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: Feb 27, 2026
The embedded navigation system tends to provide directions getting the vehicle into off road areas that are not designated to be driven. This not only causes damages to the car but also leads to unsafe situations. While driving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan headed to the Kitch-Iti-Kipi, it took me to tall grass and high voltage towers almost getting me to a ditch. While driving in St. Augusti... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The embedded navigation system tends to provide directions getting the vehicle into off road areas that are not designated to be driven. This not only causes damages to the car but also leads to unsafe situations. While driving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan headed to the Kitch-Iti-Kipi, it took me to tall grass and high voltage towers almost getting me to a ditch. While driving in St. Augusti... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The high-pressure fuel pump failed, resulting in insufficient fuel delivery to the engine. This caused a significant loss of engine output, with the vehicle unable to accelerate beyond approximately 35 mph or stalling around 60 mph and exhibiting very slow acceleration. The lack of adequate power created unsafe driving conditions. I was nearly rear-ended while making a right turn and again while a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The plastic covers such as the wheel wells, inner fender linings, under body shield, are very prone to coming off by either minor objects intruding them or hitting them such as branches, rocks, or even water and sand. While driving on a highway at the Upper Peninsula in Michigan on October, a large branch on the road got inside the front wheel well and it took it away. It flew into the highway as ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
3rd row side window shattered, while stopped at a traffic light.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
While driving my 2013 Toyota Prius (110,691 miles), multiple warning lights suddenly illuminated on the dashboard, including the ABS, Brake, and Stability Control lights. I initially took the vehicle to an independent specialist (DC Line), but the mechanic there suggested I take it directly to Toyota because his staff recognized this as a known manufacturing defect that should be covered by the ma... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
The high voltage coolant heater failed. It will not heat when running solely on battery. Defrost therefore will not get warm to clear windshield
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
We were driving yesterday evening (02/26) when the anti-collision break light flashed and the vehicle force stopped with without any obstacles in front of us. We were fortunate that a car wasn’t immediately behind us to have caused a collision. This was the first instance of failure. We haven’t reported to manufacture or others yet. We looked along the front number and tires thinking maybe it ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
We were driving yesterday evening (02/26) when the anti-collision break light flashed and the vehicle force stopped with without any obstacles in front of us. We were fortunate that a car wasn’t immediately behind us to have caused a collision. This was the first instance of failure. We haven’t reported to manufacture or others yet. We looked along the front number and tires thinking maybe it ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
This Honda Accord Sport SE has had electrical problems from the day I received the vehicle. Every time I went for an oil change at Bommarito Honda I mentioned it to them and they said “yeah the new Hondas do tend to hand a lot of those electrical problems” so with this the problems continued to get worse. Sometimes the buttons do not work, sometimes they do, sometimes the lights don’t work a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
There are times that my 2022 Ford F150 Powerboost will not accelerate. Mostly if I roll in a turn and press on the gas pedal. I don't hear anything, like it's a auto/stop issue. I'll have to come to a complete stop, or I'll have to leave my foot on the pedal, then it's like it kicks on with high RPM. There's no warning lights or messages. This time while I was on the highway during stop and go tra... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
While driving, loud pop sound came from rear of car. No prior warning or lights before this. Car immediately displayed a check electrical vehicle system warning light. Luckily we were somewhere were we could pull over immediately. Towed to dealer and they determined it was the ICCU that popped. Due to the ICCU failure, we could have completely lost car power if we didn't have somewhere to s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
While driving on the interstate at 70 mph the front part of the panoramic sunroof exploded. There was no debris or road hazards that caused it.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
Dealership refused to fix my safety system unint failure alont with proof of voltage malfunction
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated while shifted in reverse(R), the rearview camera failed to display a clear image of the rear of the vehicle. The local dealer was c... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated while shifted in reverse(R), the rearview camera failed to display a clear image of the rear of the vehicle. The local dealer was c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 60 MPH and entering the base at 15 MPH, the overheating message was displayed. The driver pulled over, and the light turned off. After exiting the vehicle, he noticed the vehicle had caught fire. The driver disconnected the battery. There were no reported injuries. Another driver stopped with a fire... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while attempting to sell the vehicle to a dealer, the contact was informed that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 298,649. However, a Carfax history report confirmed an inconsistent report. The mileage was recorded at 259,054 on Decem... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the DTC: P0301 (Cylinder #1 misfire) was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was tak... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The ABS module failed in June of 2025. Ram originally told me the part was on back order 6-8 months. In December they said there were 100 ABS modules on order for our area. In January 2026 they informed the mechanic that is doing the work that there is still parts on back order and it could be another 1-2 months. Today 2/25/26 the mechanic was told there are 265 modules on back order and it can be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
1. Rear diff is making grinding noise, front ptu is making a grinding noise and pinion seal is leaking, front axle throwing grease out inner boot. 2. Car stopping in middle of travel. Had a hard time getting it off the road. 3. The problem was confirmed by the dealership car was purchased from. 4. Only inspected by dealership mechanic. 5. Only by dealership mechanic. 6. There were no warning l... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
My car is junk. I have actually put tens of thousands of dollars into this car to keep it on the road. I would get rid of it but I owe more than it’s worth. This is insane. I cannot believe that none of the recalls come up on my vin because I’ve had to pay for so many repairs that are on recall lists for this car. Help me
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
My car is junk. I have actually put tens of thousands of dollars into this car to keep it on the road. I would get rid of it but I owe more than it’s worth. This is insane. I cannot believe that none of the recalls come up on my vin because I’ve had to pay for so many repairs that are on recall lists for this car. Help me
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
We were notified by Toyota that it was unsafe to transport our children in the second row seats in November 2025 and the vehicle was under a recall. This puts our children at risk. A letter from NHTSA stated Toyota would have a remedy by 12/6. The manufacturer (Toyota) confirmed this recall. Given that Toyota has not indicated a solution date for this and the problem was discovered in October 2025... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding the rear brakes. The components are producing heavy squeaking and grinding noises, leading to concerns that the system is defective and unreliable for emergency braking. Additionally, the excessive noise level is a public distraction that negatively impacts the driving environment for others.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
Fuel Injector Backing ring Failing causing O-ring to dislodge and Rupture due to high pressure fuel leaking past the seal. This is causing a Major fire Hazard. Gm seal kits will not fix the problem do to Backer ring not being in the kit. part number for the o-ring kit is 12673056. this part should not be sold without the backer ring. if installed without the rings they will fail and will be Leakin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
We scheduled in advance and confirmed recalls to have seatbelts recall serviced. Lost the entire day waiting for the service department to tell me they did not have the parts. The recall was mishandled and communication was kept to a minimum regarding the service noone knew about not having parts until the end of the day, which was 7 hours after our scheduled visit. A full day of work was lost and... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
Routine Friday morning and just finished charging my 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 at Walmart. As I started my vehicle to finish my commute to work, the dreaded "Check electric vehicle system" warning light came on along with a red battery icon. There were no warning signs or anything that could have foretold what would be happening. I pulled into an empty parking stall and called the Hyundai dealer for... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 23 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle sideswiped another parked vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The steering wheel remained seized. The air bags had not deployed. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. A Po... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. A mechanic friend replaced the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
ICCU failure. It blew up my home charger and shorted out. Would no longer charge the car on level 1 or 2 charger.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
I am reporting a re-failure of Safety Recall 152. The panoramic sunroof wind deflector, which was previously 'repaired' in 2017 under this recall, has failed again. The broken parts have jammed the sunroof mechanism, preventing it from closing. According to NHTSA Recall 152, this failure poses a severe safety risk as the sunroof glass can detach from the vehicle while driving. The vehicle has only... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
Driving down the road, and suddenly driver side of rear windshield exploded. GM has publicly acknowledged faulty circuit/glass in prior (expired) campaign in US (N192265660) and apparently there is a full recall in Canada for this problem, 2014-2018 Silverado 1500 with power sliding rear windshield. Chevrolet/GM told me they would not offer any assistance in repair. Repair cost is $948 at local ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
Driver side and passenger side axle-area damage, making loud clicking and popping sounds on turns indicating major damage to CV joint, at around 5000 miles. Primarily heard on sharply turned wheel acceleration, particularly on slightly uphill inclines.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
I am noticing there is some wiggling and play with the driver’s seat. Every time I hop inside the car, I feel the seat wiggle back a little bit. I notice some movement back and forth when accelerating and braking and it is starting to get very annoying whenever I drive.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
I am noticing there is some wiggling and play with the driver’s seat. Every time I hop inside the car, I feel the seat wiggle back a little bit. I notice some movement back and forth when accelerating and braking and it is starting to get very annoying whenever I drive.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
I am noticing there is some wiggling and play with the driver’s seat. Every time I hop inside the car, I feel the seat wiggle back a little bit. I notice some movement back and forth when accelerating and braking and it is starting to get very annoying whenever I drive.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
After inspection by a few people it was determined that the front passenger side lower frame cracked which then cracked the body oozing rusty water out of it. I was told that if the car was hit on the passenger side that it would not retain its ability to be stable and would crumple. It has been inspected by the Hyundai dealership, A general manager from another dealership and 3 auto body welders.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
After inspection by a few people it was determined that the front passenger side lower frame cracked which then cracked the body oozing rusty water out of it. I was told that if the car was hit on the passenger side that it would not retain its ability to be stable and would crumple. It has been inspected by the Hyundai dealership, A general manager from another dealership and 3 auto body welders.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
Windshield developed a long crack overnight while parked in an enclosed garage with stable temperatures. No rock impact was observed or heard during driving prior to parking. Upon inspection, a small mark resembling an impact point was found, but it is unclear whether this is an external impact or a stress fracture originating from within the glass. No unusual temperature changes occurred overnigh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
Was told bad fluid pump at 35k. Replaced. Car broke down 30 seconds from dealer. New transmission to be replaced now. Parts on backorder. Will be without car for “months”. No symptoms prior to failure. No warning lights. Car just wouldn’t start.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
Dash message shown electrical system fault, vehicle shut down completely in less than 30 min. Upon a jumpstart, the vehicle would only run for less than a minute before complete shutdown. Dealership towed vehicle, and states problem with DC converter.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
I was going 35 MPH, normal operation speed and there was no extreme weather or road conditions. I slowed down to get into the center turn lane ended up coming to a complete stop due to on coming traffic. I was stopped for about 30 seconds to maybe a minute when I finally had enough clearance to make my turn. When I pressed the accelerator it began to accelerate but stalled out almost immediately. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
After driving about 20-25 minutes, the speakers after working fine turn to all loud static even when turning the volume down. After the car is off for a bit, the speakers return to normal until driving again for 10-20 minutes. It’s so loud that you can’t hear anything and is very distracting
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while using a scanner to check for diagnostic codes, the contact discovered a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 139,000. The contact indicated that the scanner indicated that the mileage was 239,000. A VIN Clarity Report was purchased, which also ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Electronic power steering (EPS) will fail when exposed to moisture. When EPS fails all power steering is lost resulting in extremely hard steering and possible loss of vehicle control.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
Mercedes dealership refused to replace ism module and I'm driving with blank instrument panel! No rmp no mph no gas gauge no milage nothing! This vehicle is my only source of income as I'm a delivery driver! It's my only vehicle! I need this fixed now or I can't pay my bills! This part is recalled and I expect them to fix it!
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
I am the owner of a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK280 with VIN: [XXX]. My vehicle was part of the Takata airbag recall, but the airbags were never replaced. Currently, the NHTSA recall status for my VIN shows "no active recalls," even though the repair was not completed. This creates a serious safety risk. I request that NHTSA investigate why my VIN is marked as remedied or closed despite the airbags not... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The car has 56000 miles and the power train is still under warranty. The CVT belt recently started slipping. When I stop and then take off normally, there is a jitter in the transmission that can be felt and heard. Sometimes it is quite loud and vibrated quite heavily to the point there is concern it will break or fail. It also hesitates at times when accelerating from a stop or slow down and you ... Read more