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: Mar 6, 2025
I dropped my vehicle off for transmission service maintenance with no engine issues and no check engine light. The Cadillac dealer called me the next day and said the check engine light was on and the engine was bad and needed $12,000 repair due to faulty bad designed lifter's and camshaft also stated this is a well know defect in the engine and they have replaced many 6.2 engines. Vehicle has 59... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into neutral while the vehicle was being towed. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
Front brakes noisy, vehicle shudders when brakes applied. Dealership inspected at 21,000 miles, replaced brake pads and turned rotors at 22,000 miles. Not under warranty, paid out of pocket. Now Toyota admits brake parts were faulty, has new part numbers to repair the defect, but parts have been on backorder for 6 months or more. Toyota needs to recall the defective brakes, and make a remedy (upgr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
A warning alert message popped up stating “RCM_a056 Front passenger safety restraint system fault”. I contacted Tesla dealer and they said at is out of warranty after 5 years and my car is 6 years old. On searching internet I noticed several people have same issue. Tesla said there is no recall at this time. Since this is a safety critical system which affects the air bag deployment, can NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
With only 60k miles on my car which I regularly take in for maintenance, my car started to leak a ton of oil. It was determined that the cylinder head is cracked. This should not happen on a car this new and maintained. In doing research, this seems to be a common occurrence with this year.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning oil odor while idling and while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that as a former inde... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning oil odor while idling and while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that as a former inde... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Flickering of daytime running lights.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle intermittently shuddered. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
When it rains the car hydroplanes and the traction on the tires are no good. Also the door locks don't unlock properly and the door won't open. Also the warning for vehicle collision front and back doesn't work properly and doesn't warn you when a vehicle is going to hit you from behind. I was rear-ended and it didn't alert me at all and the driver of the other vehicle took off.and once in a while... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
When it rains the car hydroplanes and the traction on the tires are no good. Also the door locks don't unlock properly and the door won't open. Also the warning for vehicle collision front and back doesn't work properly and doesn't warn you when a vehicle is going to hit you from behind. I was rear-ended and it didn't alert me at all and the driver of the other vehicle took off.and once in a while... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the seat belt fasteners retracted; however, after adjusting the seat belt the seat belt failed to retract properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair, but the failure persisted. On a separate occasion, the rearview camera displayed a half-moon shape and blocked the visibility of the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The actuator on the Drivers door would not allow the door to open. In the case of an accident the inability to exit the vehicle in case the passenger door was damaged or the damage was to the passenger side this would be a safety issue. The dealer repaired the issue by removing the drivers seat thru the passenger door then removing the door panel and replacing the actuator at the cost of $700 and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
My 2017 Hyundai SanteFe (76,000 miles) stoped running late night, dark highway. Manged to pull off onto the shoulder. The engine wouldn't even turn over. After about a 2 hour wait I had the vehicle towed to my residence, eventually having it towed to the dealer from which it was purchased. After a few days the service advisor called to tell me that the entire engine needs to be replaced. That, he ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
4wd light has been on along with engine light. Took it to a mechanic but and a problem with cylinder 2 came up and they checked it and everything was fine. t'll sometimes slightly roll in park before perking to a stop. While driving it'll sputter sometimes.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
4wd light has been on along with engine light. Took it to a mechanic but and a problem with cylinder 2 came up and they checked it and everything was fine. t'll sometimes slightly roll in park before perking to a stop. While driving it'll sputter sometimes.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
I have an ongoing problem with this vehicle that KIA will not address. My alternator was replaced under warranty last April 30 and when I got it back, the CV boot was leaking grease all over the underside of the car. It took 6 weeks to get them to replace the cv boot (June 14). After that it continued to spray grease all over the underside of my car and there is an increasing amount of vibratio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V838000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reaso... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). The contact pulled over, added water to the coolant reservoir, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while making a U-turn at approximately 4 MPH, there was an abnormal sound from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the "Service 4WD" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact rec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
Transmission failure. Known problem on these vehicles. Why did they only recall a certain number from this year? And now my transmission has failed just like many others
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Car displaying an error air bag message. Other 2021 VW Atlases are showing as recalled for sensor mat and wiring harness but my VIN is not showing.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Multiple warnings occurred simultaneously for the "brake system" intermittent. I have the same issue per [XXX] for my Honda Odyssey 2018 elite. I can see the same problem by a lot of people. I told Honda and paid them $220 diagnosis fees and they ended up asked me to change the whole camera that cost 4k. This obviously defect issue from Honda. Looks like known issue for this. Can this escalate... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
My 2019 Toyota Highlander with 56K miles has a whining noise whenever the accelerator is pressed. The noise stops when you release the gas pedal. This was confirmed by my Toyota dealership service department. The transmission does need to be replace. They said this is a common problem with this vehicle and yet there has been no recall. Fortunately my vehicle is still under warranty. I found manner... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera was intermittently inoperative and there was an abnormal sound coming from the infotainment system. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the infotainment system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
ABS control module malfunction. No parts available.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
ABS control module malfunction. No parts available.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
1-- Fuel injector failed 11/2023 one month to replace it, 2-- Fuel injector failed 3/2025 in dealer, 3-- Fuel door does not open, replaced by dealer 3/2025
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
1-- Fuel injector failed 11/2023 one month to replace it, 2-- Fuel injector failed 3/2025 in dealer, 3-- Fuel door does not open, replaced by dealer 3/2025
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while turning the steering to the left or right while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the steering wheel seize approximately a quarter way into the turn. The driver had to manually turn the steering wheel to continue the turn or to merge. The failure occurred intermittently but became more persistent. There... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to change a tire, the contact became aware that the provided tools were unable to be used to complete the wheel replacement. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact was informed that the lug nuts needed to be forcefully removed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Problem: My 2010 Cadillac SRX with 87,000 miles been having issues with downshifting , my vehicle would not shift to second or higher gear while driving and makes it very unsafe on the road. When this occurs I would try to pull over safely to park. My SRX would be drivable if shifted to park and then shift to drive or if i turn off the vehicle and re-start. I have been back and forth going to my ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Vehicle would not start on two occasions, both times the vehicle was jumped and started. On the third occasion the car would not start, the electrical panel flashed all the warning lights and the dashboard continually flashed on and off. It was towed to the Ford Dealership in Oxford, MS in December 2024. The dealership looked over the car, no other issues and advised that this was likely a recall ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Vehicle would not start on two occasions, both times the vehicle was jumped and started. On the third occasion the car would not start, the electrical panel flashed all the warning lights and the dashboard continually flashed on and off. It was towed to the Ford Dealership in Oxford, MS in December 2024. The dealership looked over the car, no other issues and advised that this was likely a recall ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The epoxy that attaches the hood brackets and the grill to the body is failing. Both hood brackets have come loose, the bracket on the passenger side came loose and fell off of the motorhome on the road and the driver side bracket came off and I noticed it before it fell completely off. Two of the grill brackets are now loose also.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The epoxy that attaches the hood brackets and the grill to the body is failing. Both hood brackets have come loose, the bracket on the passenger side came loose and fell off of the motorhome on the road and the driver side bracket came off and I noticed it before it fell completely off. Two of the grill brackets are now loose also.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission downshifted with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle could not be diagnosed due to the check engin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q7. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel system were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle independently decelerated and lost motive power. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was emitting white smoke from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that her husband had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and her husband had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2019
Since purchasing the vehicle in April 2020 with 19,195 mile on it, the transmission would always hunt to shift gears around 40 to 43 mph. When I asked the dealers about it they said it was at a shift point and with the eight speed transmission that was normal. Going faster of accelerating or going slower was always pretty good. Around the first of November 2024 it changed to all shifting below 40 ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2025
Transmission downshifts very harsh every downshift. Took to dealer said transmission is out after 100,000. Transmission did go out on the way home from dealership service.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle slowed down and came to a stop with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The failure occurred on 4 separate occasions. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle slowed down and came to a stop with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The failure occurred on 4 separate occasions. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2025
The fabric on the sunroof fails out when opened and blocks view.
Incident date: Feb 24, 2025
The car at the most random times has the rear camera just suddenly fail and it'll say "Camera is temporarily unavailable". This is pretty difficult to work with as the rear view window is already really small and I'm unable to see much. This seems to be a pretty common issue when browsing online forums.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
My local dealer has failed to remedy the defect on my vehicle within a reasonable period of time. It has now been 4 months since I first contacted my dealership about the issue but I have yet to be addressed.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally, and the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC350. The contact stated while driving 62 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that the temperature gauge warning light was illuminated and a message to “Stop Vehicle Immediately” was displayed. The contact attempted to merge to the side of the road; however, the vehicle started... Read more