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: Jun 26, 2025
Subject: Urgent Complaint Regarding Power Steering Failure in 2019 Tesla Model 3 Hello NHTSA, I am writing to file a complaint regarding a very dangerous situation I recently experienced with my 2019 Tesla Model 3. While driving on the freeway at approximately 65 mph, the power steering failed unexpectedly. I struggled significantly to change lanes in order to exit the freeway, and it felt as th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for new tires. While the vehicle was being serviced, it was determined that the rear shocks were leaking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V025000 (Suspension). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH and coming to a stop, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine sounded rough, and the vehicle was driving roughly on the way to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
My 2014 Ford Focus is having problems with the engine. For starters is several occasions the car will start and not turn off when turning the key to the off position, the car will still stay on. I took it to the automotive parts store and the guy there had me turn the key off and disconnect the battery and that seem to turn off the car. After they had my car scanned with a computer and found lots... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power and came to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the ESC warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while attempting to make a right turn into the driveway at the residence, the steering wheel seized and became difficult to turn, causing the vehicle to strike a tree. The stabili-trac warning light was illuminated. Neither the dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent m... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
While driving, the vehicle suddenly shuts down without any prior warning. When this happens, I lose steering and braking capabilities until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The vehicle must then be towed to the service center, where they reset the fault codes in the computer system and return the vehicle to me. There are two recurring diagnostic trouble codes associated with this issue: Dig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
While driving, the vehicle suddenly shuts down without any prior warning. When this happens, I lose steering and braking capabilities until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The vehicle must then be towed to the service center, where they reset the fault codes in the computer system and return the vehicle to me. There are two recurring diagnostic trouble codes associated with this issue: Dig... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
Hello good morning my car is sounding too bad noise more and more everyday went to showroom 3 times show them and they giving reply that this is honda manufacturing default we are working on it to fix it everytime they are responding the same and everyday me and my family is scared to drive this car on highway please help we are paying so much for this car and we are not having no answer And i at... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
Rear wiper works only in reverse, fuse was replaced and the problem still continues.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The Power Transfer Unit in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee failed when it only had 50,255 miles on it. The car was almost 10 years old. In the past month, when I tried to accelerate to 50 mph to merge on the highway, the Jeep did not accelerate normally when I pressed on the gas. Instead, it went slowly and made a revving noise, then when I hit the accelerator again, it made the revving noise louder and rel... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
While driving on highways when there is no car in front of me, my car suddenly warns me of collision and applies brakes automatically! This almost caused an accident with the cars behind me. They were about to collide with me from behind because my car was applying brakes automatically without my control. Please help me urgently.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2025
Three different occasions, while utilizing adaptive cruise the car applied all breaks, causing me to lunge forward with the car coming to a complete stop. I did not see anything that would had caused the car to apply the breaks and the camera's did not record any obstacle. This was brought to the Tesla dealerships attention and I was told there is nothing that can be done about it. If I had not be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The water pump has been replaced 3 times within a 2 year period on this vehicle . Something is causing it to fail and the constant leaking of fluid causes the vehicle to drive erratically in highway traffic. The alternator has been replaced twice within a 10 month period. Something is causing it to fail and it has caused major anxiety because the vehicle has completely turned off in the middle of ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
I purchased a used 2024 Toyota Corolla from Chapman Chrysler Jeep on 8/9/25 at 31,890 miles. When exiting the freeway 3 miles later, the vehicle suddenly swerved uncontrollably without any steering input from me. This was an extremely dangerous incident that could have caused a serious accident injuring myself and others.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
Upon starting the vehicle the vehicle immediately starting moving while foot on brake and moved from park to reverse or drive. Unable to stop the vehicle in idle gear and no gas pedal applied. Power steering warning and no brake assist warning on the dash. Unable to stop vehicle within 20ft while traveling at idle speed. Vehicle lights and warnings have been reproduced and is currently at ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
Upon starting the vehicle the vehicle immediately starting moving while foot on brake and moved from park to reverse or drive. Unable to stop the vehicle in idle gear and no gas pedal applied. Power steering warning and no brake assist warning on the dash. Unable to stop vehicle within 20ft while traveling at idle speed. Vehicle lights and warnings have been reproduced and is currently at ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
BRAND NEW X5 BMW 50E CAME TO A STOP AND ENTIRE CAR WENT DEAD. NO START, LIGHTS, IN TOTAL DARKNESS WITH NO EMERGENCY LIGHTS. DASH SCREEN DID SHOW A DRIVE TRANE MALFUNCTION BEFORE IT TOTALLY DIED. CAR WAS REPAIRED AFTER 2 MONTHS AND REPLACEMENT PARTS MALFUNCTION. CAR STILL HAS ELECTRONIC ISSUES AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES SINCE MAJOR FAILURE. SAFETY ISSUE WITH NO EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND IF I HAD B... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
*ABS, yes available for inspection, you can completely examine my car *ABS kicked in without need, hard braking would not work, car pulsed into intersection *No *No *No Thousands are experiencing this involuntary ABS implementation and Hyundai is aware. Today my 2024 and a new 2025 were in the Dealership with the very same problem. My first instance occurred in July 2024
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
*ABS, yes available for inspection, you can completely examine my car *ABS kicked in without need, hard braking would not work, car pulsed into intersection *No *No *No Thousands are experiencing this involuntary ABS implementation and Hyundai is aware. Today my 2024 and a new 2025 were in the Dealership with the very same problem. My first instance occurred in July 2024
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
I purchased this NEW BMW motorcycle on 7/26/2025. On my ride home from the dealership the safety incident occurred on the freeway trying to pass a semi with a trailer. All factory original equipment and only me on the motorcycle. While passing the semi the motorcycle started shaking out of control and I had to slow down to 40 mph in a 70 mph zone trying regain stability of the motorcycle. The d... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
Vehicle occasionally stalls on acceleration and deceleration. Occasional stall on idle. Check engine light DOES NOT ILLUMINATE. After several stalls; warning lights for trainer brake controller, forward anti-collision, and cruise control errors illuminate. Diagnosed as bad fuel pump and fuel pump modulator. Fuel pump and modulator replaced and issues rectified.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Spark. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V257000 (Equipment, Electrical Systems). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the radio software needed to be updated. The dealer informed the contact that to complete the software upgrade, the dealer had to reprogram the radio USB portion to complete the upgrade... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Spark. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V257000 (Equipment, Electrical Systems). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the radio software needed to be updated. The dealer informed the contact that to complete the software upgrade, the dealer had to reprogram the radio USB portion to complete the upgrade... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
On 8/7/2025, I pulled into my driveway very slowly, I didn’t have my foot on gas as I just went to our dumpster, and pressed the brake, I through the car was off, and went to exit, instead the car suddenly accelerated i tried to break, but the car didn’t stop and smashed into my garage. It is at the dealership, Wesley chapel BMW, they sent me a message that it won’t be ready today because ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the front passenger’s side tire drove over a pothole, and immediately afterwards, all the air bags on the passenger’s side of the vehicle inadvertently deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Dealer has advised that replacement of airbag will result in damage to interior parts and trim and that replacement parts are not available and that the dealer will not be responsible for replacement and repair of damage. I have refused the warranty replacement until a dealer can be located that will not damage car interior
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after the engine was replaced, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked engine flex plate. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failur... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
This has been an on-going problem since the beginning of the year. For at least the past 7000 miles of driving, my 2019 Honda Pilot has been juttering (Honda Mechanic's Term-not mine). Pursuant to a Honda Technical Service Bulletin on this issue, I paid $1967.06 to change the fuel injectors and spark plugs in the vehicle. This did NOT resolve the problem. Anthony Hart, Customer Complaint Mana... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
Door actuator motor failed and door doesn’t open. Known in forums that it’s a bad design where water from washing or rain leaks and corrodes the actuators leaving failed doors from opening.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. In addition, the passenger’s side mirror failed to illuminate while another vehicle was passing by as intended. The messages "Reduced Acceleration", "Service Steering", and "Service Drive Train" were displayed on the instrume... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. In addition, the passenger’s side mirror failed to illuminate while another vehicle was passing by as intended. The messages "Reduced Acceleration", "Service Steering", and "Service Drive Train" were displayed on the instrume... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
Rear view camera can be obstructed entirely by other full screen elements when interacting with hard of soft buttons. This 100% reproducible effect results in the need to occasionally shift back into park and then reverse to restart the rvc process and have the video appear on top of other on screen content. This appears to violate fmvss rules for reverse cameras.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
Vehicle: 2025 BMW XM Red Label Mileage: Approx. 2,000 miles VIN: [XXX] Dealer: Fields BMW of Winter Park (Winter Park, FL) I am filing a formal complaint regarding what I believe to be a critical design flaw and safety issue in my 2025 BMW XM, The vehicle was purchased brand new and has been driven minimally (approx. 2,000 miles), and never involved in any collisions or damage. I recently brought... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was sticking on three occasions. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in a parking lot, the contact had to raise the brake pedal with her foot after the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that it felt like the parking brake was en... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt warning chime was inoperable, failing to alert the driver that the front driver’s side seat belt was not secured while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
First I get a safety issue warning with the front camera then I get a safety issue warning with a back camera well those warnings go off and I'm left with an ABS signal on my dashboard orange triangle with a exclamation point in it skid something with the car it shows it's weaving and I'm not sure what the fourth one was. But this has been going on going issue with this dashboard because when it ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle hesitated while coming to a complete stop. In addition, the contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard while feeling loose before becoming stiff. The brake warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
The contact's mother owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle, and the on/off switch and battery low level warning lights were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby parking lot. The contact stated the engine seized while driving at 5 MPH. The contact stated that the failure was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
On [XXX] around [XXX], we were headed westbound on [XXX] toward Boise when the car began making a clanking sound. In less than a minute, the car was pouring smoke, clanking stopped and car completely failed. I coasted to side of freeway, car would not turn over, i did not try more than once for fear of further damage or starting a fire. When tow driver came and car was moved, it exposed a giant pu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
On [XXX] around [XXX], we were headed westbound on [XXX] toward Boise when the car began making a clanking sound. In less than a minute, the car was pouring smoke, clanking stopped and car completely failed. I coasted to side of freeway, car would not turn over, i did not try more than once for fear of further damage or starting a fire. When tow driver came and car was moved, it exposed a giant pu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
My vehicle is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, furthermore the panoramic sunroof has a sliding screen to block out the sun when the owner prefers to block the sun. The issue is with the panoramic sunroof screen, this particular screen also slides on rails below the glass window from the panoramic sunroof. The sliders from the screen part seem to break and cause the screen to sag downward blockin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of a parking space, the transmission failed to respond while in reverse. Additionally, the vehicle operated in LIMP Mode. The vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode to the nearest dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission valve body was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transm... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
Unsure of the exact cause, appears to be the high voltage battery/electric drive function that is faulty. It is creating a hazardous condition causing the vehicle to propel itself forward while driving in traffic and almost hitting other vehicles on the roadway when the electric drive fails or it switches between battery and the engine. If it’s not propelling itself forward, it’s unexpectedly ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, the front driver’s side door was replaced by the dealer after the door failed to open. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, continued driving straightforward and nearly drove off the road into a wooded area. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, the front driver’s side door was replaced by the dealer after the door failed to open. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, continued driving straightforward and nearly drove off the road into a wooded area. Th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed for the rearview camera failure. The dealer informed the contact that the rear brake pads and discs had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the rear brake pads and discs. The contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed for the rearview camera failure. The dealer informed the contact that the rear brake pads and discs had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the rear brake pads and discs. The contact was informed t... Read more