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: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact became aware of smoke in the rearview mirror and heard a loud thud. The contact exited the highway and drove to a gas station where the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated there was oil dripping from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for an oil change and the contact was informed that there was coolant leaking from the water pump and that the water pump needed to be replaced to prevent further damage to the internal components of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
Uncontrollably loud static noise coming from speakers, even when the head unit is turned off. This noise gets so loud, it becomes a safety issue and a distraction while driving. This noise cannot be turned down or off.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was under load between 1200-1500 RPMs. The contact stated that while the RPM was at 1,200, the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Went to use the brakes and they would not work. Had to swerve into a ditch to stop. ABS and Traction issue.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Windshield began to crack in the lower right corner (sitting in drivers seat) over a year ago, was replaced and just noticed a crack again recently starting in the same spot.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
gasket around fuel pump failed allowing gas to pool on top of fuel tank under the back seat on passenger side . this resulted in a strong "gas/fuel" smell from fuel vapors colecting inside the car and the obvious risk of ignition/explosion and negative health effects of breathing said fumes .the vehicle has not been inspected yet because we are afraid to start the vehicle let alone drive it to the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated, hesitated, and shifted out of gear independently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer 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... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after the first failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and an undisclosed part was cleaned; however, the f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
Check engine light received a diagnosis from Mercedes dealership that the crankcase ventilator line is malfunctioning and it’s a very common issue with this model. The transmission stalls during driving, the gears do not jump properly and the car cannot reverse, extremely dangerous at intersections and on the highway. Car needs to be turned off, cooled and restarted. This issue first appeared wi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Ridgeline The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not ma... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to respond while in drive(D) and reverse(R). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission neede... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
Battery is healthy, but car wouldn’t start. Car was just inspected and passed with flying colors. The car has stalled three times while driving, and a fourth time, it wouldn’t start. It gave the red battery warning on the dashboard when it wouldn’t start. Waited a few minutes and tried a couple times and it finally started. Drove it home nearby and don’t plan on driving it until problem is... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The tail lights won’t stay on even with new bulbs in it. This was a recall and the recall disappeared. This is not safe for my car to be missing a tail light every night. Please help
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several local dealers were contacted. 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 no... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
My 2019 Kona seems to have the same o-rings that are in the hybrid model. It keeps stalling and losing oil consistently. This engine is no good and needs to be replaced!
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
The cars RPM continuously os ul and down while driving causing the car the continously jerk while driving. Which has been to the shop two times for the same issue. The car hesitates a lot when pressing the gas as if it's lost power.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Vehicle Information: • Make: Tesla • Model: Model Y • Year: 2025 Description of the Problem: After a software update pushed by Tesla, the AP4 computer in my 2024 Tesla Model Y shorted out, causing a complete failure of all systems controlled by this computer. The following safety-critical and driver-assist features have become non-functional: Cruise Control (adaptive or otherwise) ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 iss... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
This Jeep has gone back to the dealership 3 times for dangerous Undrivability, twice on the back of a tow truck, and third time retrieved by the dealer for repair. It has endangered my family on multiple occasions, each for a different reason, making this car unsafe to have my family drive in. It is less than one year old. Only 1 month after purchasing, it died in a parking lot with my family i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the battery warning illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several seconds after the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast into a parking lot and the vehicle was taken to a Parts Store where a new battery was purchased. The contact installed the batt... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the battery warning illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several seconds after the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast into a parking lot and the vehicle was taken to a Parts Store where a new battery was purchased. The contact installed the batt... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that shortly after refueling the vehicle; while his wife was driving at a slow speed and merging onto the highway, the transmission failed to shift above 4th gear. In addition, the contact stated that the RMP had increased but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local deale... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driving assist and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the turn signal and steering wheel modules needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 60 - 65 MPH with the defroster activated, the rear windshield started to crack. The driver drove the vehicle to the contact's residence and parked the vehicle. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was prompted to leave a voicemail. The contact had not heard back from the dealer. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Engine block failure at 47k miles. Car was driven at 1/4 throttle or less when detonation occurred creating a hole in the engine block. This is so prevalent that it is colloquially termed “ecoboom.” Cost of repair is nearly $9,500
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
Airbag light has been lit for a while now for my 2004 Acura MDX. I originally took the car to Courtesy Acura for them to check what causing it. They told me that the sensor should be replaced and I paid $260+. After replacing sensor, the Airbag light still lit. They told me that they need to replace the front seatbelt buckles. One buckle (PART NO: 04813-S3V-A62ZC) arrived but the other one has bee... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
Airbag light has been lit for a while now for my 2004 Acura MDX. I originally took the car to Courtesy Acura for them to check what causing it. They told me that the sensor should be replaced and I paid $260+. After replacing sensor, the Airbag light still lit. They told me that they need to replace the front seatbelt buckles. One buckle (PART NO: 04813-S3V-A62ZC) arrived but the other one has bee... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
THROTTLE LAG WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULITIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING THIS. I FEAR THAT IF THIS DOES NOT GET FIXED MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE SEVERLEY INJURED OR MAY END UP DEAD. I TOOK IT TO 2 TOYOTA DEALERS. ONE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND ONE IN DEL RIO, TEXAS THEY BOTH SAID, "WE SEE NOTHING WRONG. AND TO... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Brake light switch outage keeps happening
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Intermittently flash warning lights on panel- all warnings at once. The vehicle maintenance log does not indicate the issues showing on the panel are relevant. It comes and goes, sometimes for weeks. Dealership has been unable to diagnose issue and the recall for similar issue - which has happened on other 2018 Honda accords, not showing as related to my VIN# despite being the same problem as th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The motorized charge port door no longer opens. There is no manual operation rendering the vehicle unable to charge. This presents a potential hazardous situation if the error occurred during a road trip where there are greater distances between charging stations and services. GM customer service and OnStar could not resolve the issue when contacted.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The motorized charge port door no longer opens. There is no manual operation rendering the vehicle unable to charge. This presents a potential hazardous situation if the error occurred during a road trip where there are greater distances between charging stations and services. GM customer service and OnStar could not resolve the issue when contacted.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint •Vehicle Information: •Make: Tesla •Model: Model 3 •Year: 2022 •Summary of Incident: On November 28,2024, I experienced an incident involving my 2022 Tesla Model 3 while it was stationary just outside my garage. I accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake. The car surged forward and crashed into the back wall of my garage. Despite Tesl... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
Engine subframe catastrophic failure (left side) due to severe corrosion. Lower control arm detached resulting in erratic handling and pulling. Car unsafe to drive and expensive to repair at ~$2200. Did research and found to be a very common complaint for 2010-2014. Recall needs to be issued to replace corroded subframes.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
THROTTLE LAG WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULITIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING THIS. I FEAR THAT IF THIS DOES NOT GET FIXED MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE SEVERLEY INJURED OR MAY END UP DEAD. I TOOK IT TO 2 TOYOTA DEALERS. ONE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND ONE IN DEL RIO, TEXAS THEY BOTH SAID, "WE SEE NOTHING WRONG. AND TO... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Having major issues with the auto stop control, it has turned the truck off while sitting in the middle of an intersection, has stalled my truck multiple times in busy areas of on coming traffic, has shortened my battery life and my starter, and it has shown different warning icons. The power train is also acting up by hard shifting, not wanting to switch gears, skipping gears, and also making it ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
Car will not accelerate fast up hills
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
Sudden Engine Failure. Possibly connecting rod related
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
Each time I don't drive for a few days and start driving again, the car jerks/jolts as it's shifting gears (both when I'm accelerating and decelerating). The sudden jolts is dangerous as I'm gauging cars ahead and behind me as I'm driving. But when I brought it up to the service department, they said they can't diagnose it if it isn't happening at the moment, but by the time I've driven to a deale... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked while working and after returning to the vehicle and attempting to restart the vehicle, the message "Reduced Power" was displayed, and the vehicle was not able to be started. The contact's son had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the high-pressure fuel ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
While driving the car, the drivers side view mirror constantly shakes. The corporate mechanic advised he could not fix it. Nissan refusing to correct the issue. Almost involved in two accidents.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
NOVEMBER 2023: PURCHASE VEHICLE. SEPTEMBER 2, 2024: DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 50-55MPH IN RIGHT LANE. NO ONE/NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME. CLEAR DAY. VEHICLE COLLISION ALERT STARTS BEEPING, VEHICLE ABRUPTLY BRAKES AND STEERS ITSELF INTO THE LEFT LANE. I FEARED FOR MY LIFE AND ALSO FOR THE PERSON WHO WAS BEHIND ME. SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2024: DROP OFF VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE. NOTFD SERVICE ADVISOR OF ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was in to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (POWER TRAIN); the mechanic discovered metal shavings inside the rear axle differential fluid. The contact was advised that the rear axle assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assist... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
My 2019 Mazda CX-5 suddenly developed a major oil leak within the last 7 days. My car has only 44,350 miles and I have had all scheduled and required maintenance completed timely, including oil/filter changes, coolant level checking and maintenance, etc. I took the car to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the problem as a cracked cylinder head. I then took the car to a local Mazda dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, and the transmission failed to shift into third gear. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notifie... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler 300. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V198000 (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 not... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler 300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment center did not function as intended. The contact stated that when the radio was turned on, the headlights independently became disabled. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was driving at night. Additionally, the contact stated that the radio controlled the fu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on the highway, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked and inspected the vehicle and became aware that the rear passenger’s side rotor was scratched. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diag... Read more