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: Dec 6, 2024
I could not find an exact category check above, but this does sort of relate to cruise control. The Driver Attention Warning cannot be disabled even though there is an option to disable it. Turning it off has no affect. This is a warning that basically tells you to keep your eyes on the road. Sunglasses and regular eyeglasses can often cause it to create a warning. The system will then turn off cr... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
This car overconsumes oil rapidly. I have always taken it for oil changes when due. I put hardly any miles on my car (10k or less annually) and every time I take it for an oil change they say it is extremely low. The oil light never comes on to alert me that it is low. About a week or two ago it started making a clicking noise and it was due for an oil change so I took it for one and the technicia... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
Passenger side rear axle bolt broken. Ford has issued a recall on earlier vehicles, but they still have not created a permanent fix and it is happening to the 2023 models as well
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
Multiple recalls for this VIN. My vehicle has had 2 recalls. H415 fault has occurred 2x. Starting with Recall H441: I was NEVER informed that there was a FIRE/safety hazard due to a recall. Safety Risk/Repair on Jags site read "A vehicle thermal overload condition such as fire or smoke can result in increased risk of occupant injury and/or injury to persons outside the vehicle, as well as prop... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The car updated itself and now my front collision warning light is on, I have tried to reset everything but still on. The update caused the warning light.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
2.0 ecoboost leaking coolant into cylinder head causing misfire.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
Vehicle has 40k after a oil change noticed oil spots on pavement took it back to the garage that did the task, was told that the leak was near cylinder #2. Called Mazda customer service and was informed that my warranty expired in May of 2024. my mechanic called Mazda parts to get the price of cylinder head and was told that they had a run on cylinder heads due to defective heads coming fro... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
I bought this vehicle and turns out the license plate reads as a Tahoe and now the electricial system u plugged speedometer don't work and everything is going out I need help I'm low on money but need help or resources email me [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the steering wheel became inoperable, and the vehicle stalled. There was an unknown red light displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (Steering). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the EPS ne... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Audi A5 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: ProContact GX AO, Tire Size: 255/35/R19, DOT Number: CP32WMC9. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24T009000 (Tires). The contact called the dealer to schedule an appointment and the dealer stated that the replacement tires were not yet available. The contact had also called a tire dealer, and t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH and hauling a small box trailer, the vehicle slid several times. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily and resumed driving; however, the failure recurred several times. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH and hauling a small box trailer, the vehicle slid several times. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily and resumed driving; however, the failure recurred several times. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
I purchased a 2017 yukon xl denali. In the short time that I have had the vehicle the transmission has started to make a loud audible popping noise when coming to a complete stop. I have take the vehicle to the GM dealership multiple times to try and get the problem fixed and according to them it is something with the transmission that they don't know exactly how to fix. So I am stuck with this 8l... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the intended destination; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle lost motive power.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
Multiple times while driving this vehicle, get the message loss of engine power, ABS light displays, and steering becomes difficult. Will be calling the dealership for repair. Once it resolved itself enough to drive over 100 miles after changing the battery, but the issue occurred again. Many searches online point to ABS, or Wheel issues. There are YouTube videos but this is a safety issue that sh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
Multiple times while driving this vehicle, get the message loss of engine power, ABS light displays, and steering becomes difficult. Will be calling the dealership for repair. Once it resolved itself enough to drive over 100 miles after changing the battery, but the issue occurred again. Many searches online point to ABS, or Wheel issues. There are YouTube videos but this is a safety issue that sh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was informed that parts for the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) were not available. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who replaced the fuse. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the driver’s side taillight became inoperable. There were no... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was informed that parts for the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) were not available. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who replaced the fuse. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the driver’s side taillight became inoperable. There were no... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
Rear Tail light assembly is faulty and allows water intrusion which affects the blind spot alert to send alert that service is needed. When this happens it causes the entire infotainment area and dash to begin flashing and going haywire. Nothing works. Windows will not respond or go up or down. Speedometer is not present at all. This happened to us while on a highway which was quite alarming. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 20 MPH, the brake warning light illuminated. A message "Steering Power Reduced" was displayed before the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that one day prior to the failure, the low power steering fluid warning light was illuminated, and the brake flu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
On October 30th 2024, I purchased a 2019 Kia Optima from San Diego Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. On November 26th the car was stolen from in front of my house, while the alarm was activated and the key was in our possession. I went online to the Kia website to find some information and found that there was a recall on that vehicle to install an anti-theft device. San Diego Chrysler did not have this... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
On Mon, Nov 18, 2025, I was driving at 60 mph with cruise on. Suddenly cruise was cancelled and check engine and low oil pressure lights came on. I pulled off road at earliest point possible. Seemed to be running ok. Drove slowly to a convenience store and turned off engine. I checked oil and it was low. When I was walking out to car after buying some oil, I saw oil under car. I called tow ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
Seatbelt light on, restraint System warning indicator on.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The seatbelt latches are not always reliable. We have only noticed this with the driver’s side seatbelt specifically during cold weather. We do not have a lot of back seat passengers not in car seats; therefore, cannot speak to the reliability of the back seat. We bought our car in 2022 and this issue started in 2023. So far, it is worse this winter than it was last year. It will take a couple o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
Driving at highway speed of 65 mph, the vehicle abruptly lost power. The check engine light started flashing. I was almost rear ended due to the loss of power, I was able to coast to the emergency shoulder and stop. The car was towed to the nearest Kia dealership. Diagnostics show code P1326, the engine has failed and needs to be replaced at a cost of over $10000. This the same engine that was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
1) Recall 2020-22 multi-model seat weight sensor safety recall. Called since February 2024 when it was posted. I called the dealership and was told that I will received a postcard by mail. I have been waiting for the postcard and called multiple dealerships multiple times. I have been told that they don't have the parts to fix the issue and be put on the waiting list until further notice. 2)The sc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Starting Dec 1st, the check engine light displayed on my dash and the electrical system has malfunctioned for many features of my vehicle. I am unable to switch to Sport & Eco Mode. The car also takes multiple tries to start the engine. It has been almost 4 months since the recall announcement and remediations are still not available. the engine coolant pump is a direct cause of short circuits and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The info center becomes unreadable therefore, if you use the back up camera, you cannot see clearly the objects behind your car. Volkswagen does not have a fix on this. They just recommend for now doing a hard reset on the info center. This is a concern of mine because it is a safety hazard when I try to use reverse I have to rely on mirrors and otherwise I have blind spots that I cannot see where... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The info center becomes unreadable therefore, if you use the back up camera, you cannot see clearly the objects behind your car. Volkswagen does not have a fix on this. They just recommend for now doing a hard reset on the info center. This is a concern of mine because it is a safety hazard when I try to use reverse I have to rely on mirrors and otherwise I have blind spots that I cannot see where... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The message that the coolant level was low was displayed. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact stated that the failure was related to Global Recall Action Number: N785V2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the coolant pipe needed t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
There is a recall of fuel pump replacement on Dec 18, 2023. I approached Lehigh Valley Honda for repair and they are saying I need to be on wait list. The CRV is stalling and stopping on highway while driving,need to be fixed ASAP before any accident
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
Rivian has a 'kneel' option that uses the powered air suspension to lower the vehicle to make entry and exiting the vehicle easier for users. Yes, this can be turned off or on. When on, the function stops if a main door (driver/passenger) is open and left open the car will not continue to kneel for safety purposes. However, it does NOT stop if you are using the rear hatch to access anything. T... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
While driving on a state highway in cruise mode, the vehicle displayed a “CHECK CONTROL” message: •Support from Driver Assistance restricted •You can continue driving. Driver Assistance permanently restricted. •Check Control messages (1) Suddenly, the car exited cruise mode. While this is designed as a safety feature, it should not disengage abruptly during driving, as it may lead to pot... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
Windshield is coated with a plastic to prevent rock chips. The wipers have grooved the plastic. If the sun is shining and we were to try to clean the windshield it would be very hard to see the road. Seems like a manufacturing defect.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
Windshield is coated with a plastic to prevent rock chips. The wipers have grooved the plastic. If the sun is shining and we were to try to clean the windshield it would be very hard to see the road. Seems like a manufacturing defect.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure was more significant while turning. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering); and related the failure to the recall. The contact stated that the failure had become progressively worse. The deale... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking and clicking sound. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced engine hesitation intermittently, and the failure became permanent. The contact stated that the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking and clicking sound. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced engine hesitation intermittently, and the failure became permanent. The contact stated that the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2022
While returning from a recent camping trip my wife while following the trailer home noticed the house structure was swaying and bouncing too much. She had thought the rig would fall apart. We arrived home and notice that the slide was out 2-4 inches, the cabin door had opened, an interior wall had separated from exterior wall and a side wall had flexed 2 or more inches out by another slide. There... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
My Ford Edge 2019 only has 68,000 miles and I felt it jerking at 30 mph. I checked with Ford, there is no recall. A transmission shop says the whole thing needs to be replaced because Ford uses cheaper parts on the transmission. Total cost will be $8,000. For a car with low miles. Online forums shows a lot of people have the same issues. Can they be forced to recall these?? Or help me pay f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
The collision system just randomly turns off
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
Vehicle torque converter broke internally at 76000 miles while on the highway, causing vehicle immobile while traveling at 55 mph. Almost rear ended trying to get off highway safely. Torque converter failure caused transmission to have to be rebuilt at a cost of $4,700. After doing some research it is a very common and defective problem with trucks using 6l80 transmission.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
On [XXX] at around 6pm the AIRBAG light displayed in instrument cluster and remained steady after vehicle was placed in motion. I called my nearest service dealer at Porsche Carlsbad and they ran a vehicle diagnosis using their scanning tool. The finding was that the Front Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor / Module was defective and needs replacement. The dealer also said that a recall had been i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
In reducing the truck's speed, there is a sharp-pitched, loud, one-click sound , when I turn the steering to the right hand side. (This sound seems to come from the driver's left side, between the front door and the rear door.) It happens very often, but not every time.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut off with the "Service Transmission - Restart in Park with Vehicle at Zero Speed" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that vehicle restarted after several attempts and resumed normal operation. The vehicle had been taken to several independent mechanics an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
I have a 2017 F-150 3.5 Ecoboost and contacted my local Ford dealership and was told my vehicle does not have a recall on the cam phasers but there is a recall on this faulty parts and I'm experiencing these parts failing with only 73,000 miles. Would there be a program I could qualify for to help with the replacement of these faulty parts ? Thank you.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that when purchasing the vehicle, while test-driving the vehicle, the contact became aware of an issue with the steering wheel. The contact stated that the steering wheel was shaking and jerking abnormally, and the steering wheel would self-correct. The contact reached out to the Hyundai of Wesley Chapel where the vehicle was purchased, and t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact slammed on the brakes to make an emergency stop. The vehicle stopped, but the engine revved to 500-800 RPMS. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle lurched forward, and the RPMs were significantly higher than normal. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the contact released t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
Turbo, Rear-Coupler, Engine, Actuator Car was squealing and I was told that the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. Replaced this. Car still squealing and took it back. They replaced the belt, again.. Still squealing, now I am told its the tensioner that needs to be replaced but only Infiniti can do this (belt done at Firestone). At Infiniti - they look at the car and the tensioner is fine. Bu... Read more