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: Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V951000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rearview camera image failed to display as intended on the screen. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reaso... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
Continued from previous submitted complaint: Driver window will not stop when trying to stop it forcibly with hand. I was told that the window will not stop until the window is almost closed at the top. Hope a 4 year old's arm isn't in it. Front passenger window will raise 1/4 of the way up, then fall back down and rock on it's cradle. I took a video of it happening but Charlie's Honda, Augusta, M... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
Continued from previous submitted complaint: Driver window will not stop when trying to stop it forcibly with hand. I was told that the window will not stop until the window is almost closed at the top. Hope a 4 year old's arm isn't in it. Front passenger window will raise 1/4 of the way up, then fall back down and rock on it's cradle. I took a video of it happening but Charlie's Honda, Augusta, M... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding persistent mechanical failures and safety concerns with my 2014 Audi A6, VIN: [XXX] , which have resulted in significant repair expenses, inconvenience, and potential safety hazards. Despite having the front brakes and sensors replaced in the previous year, I recently experienced brake warning lights and related malfunctions. According to the mos... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Brakes were not functioning properly. Nearly got into an accident because of the increased stopping distance. I was driving on the highway pressed the brakes when a car cut in front of me. Brakes were hard to depress then pedal would go to the floor. Dealer service department indicated that there is a faulty brake booster. Found out that there was a recall / "Customer Satisfaction Program 13N... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
On the driver's side the headlight's smaller light stopped working. I brought the car to BMW and they said the LED burned out, which also caused burn marks on the headlight assembly, so the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
The entire infotainment screen spontaneously crashes leaving the screen completely black for 30 seconds to a minute while it resets. This happens randomly and quite frequently, on average every 5-10 minutes that the car is on. The whole infotainment system becomes unavailable including audio and, most dangerously, the backup camera. I have had incidents where I am reverse parking and I check my ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma equipped with Toyo Tires, Tire Line: Open Country HT, Tire Size: 265/70/R16, DOT Number: CXLJA881918. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was taken to Walmart for the tires to be balanced and the wheels rotated. The mechanic informed the contact that the service could not be performed... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
My trucks rear light bar was repaired under the NHTSA recall 23S30. This was done in 2023 but Ford's repair did not fix the issue and the light bar continues to allow moisture in and thus the light does not work. I currently have the truck being diagnosed by Hertrich Ford of Elkton in Elkton Maryland and a case number with Ford regarding the issue. The caes number is [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTE... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
My trucks rear light bar was repaired under the NHTSA recall 23S30. This was done in 2023 but Ford's repair did not fix the issue and the light bar continues to allow moisture in and thus the light does not work. I currently have the truck being diagnosed by Hertrich Ford of Elkton in Elkton Maryland and a case number with Ford regarding the issue. The caes number is [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTE... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
After Avis Ford replaced my seatbelt on the driver’s side, my vehicle began to rattle from underneath the same area and in the front. The seatbelt side was serviced twice, and now the car feels unsafe. The dealership refused to re-inspect and told me to fix it out of pocket. I’m concerned this may be a structural or safety-related defect caused by improper repair.
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
My Volkswagen Jetta shut off driving down interstate 99 due to major fuel leak (fuel rail bolt broke) I saw Volkswagen had a recall for fuel rail bolt coming loose after time. I called Volkswagen states recall was completed in May 2021 I bought the car May 2025. I asked Volkswagen rep if they would repair it as this is the same issue as the recall obviously it isn’t corrected. This could have be... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Motorcycle equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tires Line: Scorpion Trail II, Tires Size: 150/70/R18 , DOT Number: EBZMX032. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24T011000 (Tires); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact had filled out and submitted a recall remedy form... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Motorcycle equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tires Line: Scorpion Trail II, Tires Size: 150/70/R18 , DOT Number: EBZMX032. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24T011000 (Tires); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact had filled out and submitted a recall remedy form... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 in November of 2023. The vehicle was purchased from the dealer, Louies Auto Sales (1514 E Main St, US Hwy 441, Leesburg, FL 34748). The contact stated when the vehicle was purchased the odometer indicated the mileage was 217,000. The contact attempted to sell the vehicle and the service document indicated that in 2011, the odometer readin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2025
Operator was driving a 2021 Ford F550 equipped with an Altec AT48M aerial upfit. As he was driving the operator noted that the check engine light came on and almost immediately followed by the message center displayed "Low Fuel Pressure" warning. As he was preparing to stop, he could see smoke coming out from under the hood of the truck. As he exited the cab, he could see smoke and flames comin... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
My KIA Sorrento spontaneously engulfed in flames approximately 200 yards from my home. This is not a vehicle crash the car had flames coming from the vents and floor boards. I was the driver my daughter was the passenger and my granddaughter was in the rear car seat we barely escaped with our lives before it exploded and we were steps away as car debre was flying past us.
Fire
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
2016 Kia Soul engine burns excessive amounts of oil leading to constantly needing to top off oil and/or oil changes. When car accelerate white smoke comes from engines; mechanic has pictures of white ash on engine components. We have taken it to the dealership after it was purchased by Carmax in June 2024 the check engine light was displayed, but were told no codes came up. We have taken the ca... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light were illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was then towed to Dennis Automotive Care, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V763000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 24V744000 (Steering); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted on November 5th, 2024, and confirmed that parts w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
No start, no codes. Have replaced brake switch several times and it fixes it for a bit and then happens again. I have read several forums and it seems to be a commen issue but no recalls for fault. 2018 nissan armada platinum. Shouldn't have to keep replacing switch.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
All four of my windows open without prompting numerous times...
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact stated that while attempting to purchase a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, it was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was not yet purchased. The vehicle mileage was 87,000, but the contact later discovered that the mileage was 105,000.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Airbag light is on for passenger and fuel injectors messed up. This is a 2008 and other ones had recalls. I don’t understand why mine did not lights are flickering a little bit and before it was smoking really bad and I had to get that fixed.
Incident date: May 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
Vehicle gear shifter is stiff and difficult to pass from Park to Drive--the gear shifter gets stuck in Neutral often. The Entire Dash and instrument cluster goes black during driving and will not come back on until hours later even after the vehicle has been turned off and back on. This has caused me to be unable to see my speed, turn signals, fuel gauges or any engine controls. This leaves me una... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
Shift to Park notification. The car would show this light when it actually is in park already. Would not allow the car to shut off. Appears to be fixed after paying the extended warranty deductible at the dealership. I looked for a recall, but the 2022 Malibu LT is not included in the recall.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
Oil pump went out. Got it repaired. Then, a few days later, while driving on the freeway at 70MPH the engine made a lot of noise then quit in middle of the freeway leaving me vulnerable to being hit. Was able to coast in neutral to the edge of the road. Has 73000 miles on it. Dealer says I need an engine replacement after just spending $5,500 for oil pump replacement. Has been at the dealer over a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Driver side airbags (curtain and left seat) spontaneously deployed while I was parking the car. I did not hit anything. I was not injured but my safety was put at risk because I likely would have crashed if it had happened while I was driving. I contacted Toyota and they sent an investigator to inspect the car. He found no issues in the data he collected and could not give a reason for the air... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Driver side airbags (curtain and left seat) spontaneously deployed while I was parking the car. I did not hit anything. I was not injured but my safety was put at risk because I likely would have crashed if it had happened while I was driving. I contacted Toyota and they sent an investigator to inspect the car. He found no issues in the data he collected and could not give a reason for the air... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
After hookup of any type of trailer to electrical on vehicle, left turn signal fails to operate on vehicle or trailer, and warning message is displayed on panel. After disconnection of trailer operation of all turn signals in vehicle resume as designed.
Incident date: May 16, 2025
Vehicle Incident Summary – 2019 Chrysler Pacifica [XXX] is the orginal owner Initial Incident – [XXX] At 50,779 miles, my 2022 Chrysler Pacifica lost all power while driving on Mound Road in Sterling Heights, MI. Officer Nathan Sears from the Sterling Heights Police Department assisted, and the vehicle had to be towed. The diagnosis at the time was complete battery failure—both batteries w... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
Vehicle Incident Summary – 2019 Chrysler Pacifica [XXX] is the orginal owner Initial Incident – [XXX] At 50,779 miles, my 2022 Chrysler Pacifica lost all power while driving on Mound Road in Sterling Heights, MI. Officer Nathan Sears from the Sterling Heights Police Department assisted, and the vehicle had to be towed. The diagnosis at the time was complete battery failure—both batteries w... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
In the middle of a busy intersection, the car just completely shut down. The car only had ~35,000 miles on the odometer and has been serviced only by BMW. It turned out that the water pump broke, which led to downstream impact on additional surrounding systems. BMW X5’s up to model year 2019 had recalls due to faulty water pumps. From an independent search online, it appears there are many o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
Date: [XXX] Subject: Immediate Safety Concern – 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe – Acceleration Failure Dear Jeep Customer Care, I am the owner of a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe, VIN [XXX] , with approximately 50,000 miles. I am writing to report a critical and potentially fatal safety defect that occurred multiple times on [XXX], most notably at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] in Oregon. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2025
The side rails that come out when door is opened to assist with getting inside the truck does not work properly. It has come out and will not go back in. The door is closed and I have to drive the truck with the rails hanging down. That is a hazard.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
We have had Multiple I-Sense(safety system).It will shutdown whwnever it feels like it no matter the weather.We have had at Mazda 7 times and they have applied several programming updates withouit success. We have also have Apple wireless airplay for directions and phone failure 100's of times and have had it Mazda fro the same 7 times to fix to no avail
Incident date: May 30, 2025
5 waning lights on : Adaptive Cruise Control , Lane Departure Warning , Lane Keeping Assistance , front light, and the emergency braking . Service crew at Acura Dealer told me that the front multipurpose camera has internal error. It is very dangerous since all these functions must be fixed before I can drive it on road.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2018
The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked and hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2018
The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked and hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contac... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2025
Driving the vehicle at highway speeds the large orange “Brake” warning illuminates and flashes, and the brake activates. This has happened approximately 5-6 times since I have owned the car. This started within 2 months of purchasing the vehicle. The dealer has tried replacing the front camera and I have changed the battery. None of this has fixed the issue. According to my Innova 5610 code re... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2025
MDPS Flexible Steering Coupler Fails on all these cars but only Optima’s got covered even though the same defective coupler is used in the Forte’s Here is the memo for the Optima’s TSB: CHA072 / CS1604 (Rev 2) Optima (QF/TF/TFH) August 2016
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
What happened: Before the engine began smoking, I experienced several electrical and functional issues. The cigarette lighter socket and USB ports stopped working completely. At one point, the windshield washer fluid system also stopped working and later started functioning again without repair. Additionally, on multiple occasions while at a complete stop with my foot on the brake, the vehicle un... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 MPH and turning the steering wheel to the left or to the right, the steering wheel was resistant. The contact stated that the failure progressively increased, and the steering wheel completely seized. The vehicle was towed to a certified independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with power steering... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
I got off a highway exit ramp and with no warning my brakes were hard to press. There was no warning lights on my dash. The brakes take a lot of force to push for a stop. The warning light finally came on a day later with codes p0556 and u040171.
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle had been experiencing difficulty starting. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The... Read more