen. Had to restart vehicle to get camera display working again. This has occurred multiple times.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
The driver's door is not opening from the inside. To open the driver's door while I am in the vehicle, I have to roll down the window and use the exterior door handle to exit the vehicle. This is a huge safety concern, as the window cannot be rolled down manually. If the car did not have power, I would have to break open the window. The potential for being trapped in the car with this defect is hi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
While leaving Grandson’s Basketball game parking lot, we heard an audible “pop” and began traveling while the dash lit up with warning lights. We were only a few miles from home so I continued on at a maximum of 25mph, which was the max available. We contacted Hyundai and arranged for a tow the next day. The dealer, Heritage Hyundai, received the vehicle and it’s been there for over a wee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger’s side rear door failed to open from inside or outside or unlock as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the rear passenger’s door handle actuator was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
I have not been involved in no incident or accident with anybody but my vehicle is installing up and dying in the middle of the road the power steering is locking up the battery is draining and the car is cutting off I had the battery replaced and I'm still losing power in my battery and I can't figure out why I'm not too long after the battery dying and the vehicle starting up and dying it starte... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
I have not been involved in no incident or accident with anybody but my vehicle is installing up and dying in the middle of the road the power steering is locking up the battery is draining and the car is cutting off I had the battery replaced and I'm still losing power in my battery and I can't figure out why I'm not too long after the battery dying and the vehicle starting up and dying it starte... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
I have not been involved in no incident or accident with anybody but my vehicle is installing up and dying in the middle of the road the power steering is locking up the battery is draining and the car is cutting off I had the battery replaced and I'm still losing power in my battery and I can't figure out why I'm not too long after the battery dying and the vehicle starting up and dying it starte... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light and the hybrid battery warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator was leaking, and the dual clutch and slave cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
we've had to replace the engine. Twice and the electric power steering quit, working completely.And now they want five thousand dollars to replace it.When it's a known problem.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
we've had to replace the engine. Twice and the electric power steering quit, working completely.And now they want five thousand dollars to replace it.When it's a known problem.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
we've had to replace the engine. Twice and the electric power steering quit, working completely.And now they want five thousand dollars to replace it.When it's a known problem.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
BOTH front door actuators have failed. Can NOT open the front passenger side door at ALL and the front driver side door will ONLY OPEN from the INSIDE. My passenger had to exit the vehicle through the front passenger side window when the door malfunctioned in January. Then about 2 weeks later we could no longer open the front driver's side door from the outside. The vehicle is available for insp... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the rearview camera was intermittently inoperable or displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, while reversing after picking up t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the battery was completely drained. The contact stated that the hood plastic scoop was leaking onto the felt heat protector, and the engine was wet whenever it rained. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the battery was replaced. The contact called another dealer, Elmwood Chrysler Do... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the battery was completely drained. The contact stated that the hood plastic scoop was leaking onto the felt heat protector, and the engine was wet whenever it rained. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the battery was replaced. The contact called another dealer, Elmwood Chrysler Do... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
When driving the vehicle on I-94 near Taylor, MI, 2 codes popped up on my dashboard cluster: 1) Transmission System Problem 2) Blind Spot Info System Problem When diagnosing this at a local auto stores & the Honda dealer itself, a stored code of DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF is listed. Honda has identified a problem with this under Service Bulletin 23-078, bu... Read more