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: Feb 6, 2025
The MMI (multi-media interface) frequently reboots during driving, resulting in a black screen and the inoperability of key systems such as the backup camera, rear obstacle detection, navigation, and cell phone tethering (for hands-free operation). These reboots require user input, including entering a PIN to log into the user account (if set up) and repeatedly tapping on the MMI, which can be hig... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The MMI (multi-media interface) frequently reboots during driving, resulting in a black screen and the inoperability of key systems such as the backup camera, rear obstacle detection, navigation, and cell phone tethering (for hands-free operation). These reboots require user input, including entering a PIN to log into the user account (if set up) and repeatedly tapping on the MMI, which can be hig... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Trai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
8 speed automatic transmission started whining at 45k miles (purchased new), has been inspected, dealer confirmed transmission is bad and part is on back order (date keeps moving out),
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The ABS module control has failed in my vehicle. This failure is a potentially safety hazard. Per research, "Honda vehicles, particularly those from 2008-2017, have experienced ABS module failures, often indicated by an illuminated ABS light." A local Honda dealership diagnosed the issue. The vehicle has not bee inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance rep; however, the issue was diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
I purchased this vehicle under my company to rent and make some extra income for my family. We also had a baby in August of 2024 so wanted a larger vehicle for the family. We purchased the vehicle on Feb 20,2024 and the recall was issued on Feb 14,2024. We were sold a lemon. I went to the dealership and told them they said they will have a solution in a year. Still no solution and I still cann... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Truck suddenly downshift into 5th gear and bucked for second starting out to get up to 60 mph Wrench light comes on transmission at 60 mph. holding back due to communications from the output sensor and the PCM. Took it to a ford dealer and had transmission flushed it was diagnosed with code PO722. Dealer said earlier years of these type of transmission on F150 had same problems.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that after the engine reached normal operating temperatures, the rattling ceased; however, the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Parking, brake, and abs alert lights constantly alert on the dash. When reaching approximately 50mph the steering wheel and vehicle begin to shake and wobble excessively, and the vehicle moves side to side in the road requiring an almost complete stop to control the vehicle. The brake pedals go almost to floor of vehicle taking longer to stop and at times require pumping. ABS module code #C2200 ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Cam phasers - this is a known issue on the 3.5L ecoboost motors, yet Ford will not stand behind their product. They have paid for some people to have it repaired, and not others. This is about a $4,000 fix at the dealership, again for an issue they knew about years ago. They tried to claim changing the timing with the ECM module would stop it from happening, but as I discovered this weekend it did... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2025
Dear BMW Customer Service, I am writing to report a serious issue with my 2014 BMW xDrive 528i regarding the malfunction of the door locking system. Component/System Failure: Both the front and rear door actuators have failed simultaneously, causing the door locks to stop working. The door latches are non-functional and require immediate repair. The components are available for inspection upon r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
Dear BMW Customer Service, I am writing to report a serious issue with my 2014 BMW xDrive 528i regarding the malfunction of the door locking system. Component/System Failure: Both the front and rear door actuators have failed simultaneously, causing the door locks to stop working. The door latches are non-functional and require immediate repair. The components are available for inspection upon r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
Faulty coolant bypass valve at 115,000 miles. Seems to be a repeat issue for many Toyota owners. Not covered by the powertrain warranty, but a known issue by the manufacturer.
Incident date: May 20, 2025
I had purchased the 8 year warranty plan for my 2017 Ford Edge. The week before it expired, I took it in for a oil change and final check. The mileage was only 42,542 miles. Brakes were replaced under warranty and all looked good. Literally the next time we drove it after getting home, at about 55 mph the check engine light came on, motive power was lost, and the brakes and gas pedal lost powe... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
Since purchase there has been a grinding noise when the vehicle is initially started up and put into reverse. I am worried that this is associated with the current engine recall that is on this vehicle. There is an increased risk associated with this vehicle as I am paralyzed and unable to exit the vehicle quickly, which is increased drastically when I have toddler and baby in vehicle. This risk c... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
My electrical system failed. While on park I was unable to shut of the vehicle using the engine start stop button. After waiting for the vehicle to automatically turn off. The vehicle started trying to restart itself. The negative battery post had to be removed for the vehicle to stop. The entire safety system failed and all warning lights are still displayed on the dash. The backup camera and rad... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
My electrical system failed. While on park I was unable to shut of the vehicle using the engine start stop button. After waiting for the vehicle to automatically turn off. The vehicle started trying to restart itself. The negative battery post had to be removed for the vehicle to stop. The entire safety system failed and all warning lights are still displayed on the dash. The backup camera and rad... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Airbags did not deploy after a collision based accident
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
At approximately 65,000 miles the car started using excessive amounts of oil in the crankcase. I visited the local Hyundai dealer who changed my oil and began monitoring the condition. I was instsructed to come back to the dealer every 1,000 miles for an oil top off and to report the consumption. On the third visit, the engine is now using approximately 2 quarts of oil in 1,000-1,100 miles. Ex... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
Sliding door trys to continue to open when already open all the way, it try’s to open too far, jams and clicks, then beeps.
Incident date: May 20, 2025
At only 35k miles. Check engine display with heavy vibration due to misfire faulty fuel injectors. Repair took one month. Seems like Hyundai is not taking any action for this common safty issue.
Incident date: May 20, 2025
Spark plug fouling, Piston seal leak on 60,000 miles car
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
While driving slowly and turning the steering wheel, I hear a crackling or popping sound, similar to a “crunch” or “creaking” noise. The sound seems to come from the front and rear area, especially noticeable during low-speed turns (like parking). After I check with Honda dealer they replace Front strut bearing but after replace it. It still making noise.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
I am submitting this complaint because Ford Motor Company is refusing to honor its Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, which extends warranty coverage on the Transmission Control Module (TCM) for certain 2012–2016 Ford Focus vehicles. The 14M02 program extends TCM coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original warranty start date, and according to updates from Ford, offers a on update... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact's husband coasted the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact called the dealer and made an ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact's husband coasted the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact called the dealer and made an ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
I bought the car November, 2023. Today I have 5300 miles. Two months after purchase the car while I was driving, it shifted from "D" drive to "1". I went slowly from no speed to around 30 MPH when I heard a roaring noise and saw that the car down shifted. I stopped immediately (no cars behind me). Went to dealership which had no idea of what happened. No one else reported anything like my e... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering abnormally while shifting from second through fourth gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
I purchased my vehicle in 2019. Since then, I have had several issues. I've had to replace the coolant reservoir, DEF heater/pump and twice changed the number 8 injector plug. The warning light came on just after the warranty went out. The code reader read the ambient sensor and no sensor.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Engine failed at 52.350 miles due to excessive oil consumption confirmed by a Kia dealership. Car was driving fine on 5/1/25, on 5/2/25, car started to stall with loud clicking noise, and wouldn't move fast, which then activated the check engine light.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Engine failed at 52.350 miles due to excessive oil consumption confirmed by a Kia dealership. Car was driving fine on 5/1/25, on 5/2/25, car started to stall with loud clicking noise, and wouldn't move fast, which then activated the check engine light.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
After only 47,000 the Yukon started with hard starts and triggering a check engine light. Owner suggested fuel issues, the dealership suggested a bad wire. They adjust the "bare wire", and mentioned that the fuel pumps on these vehicles have issues and they would order one- but give them a holler when we have additional problems. The Yukon continued to hard start, evolving into stalling when start... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
No power then open the trunk and the power comes back on!! Dash lights blink out and radio then window goes up and down! Will leave u stranded
Incident date: May 16, 2025
My vehicle started shaking & stalling really badly out of nowhere on April 18, 2025. Had to have it towed to GMC dealership. They said the engine was showing low compression. Got timely oil changes and everything on this engine. The check engine light nor any other warning light ever came on when this happened. After some research, the engine in my car, the 2.4 L engine on the 2014 - 2017 mod... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
I was headed out of town and stopped in the neighborhood at a stop sign. As usual, the Auto Stop/Auto Start feature turned the engine off and when I lifted my foot off the brake pedal to reengage the engine, the truck started rolling backward. The engine would not start even though all the gauges and systems were working as if the engine was on. I had the truck towed to my mechanic and after tr... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and slowing down to stop, the vehicle suddenly shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was eventually towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet contacted. T... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The cams are bad. I am now waiting almost 2 months for repairs. I keep calling and am being told that this is a common problem and they have 15 other Jeeps with the same issue and can't get the parts. This is my third time having my Jeep at the dealership for the same problem.
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side air bags unexpectedly deployed, cracking the windshield and injuring his arm. No warning light was illuminated. Medical attention was not received. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Sudden and catastrophic shearing of the driver side rear suspension arm (control arm). My understanding is all these cars from Tesla have aluminum suspension arms which causes identical and catastrophic failure of the vehicle during driving due to choice of Aluminum instead of stainless steel(SS). Aluminum has an ultimate tensile strength of only 90 MPa while SS can exceed 500 MPa. Since my car go... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while her husband was reversing out of the garage, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the insurance company later informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V509... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 made aware of the issue. Additionally, the contact stated that th... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The alarm kept going off randomly/intermittently. Honda recalled the control unit/alarm/tpms control unit on Honda Ridgeline bit not on Honda Pilot.
Incident date: May 16, 2025
I was driving down the road no lights on the dash, when suddenly the dash lit up saying shift to park to restart. Ended up having to hurry and shift to neutral in order for the vehicle to not cause an wreck and coasted into parking lot. I tried to restart my truck and engine would not start. Had it towed to a dealership and lifters had ate through the cam shaft. Luckily I had an extended warranty ... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
I cannot use put my windows up/down, cannot open the trunk, cannot use interior lights, cannot unlock my gas lid. Due to a broke. Electronic part called the GM5
Incident date: Mar 11, 2025
Power steering locked up. GMC Vacaville ran a scan and confirmed C055C steering gear performance malfunction. There has been a recall on this issue and we are being told our VIN is not a part of the recall. The car has 119489 miles.
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
On [XXX], we reported the vehicle to a local dealership that it was running rough, with hesitation at acceleration, then a sudden surge of speed; stalls at low speeds/while idling at stop lights; and unexpected increases in RPMs when driving a constant speed. This left my son feeling very unsafe and at risk for accidents. We took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection, suggesting it may be t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
Drivers side: the track the power seat slides back/forth in. Since purchasing the vehicle 4/18/25 I have cut the back of my right leg getting into the vehicle on that track multiple times requiring the bleeding to be stopped and bandaging. At least 5 times to date and I've had the vehicle about a month. I try to be extremely careful getting into the vehicle because I know that piece will cut my le... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2025
Secondary alternator failed. A known problem with the Sprinters.
Incident date: May 11, 2025
Secondary alternator failed. A known problem with the Sprinters.