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: Jan 28, 2025
Vehicle suddenly lost all power at speed, coasted to a stop. No waring indicators, stopped in a lane of traffic, speed limit was 55mph. Engine is now seized.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
We took our truck to the local Ford dealership in regards to recall 24S37. There were no issues with the truck before we took it in. They say it was repaired on 1/7. A couple of weeks later the truck gets stuck in 1st gear and the now and at the same time the speedometer shuts down. We have read that if the program update doesn't fix it then they need to replace the leadframe but now they are sayi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2025
When I pressed breaks the engine started to surge instead of breaking. After releasing and repressing the breaks the issue was over. Happened twice in one day, 2/7/2025, the weather was clear and dry, road conditions good. Did not reproduce since then. Not sure how this is even possible.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there were severe misfires in the engine which could be associated with the vehicle jerking, and then jolting forward while going uphill. The check engine warning light had been illuminated for almost a year and the oil light was frequently illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (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. Parts distribution disconnect... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an unknown failure with the battery. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced, but the clutch was unrepairable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referre... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
Center High Mounted Stop Lamp, (CHMSL), lense breaks/detaches repeatedly.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Coolant Low" message was displayed, prompting the contact to add coolant to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mec... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Coolant Low" message was displayed, prompting the contact to add coolant to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mec... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2025
My vehicle has 55K miles, and you can not see your headlights shining out front of the vehicle at night. It looks like you only have on running lights. Please note the headlights do not have any problem with lens oxidation.
Incident date: Feb 8, 2025
*Error "High Engine Temperature Stop Safely" Known issue - available for inspection *Engine may blow up *not yet *not yet *Yes - see above
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The front passenger seatbelt suddenly popped open while making a turn. The same thing previously happened with the drivers seatbelt but figured I must have not fully buckled it; when it happened to my husband weeks later in a different seat, I researched it and see it is a known issue.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2023
In connection to my previous filing : NHTSA tracking # 11641542, please see the below, thank you. On June 24, 2022, I checked my 2018 Audi A5 into Audi Cherry Hill’s service department to diagnose and repair an issue with the front right tire. The dealership indicated that service would take approximately two days. However, upon returning for an update, I was shocked to learn that my car had be... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2023
In connection to my previous filing : NHTSA tracking # 11641542, please see the below, thank you. On June 24, 2022, I checked my 2018 Audi A5 into Audi Cherry Hill’s service department to diagnose and repair an issue with the front right tire. The dealership indicated that service would take approximately two days. However, upon returning for an update, I was shocked to learn that my car had be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2025
My water pump went bad and overheated my engine, resulting in a repair cost of over $4,000 for a 2017 BMW X1. Needed repairs are: Water Pump, Remove & Replace Drive Belt Tensione, OEM , OE Replacement, and New Engine Water Pump.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2025
The head rest cracked. It available for inspection. This is the second car seat, of the same brand that’s done this in the exact same area for us. My child’s safety was put at risk because the head rest cracked. The foam piece. Chicco has been contacted about this, multiple times.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
The head rest cracked. It available for inspection. This is the second car seat, of the same brand that’s done this in the exact same area for us. My child’s safety was put at risk because the head rest cracked. The foam piece. Chicco has been contacted about this, multiple times.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
At 69,500 miles, my check engine light came up on and the engine began running rough. I also saw that the coolant reservoir was low. I refilled the coolant and it was immediately low again. This is the same coolant intrusion that is a known issue with the ford ecoboost engine in the Escape.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
Speedometer went to zero while driving and seemed to be in neutral. Could not accelerate. Also low fuel warning light came on when I had a full tank. After car was shut off and restarted speedometer seemed fine for about 1 mile, then self accelerated. Now continues to read zero and can not accelerate unless I restart engine.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
Safety risk: Catastrophic tire failure at highway speed on 405 with child in vehicle Complete sidewall separation could have caused loss of vehicle control Life-threatening situation at highway speed Dealer confirmation: VW South Coast documented need for tire replacement on 9/18/24 (Invoice #VWCS659803) Dealer identified issue but declared vehicle safe to drive Set non-urgent follow-up date of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2022
The Instrument Panel Air Bag light stayed on continuously, so I was concerned that the Air Bags might be defective. When I took the vehicle to a Ford Dealership for servicing, I was told that the front passenger side seat belt pretensioner/retractor was shortened internally. I was told that unless the part was replaced, the Air Bags would not deploy upon impact. If I chose not to repair the par... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
On [XXX], we were driving on [XXX] from Wisconsin into Minnesota to park at MSP airport. Near the state border, we began to hear a clunk sound in the steering column. We chose to park the car at a friend's home near the airport in her garage in case we needed service upon our return from Texas where we travelling to. Prior to driving back to our home from Minneapolis on [XXX] (1.5 hours), we check... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
On [XXX], we were driving on [XXX] from Wisconsin into Minnesota to park at MSP airport. Near the state border, we began to hear a clunk sound in the steering column. We chose to park the car at a friend's home near the airport in her garage in case we needed service upon our return from Texas where we travelling to. Prior to driving back to our home from Minneapolis on [XXX] (1.5 hours), we check... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
In Dec 2024, I began to hear a noise under the car. I dropped off the car for the recall and to see if they could figure out the issue. Recall was completed and no issue found after blowing out the dust shield around the brakes. 1 week later, the problem came back sounding a little different. We found a plug in the aluminum pan under the car. After removing it, the original noise returned (may not... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
>>>>What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? According to the Hyundai Bluelink app, the problem is caused by the battery management system, producing error code P0AA600. The result is that the vehicle does not get power to the wheels for a few seconds after giving it gas. It looks like the car is not moving, then it very slowly gains speed... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
1) All the sensors on the truck relating to the auto emergency breaking, pass sensors, cruise control ETC are malfunctioning, truck was at 10,000 miles at the time and brand new. 2) This feature contributed to an accident on Jan 14 2025. I could not see because of the sun and rear ended the car in front of me. 3)The DTC report on the truck came back and stated 6 errors relating to the systems and ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
I started to hear a light tick/knocking sound during my daily 68 mile commute to work, 3/1/2024. When I would accelerate, the ticking would get louder. I noticed a bit of shaking at the same time of acceleration. I took it into the dealership on 3/2/2024 where they discovered metal shavings in my oil filter. They told me I needed an entire new engine at 51,000 miles. They replaced the engine und... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
Fluids leaked into engine. Overheated and died on highway drive home no check engine lights were on prior. 2nd and 4th cylinder misfires. Spark plug welded and cross threaded and needed to replaced but when when it was attempted it broke off in engine due to being welded. Due to the original issues and all of those caused from them this vehicle is NOT SAFE; even if this was able to work again it ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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 f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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 f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Driving my Tremor off road and got a flat tire. Discovered the OE jack does not lift vehicle high enough off the ground to allow removal of tire in case of a flat. I believe it is due to fact that vehicle comes with a 1inch lift and tremor specific tires. I don’t think engineers thought about the jack when they added tremor package to the Maverick line.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The engine has had camshaft and lifter failure multiple times. The dealership has replaced the camshaft and lifters twice already , and now they have failed a 3rd time which has lead to metal in oil lubrication system. This has caused further damage to the engine crankshaft bearings, in my case the engine was still running with a tapping/knocking noise. However, this can result in engine locking u... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. An unknown message for the power steering was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was able restarted; however, the failure recurre... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
A/C Air compressor failure resulting in no heat. Report as very common problem on internet but no recall or other fix. $3000 repair in a car approximately 2 years old.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
See GMBulletin #19-NA-206 I am getting the "shift to park" warning which makes it difficult to turn off/safely park my vehicle. I know the NHTSA is aware of this as well as numerous lawsuits in progress against GM for significant safety issues. Will this go to recall status soon?
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shifted to park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle was inoperative. The contact stated that the vehicle was operative while in low power mode; however, the vehicle intermittently failed to charge in low power mode. No warning light was illuminated. How... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shifted to park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle was inoperative. The contact stated that the vehicle was operative while in low power mode; however, the vehicle intermittently failed to charge in low power mode. No warning light was illuminated. How... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2025
The Power Distribution Module failed in my 2018 Nissan Leaf at 77k miles. It left me stranded with no way of getting home. The Power Distribution Module is supposed to last 10 years 100k miles but Nissan warranty only has is warranted to 60k miles. The dealership said the PDM only lasts around 70k miles however it is $5k to fix which is half of what the car is worth. They are unwilling to do a goo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
While driving, the vehicle screen showed an electrical warning on the screen. The car went into limp mode and dropped to 25 MPH. 5 minutes later, the screen showed a critical electrical issue and said I needed to pull over as soon as possible. It was towed to a dealership. They found the ICCU is faulty. Because so many EV6's have this problem, it is on national backorder, My concern this vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
Knocking, stalling, shaking, lost of power and steering problems. Serviced transmission twice and I was advised to serve every 30000 miles!!! I owned several types of vehicles but I never heard such things before. Technician told me that apparently many GMC customers reported same problems.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact is a death investigator calling on behalf of the owner of a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while he was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle failed to yield causing the front of the vehicle to crash into the front end of another vehicle. The events leading to the crash were unknown. The air bags were deployed. The owner of the 2017 Hyundai Senata was pronounced dec... Read more
Crash
1 deaths
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
I’ve had a complete loss of steering control while driving on highway coming home from work last night. There was no warning it just failed. I was able to manhandle the truck on the highway and limp home. My first thought I had my power steering pump fail but when I couldn’t find a pump on my engine I google search the problem and found out that this is a known issue but my truck was not inclu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
Engine failed on highway while my wife was driving with 3 kids aged 5 and under. Had to pull over on shoulder. Called GMC roadside and they said they would be there in 2 hours. Then a police officer came by, told her she was in too dangerous of a spot and that the police would be towing the vehicle in 20 minutes if she didn't move it. Police then towed the car while my wife, on the shoulder of... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
On [XXX], while driving, the brakes on my vehicle unexpectedly seized, causing all four wheels to catch fire. This incident resulted in significant damage, including the burning of the brake lines. The vehicle was promptly towed to Wide World BMW in Spring Valley, NY, for repairs, as it is covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. Following the incident, I was informed that a team from BMW Nor... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
My airbag sensor has been continually toggling on and off for a few months now. I had the car scanned at my service center and the code came up as an issue with my driver seat airbag circuit. In my research on recalls for my year vehicle, there is a recall ~NHTSA Campaign Number 16V28800 ~Components AIR BAGS ~Summary The clock spring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the airba... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
June 2023 - 12 volt battery discharged overnight on consecutive nights. Dealer service eventually claimed that the problem was the navigation head unit was faulty and continued to draw current after the vehicle was turned off. The process took over 4 weeks to remedy since the necessary part was unavailable. January 2025 - While driving, a warning to stop the vehicle and check the power system app... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
Jeep recently pushed an update through the vehicle over the air. Since the update the forward collision disable warning light has been illuminated on the front cluster. All attempts to correct the issue have rendered useless. The update has caused the safety feature of the front collision warning (sound and/or breaking) inoperable.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility); and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
Unknown, engine light came on flashing while driving. Car has been repaired by the dealership a few weeks ago and replaced the fuel pump.