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: Dec 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning the steering wheel, there was an abnormally loud grinding sound coming from the vehicle, and the steering was difficult to turn. The vehicle was driven to a dealer and determined that the vehicle had lost power steering assist functionality. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Numbe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
Car went in for recall. Ford replaced engine because they claim a bolt broke. I have taken the car about 300 miles since I received it back and the engine light appeared. I let them know. Light went off and I had another important meeting to make in DFW . This time wrench and engine light came on . It sat at airport for 2 days. Then I got back in , no warning lights on but I got home with more war... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
On October 29, 2025, my Infiniti QX50 was repaired at Naples Infiniti after the engine under shield detached while driving, ripping off the passenger-side wheel well liner. The technician stated the failure was likely caused by missing bolts from a prior oil change approximately two weeks earlier. Based on that representation, I authorized the repair. That explanation later proved to be incorrect.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
My power steering went out on my vehicle in mid January 2016. My temperature guage was also not working properly. I took it to my local Ram dealership to get it looked at. They drew up an estimate and I approved some repairs. My extended warranty covered majority of it. After picking up my vehicle, I noticed my steering wheel still had some resistance to it. I felt it shouldn't have that much resi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
Regularly maintained 2020 Lincoln Navigator at 78,000 miles experienced engine failure with no warning. No check engine light until we experienced power issues and engine shuttering. We took the vehicle directly to the mechanic within an hour of check engine light. They changed the oil and said to go to the dealer. Dealer assessed the vehicle as follows: Bottom end failure of the short block wh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
My honda prologue has just hit the 4000 miles I've own this car for 6 days only driven it for 200 miles and the cv joint is going out it clicks when I turn sharp right and when I reverse.
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate above 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 5 MPH while driving uphill. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
While charging the vehicle, I heard a loud pop and the charging session stopped and could not be restarted. An error warning icon appeared on the dash with a battery icon. Also a car with an! Icon and a large circle stating check the electrical system. I was able to drive a few miles before the car completely died.
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
The rear brake lights intermittently do not work, but at the same time the middle third light brake light works fine. also the turn signals work fine. People will rear end me if they don’t see my brake lights. I am a retired, master mechanic, and my son is also a mechanic. We have both looked into this problem and it possibly could be either a module or the turn signal switch. I had no warning o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Vertical part of passenger day time running light failing. The purpose of DRL is safety and being seen. This isn’t happening.
BMW
I4 EDRIVE40
(2025) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Feb 9, 2026
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
Multiple 12v batteries, the battery management system, and ICCU have all failed on my Ioniq 5. During my 13-month lease, this vehicle has been inoperable for more than 30 cumulative days due to the same recurring defect. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership multiple times, but the defect was repeatedly misdiagnosed and not corrected, resulting in continued failures and extende... Read more
BMW
I4 EDRIVE40
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 9, 2026
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
Multiple 12v batteries, the battery management system, and ICCU have all failed on my Ioniq 5. During my 13-month lease, this vehicle has been inoperable for more than 30 cumulative days due to the same recurring defect. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership multiple times, but the defect was repeatedly misdiagnosed and not corrected, resulting in continued failures and extende... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
Instrument cluster panel and all warning lights, fuel gage, speedometer, tire pressure, temperature sensor, etc. as well as all info on app unable to access. no warning lights which could cause crash without prior warning. controls and displays failed to illuminate and were not visible. unable to see in daylight or at night. Dealer verified internal failure in IPC, would not repair under recall, s... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
While operating my 2024 Kia EV6, the vehicle began displaying repeated warnings related to the power system and 12-volt battery. The instrument cluster first showed a “Power limited” message, followed shortly by a “Stop vehicle and check power supply” warning. At the same time, the vehicle indicated that the 12-volt battery was low, despite the high-voltage traction battery being at or nea... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The Kia was traveling approximately 45 - 50 mph and struck another vehicle that had pulled out from a stop sign. I had my hand on the horn and the airbags did not deploy on impact.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
My car is equipped with a forward-facing camera, mounted on the forward area of the interior rearview mirror. Additional cameras are mounted on the front bumper, trunk door, and on the rearview mirrors on each side of the car. Various sensors mounted throughout both bumpers face the front, rear, and each side of the car. At the time of this incident all sensors and cameras were clean and free of ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The high-voltage charging flap assembly (Part 4KE810001) has failed, preventing the charge door from latching. Notably, this failure (DTC P31D000) occurred within 7 days of the vehicle being serviced at Audi Burlingame for a high-voltage battery software recall. This presents three safety hazards: 1. Driver Distraction: Triggers a continuous auditory chime and 'Warning! Please check the charging ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
While driving at highway speed, the vehicle experienced a sustained loss of motive power. Despite the accelerator pedal being fully depressed, the vehicle would not accelerate beyond approximately 62 mph. Based on the symptoms and prior service history, the malfunction appears related to the fuel/propulsion system, engine, or powertrain. The vehicle is currently parked and available for inspection... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
It was the XXX recall for the DTC P0442/check engine light code. The dealership said that the recall had been satisfied in 6/2020 by putting a buffer in to separate the 2 lines but not replacing the part. Now the exact same code DTC P0442/check engine light in the exact spot that occurred for the original recall. The dealership originally quoted $5,093, then after me complaining that it is the sam... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
Hi as I was driving my car on a clear road no cars near my car all of a sudden my sunroof exploded as if it was shot my a military tank we panicked thankfully tried to maintain calm and it didn’t hurt my children and thankfully no car was around as the sound did put us at panick mode which could have resulted in a car crash from the cause of the incident
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
I am reporting a complete" transmission failure on my 2018 Toyota Camry (2.5L Gas, UB80E 8-speed). The vehicle suddenly failed to engage 'Drive' or 'Reverse' properly. Even after a professional fluid service at a transmission is stuck in a 'limp mode' or high gear, requiring high RPMs just to move slowly. This is a well-documented issue among 2018 Camry owners involving harsh shifting and prem... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
Brake/abs system locked up on me and I couldn’t stop. I accidentally hit someone from behind and was proven to be an accident. My traction light my abs light and my brake light all came on at the same time right before I wrecked. The suv swerves over to the other lane randomly while on the interstate and does stop on time. Every time I fuel up gas leaks out from somewhere and its pumps gas reall... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
I was following another car on an urban main street. We were approacing a red light, we were both slowing down and my Tucson Hybrid slammed on the brakes unexpectedly when we were close to the stop the stop light. There was no risk of me hitting the car in front of me. Fortunately, there was no car behind me.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The frunk latch on the vehicle becomes faulty and does not recognize the hood being latched and secure when it is. While driving, the vehicle without warning will immediately limit speed to 26mph regardless of existing vehicle speed. This has occurred multiple times when driving on the highway with the vehicle immediately decelerating and then saying the hood (frunk) is open. This poses a serious ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
Driving down the road and the steering wheel light came on and I slowed down and tried to turn and it was locked in position and had to have it towed. Now I'm stuck with no vehicle as mine is about 3 hours away from home. Waiting on parts to come in.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The vehicle was burning through oil excessively. I was adding 1 quart of oil a week. Dealer did an oil consumption test. They confirmed the engine needed replacement. These vehicles are getting to be known for this issue and the dealer is making me pay 40% of the repairs. They should be covering 100% because the issue is not isolated to my vehicle only.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
I took my 2017 F150 pickup to Aaron Ford in Poway to perform the following: 1) Resolve recall #25V236 Ford Brake Booster 2) Provide an estimate for resolving the "wrench" cockpit display icon Aaron Ford had my vehicle for 3 days they claim, investigating #2 and provided an estimate of $10,000 to rebuild a transmission with <85,000 miles. The recall was NOT investigated nor resolved even though t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
2019 Ford Fusion equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine has experienced overheating and misfire issues, linked coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, which can lead to engine overheating and potential fire hazards. This is a KNOWN issue by Ford but they have not issued a recall, or even let me know in the 6 years that I have had the vehicle.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
Vehicle was taken to dealership and test was run. Service manager notified me it passed and told us about change of oil. Then recently engine stopped on us twice on the interstate with no power. We finally got it to the dealer and while they were test driving it lost power and they had to have it towed. Now we have been told we are needing a new engine and have not been given any time line. We hav... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The vehicle has service driver assistance system warning. The seat vibration is not working and I believe there are issues with the sensor and or harness. There have been recalls on previous years of this vehicle for the same thing. There have been a wave of these lately, according to the dealership working on the vehicle. Parts availability is currently low because of this resulting in longer rep... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the brake and the traction control warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and verified that the required parts to do the recall repair were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
Started vehicle in the morning and radio/infotainment system had a problem. The radio functions seemed to work but when I put the vehicle in reverse the backup camera screen went black. I tried putting the car back into park and then restarting the vehicle and putting it back into reverse, but it didn't work again. Drove about 25 miles to my place of work and parked in a parking spot. I then proce... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
My truck has had multiple issues with randomly downshifting while on the freeway, i'm getting a code that leads back to the "Lead frame" wiring every now and then. The code comes and goes without having it cleared. I've had this issue before and have replaced it with the Ford Manufactured part. Its now doing it again but now more frequent not even a year and a half after replacement. I have been a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
12v Battery has died multiple times. Dealership says the battery is fine. 2025 with 16k miles.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from seventh to second gear. The contact stated the wrench icon was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the computer needed to be re-flashed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
I went into the Dodge place for my routine oil change on 2/3/26. While waiting, it was discovered by a technician that I had a very bad oil leak. This is very alarming to me. One reason is, there were no signs that I had an oil leak. A few examples: my oil sensor light did not come on, no oil spots recognized on concrete, or no smell of possible oil burning. The Dodge automotive technician determi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mazda CX-30. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 2 mph into his garage, his right foot had slipped between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, and he was unable to get his foot out from under the pedals. The contact stated that the front end of his vehicle crashed into his garage wall. The contact stated that there was some damage to the front gril... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mazda CX-30. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 2 mph into his garage, his right foot had slipped between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, and he was unable to get his foot out from under the pedals. The contact stated that the front end of his vehicle crashed into his garage wall. The contact stated that there was some damage to the front gril... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the passenger’s and driver’s side door latches unlocked while driving approximately 70 - 75 MPH, and the doors became slightly opened. The contact grabbed the interior handle and closed the door. The contact had received information related to the door lock failures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
What component or system failed? The Steering and Suspension system failed. Specifically, the front axle hubs, track bar, and U-joints failed, causing a violent loss of steering control known as "Death Wobble." These components are currently available for inspection; however, they were diagnosed as "FAILED" and requiring immediate replacement to make the vehicle safe to drive. How was safety put ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
While driving at normal highway speeds 65 to 70 the truck downshifts to 1 gear which locks up the rear wheels
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the engine was running and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact made several attempts to move the vehicle; however, the steering wheel and the gear shifter were seized. The contact called a neighbor to the scene for assistance, and after several attempts, the vehicle r... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the engine was running and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact made several attempts to move the vehicle; however, the steering wheel and the gear shifter were seized. The contact called a neighbor to the scene for assistance, and after several attempts, the vehicle r... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
While driving the vehicle, I repeatedly must check and put oil in. (On average once per week) I took the car to an auto shop where I was told that the engine was bad and I must get a new one. I kept driving, putting oil in as needed, then the car in the middle of driving started to shudder and the check engine light came on. I parked the car and haven't driven it since
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The in-cabin heater stopped working, and the temperature is in the single digits outside (currently 7 degrees), so I was not able to use the defroster to clear my windshield and it was dangerously cold inside the vehicle.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
RECALL ID 25V695 rear camera. Camera does not work. Please issue a remedy!
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front camera activated; however, there was no image displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the contact was informed that the camera system had been reprogrammed.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
Hello, since I purchased the vehicle on October 1, 2025, there have been issues regarding collison system and adaptive cruise control. When driving down the road it will try to come to a complete stop with no reasoning. It happens more often when it is rainy and night time. I believe the collision system is conufsed with oncoming traffic and it thinks they are on my side of the road but they are n... Read more