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: Mar 25, 2025
When pressing on accelerator, it would not accelerate properly. Therefore having to press accelerator more while not going at accurate speed. Furthermore as driving the vehicle one day fully pressing on accelerator vehicle would not accelerate. Therefore, having to stop in the middle of the road going uphill.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
I took the car to the Dealership for recalls (#1 Cochoran VW, Wexford, PA) on [XXX]. The dealership has not been able to complete the repair and the car has been at the dealership for almost three months. The dealership employees have been in contact with Volkswagen of America and with individuals in Germany but to no satisfaction. We have spent several hundred dollars on gasoline that we... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
I just bought a 2014 Ford focus and after getting it a transmission fault warning came on and there was a time I was on my lunch break and the car stalled out and would only let me drive in reverse. Luckily I was able to pull in to a parking lot at a gas station without causing an accident. I put transmission fluid in but the light stayed on. It noticed that there was a leak and my check engine li... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
A few years back, I was having an issue with my truck shifting hard. I actually took it to a friend's shop and he repaired it, for about $1600. They changed a "chip" in it. The vehicle was never inspected by Ford, or the police, or my insurance company. The problem was identified by the repair shop and taken care of, or so I thought. The issue seemed fixed for a while but within the last year the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
A few years back, I was having an issue with my truck shifting hard. I actually took it to a friend's shop and he repaired it, for about $1600. They changed a "chip" in it. The vehicle was never inspected by Ford, or the police, or my insurance company. The problem was identified by the repair shop and taken care of, or so I thought. The issue seemed fixed for a while but within the last year the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
While driving on a high traffic street in stop and go traffic truck shifted down from 3 to 2 with a lurch and a verry loud clunk. Truck shifted so hard there was rapid deacceleration and lurching and a loud clunking while shifting.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
The transmission will down shift without warning. It has occurred 4 times in the last 60 days. Near miss accident in one occasion.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
When driving on the highway my car suddenly started to stall with me on the highway. It went from 80 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour and then completely shut off in the lane of the highway. Thankfully I was able to pull over to safety. I attempted to start again, and the engine started with a weird noise coming from it. I had it towed to my local Mechanic who told me that my engine is part of ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
Engine oil light came on and car was down about 2 quarts of oil AGAIN. Car was last serviced as noted below VW service 11/22/2024 Mileage in 62086 Mileage out 62087 (what kind of test drive was this, less than a mile) ?? 2021 VW Tiguan Service Advisor 413 Montpelier VW 802-223 -3434 ____________________________________________________________ A C/S: Check Engine light is no CEL Default 1000 CP... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
While driving our 2017 MB GLE 350-4matic at about 40 mph, it spontaneously downshifted to M1. We were in traffic, so this was a very dangerous for us and for the people behind us. We limped to our destination, not knowing what had happened or what to do. When we re-started the car the next day, it seemed ok. But after driving some distance, it spontaneously downshifted to M1 again. We stopped the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while refueling, the vehicle started shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to reverse. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the driveshaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred approximately 11 days later. The vehicle was towed ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at speeds under 20 MPH and making a right turn, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. During the failure the message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while reversing and making a left turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
Driving my car as any person would, at the 3519 mile mark on the odometer the engine low oil light came on, it took (1.5Q) of oil to top it off. This is a brand new car no one buys a new car to add oil to it, then to get told by the dealership that it’s normal for up to (2Q) of oil to be added because it’s the only AWD boxer, but yet the 24 crosstreks have boxers and doesn’t burn oil?????
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
MAY CAR HAS STARTED REPEATEDLY FLASHED CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND WARNING SIGNS THAT THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO SHUT OFF SOON AND TO STOP SAFELY WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE AND I HAVE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE I AM ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE DRIVING WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR NEXT 2 TO 3 STARTS. THE DEALER ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
Power train failed and truck began to jerk and I lost control of the throttle. I had to throw myself (the truck) on the shoulder to avoid danger. Blinking lights on the dash board occurred. San Leandro Ford diagnosed issue as bad transmission and replaced it in November 2024. Inspected on site by authorized dealer. Told me customer problem must pay to have it replaced!! When I tried contactin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
Power train failed and truck began to jerk and I lost control of the throttle. I had to throw myself (the truck) on the shoulder to avoid danger. Blinking lights on the dash board occurred. San Leandro Ford diagnosed issue as bad transmission and replaced it in November 2024. Inspected on site by authorized dealer. Told me customer problem must pay to have it replaced!! When I tried contactin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
I was experiencing hard shifting in upper gears like 8, 9 and 10. At 118592 miles the Ford dealer told me the transmission needed to be replaced. I had them install a Ford remanufactured transmission. The dealer told me this reman should have all the upgrades of the latest transmissions. Reman number is JL3Z 7000L. At around 123000 miles I experienced the following. I had the cruise control ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The reflective material inside the headlight fixtures in this vehicle have degraded so severely the low beams don't illuminate the road well enough to drive it at night. This is a manufacturer defect that has been confirmed by the Acura dealership we took it to for repair. They told us the cost to replace both fixtures is ~$2,500, which we could not afford. This is a huge safety issue, one that pr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
We purchased a Tesla Model X 2 years ago and have driven a little over 10,000 miles on it. The car has had continuous suspension problems which resulted in replacing the half shaft twice, control arms and now suspension pins. We drive solely on city roads and highways, it does not seem safe that a car used for regular commute to/from work and school would have such serious mechanical problems so e... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Every time this car comes to a stop, it rocks back and forth significantly on its suspension. Even at low speeds, it is noticeable when breaking, with about a second and a half of five to six rebounds back and forth. It is highly prominent with stronger braking or stop-and-go traffic, resulting in about two seconds of hard rocking back and forth. This problem happens more when the car is being dr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Every time this car comes to a stop, it rocks back and forth significantly on its suspension. Even at low speeds, it is noticeable when breaking, with about a second and a half of five to six rebounds back and forth. It is highly prominent with stronger braking or stop-and-go traffic, resulting in about two seconds of hard rocking back and forth. This problem happens more when the car is being dr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was instructed to bring the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2025
vehicle will not change out of EV electric mode and return to gas power causing hybrid battery drains to zero, vehicle loses acceleration, you can push the gas pedal to the floor and you have no acceleration, very UNSAFE when you are in traffic, no power to maneuver or avoid other vehicles quickly if needed, potential for accidents, hybrid system warning lights and alarms go on, have to try and p... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
When letting off the accelerator to slow coming to a stop I would press the brake pedal. but the motor would increase RPMs and I had to use both feet to stop the vehicle. Then I had to put the car in neutral and the RPMs would increase even though I was at a stop and then I had to put it in Park before the RPMs would drop. I removed the driver's floor mat encase it was effecting the accelerator. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
When letting off the accelerator to slow coming to a stop I would press the brake pedal. but the motor would increase RPMs and I had to use both feet to stop the vehicle. Then I had to put the car in neutral and the RPMs would increase even though I was at a stop and then I had to put it in Park before the RPMs would drop. I removed the driver's floor mat encase it was effecting the accelerator. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
While driving, the vehicle engine shut off while making a turn. Before the engine stalled, the engine began to sputter as I made the turn. I was stranded on the roadway as I could not restart the vehicle. For my safety, I stayed in the vehicle as there was no shoulder and many vehicles including dump trucks. Several attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful - the engine would try to turn... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2025
While driving on the highway, the engine overheating light came on, the car seemed to be losing power, and I pulled over and was then towed to the dealership. My safety was put at risk as I could have been hit as the car was slowing down in fast traffic; it also was extremely cold (about 5 degrees F) while I waited for the tow truck. The tow truck driver noted that I had lost coolant fluid due t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2025
The concern, is that Kia recently (2023) recalled the BMS (and potentially the HV Battery) for vehicles as old as 2015 on the Koa Soul EV, and their warranty on said parts is 10 yrs or 100k miles. The concern is that there is no extended warranty period FOR the cars. So if the cars fail again within a yr, you end up paying out of pocket for the repairs. There are plenty of forum posts that talk ab... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2025
The Bluetooth system consistently malfunctions with detaching from the Internet while listening to music When making hard left after washing car there’s a loud rubbing sound emitting from the undercarriage on the left side
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
“The 2023 Pleasure-Way Ontour 2.2 motorhome is built on a 2022 Ford Transit 350 HD chassis, VIN [XXX] . Four times while driving on secondary roads at a low rate of speed, or while stopped at an intersection, warning chimes and 6 different types of error messages are generated on the instrument cluster. These messages persist over a 10 to 30 minute period, and then the 12-inch LCD display and... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The vehicle hesitates to take off, it jerks, has harsh shifting, skips gears and yesterday at a stop sign when I tried to go forward, it rolled backward.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering); 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 the contact had been placed on a 5-month waiting list. The man... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
In 2024, I had the transmission replaced due it leaking transmission fluid. The transmission is sealed and there is no way to add fluid. This created an internal problem for the transmission. In January 2025, the engine made a loud pop noise and began performing horribly. My wife and I were on the interstate in a major city and surrounded by traffic. I drove it to the side of the interstate, imme... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
In 2024, I had the transmission replaced due it leaking transmission fluid. The transmission is sealed and there is no way to add fluid. This created an internal problem for the transmission. In January 2025, the engine made a loud pop noise and began performing horribly. My wife and I were on the interstate in a major city and surrounded by traffic. I drove it to the side of the interstate, imme... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
Car auto accelerated in parking lot structure. Hit column; air bags did not deploy so no injury to me, the driver. Dealer refuses to confirm the data to support their conclusion that driver was at fault. Vehicle inspected by dealer owned collision center and dealer related insurance company. No warning or messages prior to auto acceleration.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
I have driven this car for approximately 40,000 miles without issue, and regularly have the oil changed. Based on what my mechanic told me, the fuel pump either failed or detached while I was driving on the turnpike. This resulted in a loss of oil. I was simply accelerating to pass another vehicle when several warning light illuminated. The engine made grinding noises and there was an oil-like sme... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
Manufacturer Recall Number24S02 NHTSA Recall Number24V031 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and was informed that, based on the symptoms, the vehicle might have a blown head gasket. The manufacturer was notified of t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
Cam Phaser and Timing Chain Failures in 5.0 V8 engine cause engine failure if not repaired. Engine failure potentially puts myself and/or my family stranded on the side of the road. This problem has been repaired one time approximately 30k miles ago and has returned. No check engine light related to this failure.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
After the recall on the backup camera the image processing unit (IPMB) has gone bad and the car does not display any camera information views (back up, front, 360 degree). I believe this is also related to the back up camera recall and should be addressed.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The problem started when our car died while driving it. After a few different replacements, Kia decided to replace the entire engine under a recall. After driving the car for a short period of time, the check engine light came on. I went to check the oil and it smelled overwhelmingly like gasoline. I took it to my mechanic who said the check engine light was coming on because of the catalytic conv... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
ABS module failure. Doesn’t allow traction control, ABS, or cruise control to work. Module was diagnosed bad at dealership and Chrysler can’t get a replacement module manufactured. Have already paid for the module in August of last year and still can’t get one.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
The damage was to my rear windshield on my 2019 Honda Civic LX. The incident happened on March 19th 2025 at 5:30 PM while at a stop light. I heard a big bang or pop and initially thought that a big rock had been thrown at my car and assumed it smashed into the body. I immediately got out of my car and inspected the body quickly on my side only, fearing the light would turn green soon and I would n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The "consider taking a break" alert keeps alerting me constantly. There is no way to turn if off and it is very distracting. I am concerned it could result in an accident from the constant beeping and alerts.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated the vehicle lost motive power, and the contact drifted over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the intended destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
I was put in a rental by enterprise from a rear-end. I was involved while my car was in the shop fixing the trunk. This rental had broken window glass under the passenger seat, and the car started sounding weird when turning and driving. On a morning, that same week dropping off my ex now at her job that same week, on my way back the suv started making the sounds more profound or louder (metal gri... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
ABS module went out, from what I’m reading it’s a common issue among Hondas
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
My SUV was sitting in the driveway and a crack appeared out of nowhere.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V542000 (Steering) and 24V591000 (Steering); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
4wd is unavailable - Service 4WD light on