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: Aug 19, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Porsche Macan S. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 69,800. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 70,000.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V301000 (Structure) in February 2024. The contact had been calling a dealer for several months but was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted for parts availability and was informed that parts were anticipated by April 2025. The contact stated that the manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2025
The steering wheel while taking a right turn locked and wouldn't straighten all lights turned off on the panel all was locked and caused a crash because steering was locked into a turn
Crash
Incident date: Aug 23, 2025
Sun roof Sun shade drops down blocking rear view when open.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
The vehicle unexpectedly stalled while idling at a complete stop, posing a serious safety concern. Shortly afterward, the check engine light illuminated. These events occurred around 78,000 miles. Prior to the stall, the engine had been making occasional knocking or tapping noises, particularly at idle. The vehicle was immediately taken to a certified Kia dealership, where a technician diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR THE GAS ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE ELECTRIC ENGINE LOST POWER, WERE ABLE TO COAST A FEW MILES UNDER LOW POWER UNDER ELECTRIC ENGINE AND THEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT START, HAD CAR TOLLED TO NEAREST MECHANIC, HE CONFIRMED ENINGE DAMAGED BY ROD BEARING FAILURE, HE TRIED TO GET A NEW ENGINE TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED ONE AND HYUNDAI TOLD HIM THEY COULD ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
Car running lean oil leak getting hot,loss of power,jolting forward also my car has been in dealership shop for 2 years I'm being charged for services I know weren't done,overcharged,and my car still isn't fixed also the service manager told me he was aware of the recalls,when I told him to this was 4 days ago,however my car is being withheld from me,recalls have been known if it's been two yrs,t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
There is, and has been, a consistent rattle sound from the waste gates and all I was told was that Ford knows about the issue and states that it is normal operation yet it can cause damage and reduce performance and could cause a safety issue if it fails and allows no power to be delivered especially if the failure occurs on an interstate. All I’ve been told is the issue can be addressed with a ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
There is, and has been, a consistent rattle sound from the waste gates and all I was told was that Ford knows about the issue and states that it is normal operation yet it can cause damage and reduce performance and could cause a safety issue if it fails and allows no power to be delivered especially if the failure occurs on an interstate. All I’ve been told is the issue can be addressed with a ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2025
There is a recall on this engine, same year, same make and model, but not my VIN number, same problem as the recall. Honda NHTSA campaign 23V751000 On [XXX] my husband and I were driving from our home in Scottsdale, AZ to Las Vegas, NV. About one hour from Las Vegas a yellow light came on the dash. I immediately pulled off the highway and looked up what the light meant. The manual said to cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2025
Went to drive home from work. Started car and shifted from park to drive but car stayed in park. Shifted back to park and back to drive and the transmission did shift to drive. Didn’t think much of it until I got home. I attempted to put vehicle in park and the shifter moved up but the car stayed in drive. Big orange D. I was able to turn off while the gear shifter was in the park position but t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle accelerated inadvertently. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brakes were inadvertently activated. The contact stated that the driver needed to remain alert while driving the vehicle. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I came close to striking certian low lining dividers, etc.... It is very well known That RDX around my build date Main headlight projector reflector burns out. I found out that Acura had a mandatory NHTSA recall to that era ILX for this same issue and Nissan has just settled a class action lawsuit for the same issue. The headlights were all manufactured by National Automotive Lighting (NAL). and t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Component: BRAKE BOOSTER While driving on the interstate (at 80mph), check engine light came on and vehicle struggled to maintain power to stay at speed, would downshift for power to get back but as soon as it up shifted speed would drop again. My fuel mileage also dropped drastically as well as forced me to exit interstate on order to get gas. In attempt to stop at the stop sign, I discovered I... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Myself and many other 2025 Kia Sorrento hybrid owners have complaints of the lane keep assist system, causing the vehicle to wobble back-and-forth within the lane. Causing dizziness to drivers. Sometimes wobbling so much that it could cause an accident. Here is the link to the Reddit forum where other owners have complained of the same issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
This is has been continuous, yesterday my car braked on the freeway. Suddenly with no obstruction. The car behind me almost crashed into me and it would’ve been a very tragic event. I took it to the dealership and they don’t do anything, all they do is give it back to me. Yesterday also has loss of power too. I have alerted them many times, they keep saying to take it in but they don’t do an... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2025
I am submitting this recall request because my vehicle has experienced repeated incidents of a serious safety issue. While driving—most often on the highway—a warning appears that says “Smart System Brake Malfunction.” Immediately after, the car begins braking on its own without driver input. This has happened multiple times and, based on online reports, it appears to be affecting many Ma... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
ABS module failure. Part has not been available for at least 2 years when the failure occurred for this truck. Local repair shops and Dodge dealers are having difficulty in getting the part. NHTSA needs to start pressuring Dodge to get this resolved.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
It was a clear day as I arrived at work. While pulling into a parking spot, the Jeep suddenly accelerated over a curb and into a tree. I was able to turn the wheel upon seeing the tree, which helped me avoid hitting other vehicles on the opposite side of the island. I had to depress the brakes multiple times before the vehicle finally stopped just short of another tree. During the incident, I was... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
It was a clear day as I arrived at work. While pulling into a parking spot, the Jeep suddenly accelerated over a curb and into a tree. I was able to turn the wheel upon seeing the tree, which helped me avoid hitting other vehicles on the opposite side of the island. I had to depress the brakes multiple times before the vehicle finally stopped just short of another tree. During the incident, I was... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
August 18, 2025 at 3pm PT; My 2025 Kia Sorento X-Line was parked in my driveway facing the street. I had the engine on, and in Park mode, AC on, back hatch door open. No one was in the vehicle. I was standing behind the vehicle when it then started to go in reverse, then stopped for 2 seconds. It then proceeded to go into reverse again. The garage door was open. The vehicle pushed me into the blad... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control warning light flashed on the instrument panel. After an inspection, the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
I am writing to formally express my concern and disappointment regarding the unavailability of Mopar part #68295368AC, the ABS Control Module for the 2017 Ram 1500 Big Horn. As a result, both the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and cruise control are inoperative. This creates a serious hazard: without a functioning ABS, the risk of skidding and collisions increases significantly. In some cases, own... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
The padding (foam) underneath the cover of the car seat is cracked/broken. It is available whenever for inspection. By the foam being damaged, it is no longer safe to use according to multiple reliable sources. EvenFlo is claiming for it to be just as safe after reporting the damage. I have sent photos of the damage to EvenFlo and they claim that they will not replace it due to being bought from... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The contact had been waiting for the parts for over a year. In addition, the contact was fearful of driving her k... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while his son was driving 35 MPH, the timing chain tensioner snapped, causing the vehicle to lose automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the timing chain tensioner, and timing chain were faulty ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
VW dealership diagnose by 2021 VW Tiguan with a cracked oil pan and timing cover. The cause was from excessive oil pressure from a failed PCV valve which cracked the plastic oil pan causing excessive oil leak. This occurred driving on the highway and the ECP light on the dash came on with a message "max epinine rpm 3000". Vehicle quickly slowed down and was extremely sluggish to maintain a safe s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
I received a recall letter in February 2024 stating there was a recall on my vehicle and that the parts for fixing the recall were out of stock, and they should be available in the latter half of 2024. I never recieved another letter and the part of my vehicle that is recalled flew off my vehicle while driving on the highway it hit my rear passenger window and scared everyone in the vehicle the wi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
I have owned 4 of these trucks in my lifetime ranging from 2007-2015 all equipped with the same drivetrain. 5.3l engine and 6l80 transmissions. All have had the same failures. The engine afm system particularly the lifters fail which in turn destroys the camshaft and destroys the engine. More importantly the transmission torque converter fails sending debris through the whole system causing a sudd... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
I have owned 4 of these trucks in my lifetime ranging from 2007-2015 all equipped with the same drivetrain. 5.3l engine and 6l80 transmissions. All have had the same failures. The engine afm system particularly the lifters fail which in turn destroys the camshaft and destroys the engine. More importantly the transmission torque converter fails sending debris through the whole system causing a sudd... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
On August 11, 2025, at about 2:52pm, my vehicle was at a complete stop at an intersection awaiting the traffic light to turn green. There was a slight downgrade slope towards the intersection. The vehicle one-pedal driving was enabled. Weather was sunny with no wind or rain. Suddenly, the vehicle started vibrating violently and started rolling into the intersection. I pressed on the brake pedal b... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
On August 11, 2025, at about 2:52pm, my vehicle was at a complete stop at an intersection awaiting the traffic light to turn green. There was a slight downgrade slope towards the intersection. The vehicle one-pedal driving was enabled. Weather was sunny with no wind or rain. Suddenly, the vehicle started vibrating violently and started rolling into the intersection. I pressed on the brake pedal b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to exceed 18 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, another vehicle unexpectedly sped up coming from a parking lot and collided with the contact’s vehicle. The contact stated that due to the incident, the front and rear of the vehicle were damaged. The contact also stated that the air bag warning and the air bag did not deploy during the incident. No injuries we... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
The hood latch is broken. After searching the cause I have found that this is a common issue with 2020 VW ATLAS. There needs to be a recall.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was m... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
On August 15, 2025 at approximately 6:30pm our 2024 BMW i7 eDrive50 with the Active Park Distance Control package accelerated in reverse when parking assistance was initiated to back out of a parking space at a small business facility, causing the vehicle to strike a tree. The cronology of the incident is as follows: 1. While the driver had his foot on the brake, he touched the assisted parking ic... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I have an 2022 Outback that has 29000 miles and have had 2 windshield replacements. And now on my third, from rock chips. I bought the extended warranty and they are denying my claim. I can’t imagine what the lifetime costs will be for this vehicle. They have offered an extended warranty because of the problem and are not honoring that either.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
In April 2025 I was driving and the abs light came on and windshield wipers went off sporadically. Dodge dealer found nothing wrong. It happened again in June 2025. Dodge dealer had car for 1 week and stated they could not find problem but car was safe to drive. They said to return when problems were more constant. On the morning of 8/14/2025, I dropped someone off at the dr and went to Starbucks.... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 Honda CBR 1000RR. The contact stated that while riding at 35 MPH, the motorcycle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the motorcycle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The motorcycle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
I purchased this vehicle new from the dealer. At approximately 8500 miles a noise developed with the steering. It was a low pitched hum. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer a total of 3 times to repair the issue. They have performed the TSB work 3 times and it has not resolved the issue. I just picked up the vehicle for the 3rd time from the dealer and they say that there is nothing more at thi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
I drove over a rough patch/bump in the road. A ton of warning messages and failure lights activated on the dash. In addition to the check engine light, there were warnings for electronic stability protection, sway bar disconnect, ABS failure, power steering failure, shift lever malfunction. In addition to these malfunctions a failures, the windshield wipers turned on un-commanded and the radiator ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
Safety Complaint – Power Steering Failure on 2019 RAM 1500 Big Horn 4x4 Not Covered by Recall VB8 To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring safety issue with my 2019 Dodge RAM 1500 Big Horn 4x4. The vehicle experiences intermittent power steering loss, particularly during colder temperatures. This issue matches the symptoms described in Safety Recall VB8 / NH... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Power Steering" was displayed, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, the ABS and Stabili-trac warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The local dealer was informed of the failure, but no ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. The contact turned off and attempted to restart the vehicle after arriving at work; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that prior to the failur... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
While driving to work this morning, at approximately 04:25, on a mountain road both my low beams failed out of nowhere. I pullover in to a turn out as my high beams still worked. I go look and my passenger low beam comes back on. I make the decision to get back on the road and drive slower to try and get down the mountain. A moment later the passenger low beam turns off as do my high beams. I do n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
While driving to work this morning, at approximately 04:25, on a mountain road both my low beams failed out of nowhere. I pullover in to a turn out as my high beams still worked. I go look and my passenger low beam comes back on. I make the decision to get back on the road and drive slower to try and get down the mountain. A moment later the passenger low beam turns off as do my high beams. I do n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
Not sure what malfunction part but car steering locked up. Could not steer the car. Brakes failed. Car accelerator engaged. Car slammed into pole. Car is totaled I only had it less than 3 weeks. BMW 3 series 2024.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
Several times and most recently today 8/18/2025 at 5:30 PM my 2022 Mazda CX-5 accelerated while I had my foot on the brake and only the brake. Hard pressure on the brake kept the SUV from lurching forward. This has happened before but I did not think it would occur again. But it has and I find that this could easily cause an accident. The SUV in question has only 23,000 miles on it. An invest... Read more