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: Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse into a parking spot, the cameras failed to activate, along with the sensors, which included the backup sensors failed to alert that there was an object. As a result, the contact crashed in reverse into a cement pole on the front driver's side door and mirror. No property damage was reported, and the vehicle ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Drove into parking lot and as I was pulling into the parking spot next to the building, the vehicle started to surge forward as if I had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. The sudden surge caused the vehicle to plow into a brick building causing about $10K damage to the vehicle and $5K to the building. This was not the first time this sudden surging occurred. It happened at least 3 times p... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that shortly after refueling the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed on scene by an ind... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); 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 dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they were unable to unscrew the rear screws on the seat to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
I own a 2010 BMW X5 xDrive30i (VIN: [XXX] ) with two active recalls: the VANOS bolt recall (23V-707) and the PCV valve heater recall (22V-119). Despite these being federally mandated safety repairs, Sharpe BMW in Grand Rapids, MI refused to perform the work without a paid diagnostic and potential full repair payment upfront, stating reimbursement would be decided afterward. I was sent home in an u... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Coolant is leaking into the engine cylinder due to head gasket failure. Mechanic confirmed the problem. Engine may fail without warning. Known issue in EcoBoost 2.0L engines from 2015 Ford Edge models.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and then jerked into the next gear. The contact stated that the hesitation occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while slowing down, the vehicle hesitated, and then the transmiss... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2025
A few days ago, while driving on one of Chicago’s busiest expressways, my Hyundai 2020 Santa Fe with only 56,000 miles and a complete record of up-to-date maintenance, suddenly started smoking, smoke coming from under the front hood then caught fire without any warning. The fire consumed the entire front end of the vehicle from underneath the car to the top hood of car, to make matters worse, my... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 18, 2025
2020 and above Mustang Ecoboost 2.3L engines are supposed to have the revised engine block design to mitigate coolant intrusion into cylinders and head gasket leak issues. My 2020 model year Mustang Ecoboost with the updated block, is suffering from coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. Confirmed by independent ASE certified repair shop as well as Ford dealership. No Codes. Symptoms includes cold st... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the cam phasers were defective. The contact stated that a previous campaign (21B10) was performed on the vehicle to repair... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the driver’s side exterior A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and flew off into traffic. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the exterior A-pillar trim needed to be repla... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn into the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to remain in the intended lane while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the shocks and struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was re... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that after a while the sound dissipated, and the contact was able to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the ticking sound returned the next day while starting the vehicle. There were no warn... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The steering wheel all of a sudden got really loose and will pull away from the steering column. I called Ford service at the dealership I bought it from. They said my extended warranty has just expired. They also say there are no active recalls for this issue. This is not something that should ever happen. I have never had this problem with and vehicle I have ever owned in the 30 + years of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the contact's work parking lot, the vehicle caught on fire due to unknown reasons. A security guard discovered the fire, and called the Fire Department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No police report was filed. The contact was at work during the incident, and it was not until he finished ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
While driving the 2019 Ford Expedition the transmission intermittently has an issue where there is harsh or extreme delayed engagement and loss of power. This has occurred while attempting to merge on the highway in traffic and put myself and highway drivers at risk when it suddenly was not possible to accelerate to merge safely. The component was inspected by the Ford dealer and their response ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
I am submitting this complaint regarding the well-documented engine defect involving faulty piston rings in Kia vehicles, which has led to an official recall 25V099. While Kia has agreed to repair the engine IF it fails when it fails, they have refused to offer a repurchase or fair compensation for the diminished value of the vehicle — despite the fact that this defect is a manufacturer-responsi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The initial sensor alarm indication was low oil pressure and within less then an hour engine malfunction was detected and the vehicle stopped functioning. This incident occurred on [XXX] in SanAntonio and thereafter it was towed to the Mazda Dealership for inspection upon request. I was driving from Dallas to SanAntonio with my [XXX] and [XXX] children when the vehicle started making strange no... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The car did not give any warning before this issue came about. A matter of fact when I took it to the mechanic they were unable to do a diagnostic test because there were no error messages and check engine light never came on. After taking it to the dealership they were able to check the history and saw that the error code P061b00 shows that the clutch position switch module needs to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The car did not give any warning before this issue came about. A matter of fact when I took it to the mechanic they were unable to do a diagnostic test because there were no error messages and check engine light never came on. After taking it to the dealership they were able to check the history and saw that the error code P061b00 shows that the clutch position switch module needs to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2022
Failure of engine oil pan. - Hairline crack in oil pan caused enough oil to leak out threatening engine failure. Problem caught in time to avert failure. - Oil pan will be available if requested. - Personal safety not at risk but could have been if failure occurred while driving. - Problem was discovered and confirmed at by independent service center. - No inspection has been done by others.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The rear view camera only works half of the time and gives and error the camera is not available at this time. There was a recall but the VIN on this car was not included The transmissions revs high before shifting at times and at time when not pressing the gas, coasting downhill No check engine or warning lights come on Both issues have been recurring over the last couple of months
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
Was traveling on a busy interstate and vehicle check engine light came on flashing and stability system light as well. Existed next off ramp and when the car started slowing down the engine shut off. Was able to get to a safe location and car would not start. Had it towed to the dealership and they stated engine failure.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
Every time there is morning condensation/dew or rain, my front collision warning does not work. A notification pops up, the symbol comes onto the dash and it takes a good 3-5 minutes depending on the severity of the weather to have the symbol and notification go away and work. Also, 98% of the time when my car was preset to turn on, the emergency brake automatically engages every time I get into t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
Every time there is morning condensation/dew or rain, my front collision warning does not work. A notification pops up, the symbol comes onto the dash and it takes a good 3-5 minutes depending on the severity of the weather to have the symbol and notification go away and work. Also, 98% of the time when my car was preset to turn on, the emergency brake automatically engages every time I get into t... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2025
Engine shuts off with exposure to rain.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate had fractured. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
Jerking and loud noise from the engine after attempting to accelerate from a red light stop. Vehicle is idling very roughly and almost sounds like a diesel engine. Check engine light came on. Inspection at the dealership found multiple faults for camshaft positions deviating from the specified value. When the oil filter was removed, the shop reported finding some metal particles in the oil. The co... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the RPM increased, and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The failure had occurred while the contact's son was driving on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2025
I was leaving a parking lot and getting ready to turn onto a busy road with my family. As I approached the road and started to brake, we went over a number of pot holes. When that happened, the whole car started to shake and I noticed that we were not slowing down. I don't know what was going on but I was scared. We were approaching a busy road quickly and I did not feel safe. I pressed HARD ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2025
After receiving a CMBS error message I tried to drive home and the vehicle automatically engaged brakes while merging with no other vehicle near by and I was almost rear ended.
2 injured
Incident date: May 4, 2025
I'm reporting an after-market product that is being marketed and sold as a "crash tested" according to USA standards. It's being pushed as a "car seat blanket" or insert called "The Snugglebundl". Attaching links to their website and blog below. Homepage: [XXX] About: [XXX] Blog post: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In se... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 28, 2025
The tail lights in this car are constantly burning out. We have to replace them about every month or two. It’s either one side or the other and it has happened so many times since we had the car it’s ridiculous
Incident date: May 28, 2025
I bought my car on May 30, 2025, and on June 3, 2025 while driving, the driver’s side rear window behind the passenger’s seat shattered. It sounded like an explosion. No cars were around at the time of the incident. Luckily, the window stayed intact.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
I was driving and entering the highway the truck lost power and acceleration was very slow, the engine fan runs 100% of the time, the check engine light comes on.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked, and the transmission shifted hard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
Since purchasing this vehicle we have had catalytic converter issues that have persisted even after having the dealer "fix" the issue.we have also had ABS/Traction control module issues.this is the 2nd identical vehicle owned with the exact same problems.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
Since purchasing this vehicle we have had catalytic converter issues that have persisted even after having the dealer "fix" the issue.we have also had ABS/Traction control module issues.this is the 2nd identical vehicle owned with the exact same problems.
Incident date: May 13, 2025
My car said it overheated and would not start. After about 4 hours it did start and I took it to the dealer. They are saying that the battery and starter need replacement. I read that there was a recall for this exact reason on some specific VINs for my car model and year. Even though mine doesn't fall under that category it seems like the same issue that was recalled for others. Doing some online... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Vechile is consuming oil rapidly, Warning light comes on says that the vehicle is unsafe to drive. We had an oil consumption test at the Franklin TN Volvo dealership and it failed. There is also a quality bulletin issued by Volvo and extended warranty to 100K miles or 8 years, we fall outside the years. The warning lights started coming on around 78K miles. This is a know vechile manufacturin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Sliding rear window leaks in 3 spots. Leak poses the safety risk of mold growth inside the vehicle along with the potential of water getting inside of electrical components and air bag device compartments. The problem was reproduced and confirmed at the dealership, to which the plastic seal at the top of the rear window was confirmed to have failed in 3 locations. Dealership recommended replaci... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2025
While my wife was driving our 2020 BMW X7M under normal conditions, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic drivetrain and differential failure. According to the BMW dealership’s service manager, internal drivetrain components became disconnected while the vehicle was in motion. This caused parts to spin freely and damage surrounding systems. Fortunately, no crash occurred, but the technician emp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V694000 (AIR BAGS); 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the image was visible; however, there was no tone alert. Additionally, there was a message indicating that the Adaptive Cruise Control was unavailable and to see the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the fai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
The speedometer occasionally would not work. Typically all other dash features would and I could get speed through digital reading. Today, none of the dash reading work. My speedometer has the dial at 155. The digital reads 0, gas shows E, miles to empty remained at 260 for the over 10 mile drive, ramps as well as coolant didn’t register and were at 0 and C. This is a hazard as it is a safety r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon driving from a complete stop, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and independently shifted to park(P). After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
Vehicle went into neutral while driving down the road, when trying to shift it back into drive a warning came up on the dash stating, "CONDITION NOT CORRECT FOR SHIFT" and the check engine light came on as the car shut off.