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: Nov 8, 2024
While driving at low speed and slightly uneven surface...approaching stop signs or intersections. The ABS system kicks in, shakes aggressively and can no longer control vehicle to come to a stop. This is a sporadic incident and has happened 3 times so far.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2024
I was driving the Forte and my steering wheel started to feel loose. It would click when I turned it. When I would go over a speed bump or hit a pot hole, my steering would jolt and make a loud noise. While driving on the highway, steering seemed loose and wasn't stable. I drove slower because I was afraid the problem would become worse or I would lose control of the steering.b
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Problem: Emissions System Problem I am reaching out to request an expansion of the coverage provided by Service Bulletin 21-010 to include vehicles of the same model year, trim level, and similar specifications—even if they fall outside the currently specified VIN range. I believe this case is reason for Honda to consider expanding the coverage due to the potential for this issue to affect addit... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Problem: Emissions System Problem-I am reaching out to request an expansion of the coverage provided by Service Bulletin 21-010 to include vehicles of the same model year, trim level, and similar specifications—even if they fall outside the currently specified VIN range. I believe this case is reason for Honda to consider expanding the coverage due to the potential for this issue to affect addit... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
Power steering intermittently stops working while driving.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
Shifted the operating car from park to drive when the car suddenly and unexpectedly took off even though I was not touching the accelerator. The car accelerated across the street and slammed into a parked car. The airbags did not deploy which would indicate a low-speed but the pre-collision system did not stop the car which would indicate higher- speed. My car was written off as a complete loss... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
While I was driving my new 2025 Lexus NX 350H on the freeway, the driver side rear tire disintegrated and I had to make an emergency evasive maneuver to the shoulder of the freeway!
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
While I was driving my new 2025 Lexus NX 350H on the freeway, the driver side rear tire disintegrated and I had to make an emergency evasive maneuver to the shoulder of the freeway!
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the accelerator was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated before responding as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle only hesitated while accelerating. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
After driving for a short distance in my 2017 F250 Diesel (75k miles) I pulled into a store. Turned off truck. Upon return and starting truck I got a dash alert that said Adaptive Steering Fault Service Required. When I began to drive I noticed my steering wheel was turned left to the 10 o’clock position while driving straight down the road. I drove to the dealer as I felt my batteries were slug... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the paint on the hood, the front driver-side door, and the rear passenger-side door was peeling. No warning light was illuminated. The VIN was included in an unknown manufacturer's customer program related to the paint issue. The vehicle was taken to an auto body shop where it was diagnosed that certain areas of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
The back-up camera is BARELY visible at any time, no matter if it's daylight or dark. It is impossible to see if there is any object behind my vehicle.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
At 66,000 miles my 2019 Jeep Cherokee gave me a service 4WD light. The error code is related to needing to replace the PTU. This causes a huge safety issue as to when the car decides to be in 4WD or front wheel drive. I have experienced loss of directional control in light rain with normal acceleration due to this fault. I was told that this will cost around $4,000 to replace and the wait time on... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The trailer braking system keeps chiming and going on and off ever 1-2 sec. Detracting and over rides all other information on screen. Including speed. Has been happening for months and now consistently.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact owned a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was involved in a head-on collision, which was no fault of the contact. The contact's vehicle was damaged to the front of the vehicle and on the passenger's front side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the other driver's vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle at a hi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
This is the second time that I have had issues with a coolant leak leeching onto my engine. The coolant leaks out and causes toxic fumes in the cabin that have repeatedly caused me and my passengers severe damage to our mucus membranes resulting in coughing and difficulty breathing. I have literally had to drive with my windows down in the cold autumn air because I cannot breathe in my vehicle. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V720000 (Electrical System); 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. Additionally, the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I have been experiencing sponginess in the brakes. the air conditioner stopped working, the temperature gauges stopped working, and the ABS and Brake light are all on in the dash. Reviewing possible fixes according to Toyota Nation Forum online all these symptoms are a result of an ABS Control Module. This part alone costs almost $1500.00 and supposedly is a very common problem with this type of ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that one of the cell phone charging stations was not working and had and had turned brown in color. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V720000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unava... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
Our daughter was notified by another driver at a stoplight that her brake lights were not working. The car's brake sensors indicated the brake lights were not working, while driving the light went off and the lights worked again momentarily. The Hyundai dealership refused to address the problem when it was taken in for maintenance because the light did not appear for them they said it wasn't possi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Civic. The contact stated that when attempting to make a left turn into a parking lot, after being idle, the steering wheel seized while still turned to the left. This caused the vehicle to continue turning to the left. The vehicle resulted in crashing into another vehicle nearby ultimately coming to a complete stop. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's left ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Civic. The contact stated that when attempting to make a left turn into a parking lot, after being idle, the steering wheel seized while still turned to the left. This caused the vehicle to continue turning to the left. The vehicle resulted in crashing into another vehicle nearby ultimately coming to a complete stop. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's left ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not e... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
A deer was standing ahead in the road and I began to brake! I was only going 25-30mph. The brakes were hard to push and it felt like something was malfunctioning eventually hitting the deer straight on!!! The Automatic Braking System did NOT work, the forward collision warning did NOT work and the BRAKES did not work after pressing hard to brake to avoid a collision!!! I have had this BMW for ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The oil pressure sensor causes the light to come on and the engine to run bad and the fix is very very pricey and i have seen MANY people online complaining about this.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
I’ve had intermittent issues where the one pedal driving feature would disable itself. Last night I narrowly avoided a T-bone collision as the OPD deactivated and as I approached a junction it took me a second to realize the car was not stopping and it was only by sheer luck that the other vehicle stopped abruptly so we didn’t collide.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering started shuddering and the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact then noticed that the front driver's side wheel was wobbling. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the wheel. The contact noticed that two of the wheel studs of the front driver's side wheel had fractured. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 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 unavailable. 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 not experienced a failure. Parts distr... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
With no warning while driving on the Interstate at highway speed, the service light came on reading "Power Steering Drive with Care"/"Stabilitrak". Safety was very at risk, since we were driving down the interstate at regular speed and getting ready to go through a mountainous section. We have taken the truck to the dealership and they were unable to duplicate the fault. they did notice low voltag... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while reversing during morning startup and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal loud moaning sound. The contact stated that the abnormal loud sound increased over time. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer several times, where the failure was acknowledged, but the v... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal thumping sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact noticed a smoky smell in the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exhaust system need... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
My vehicle has a open recall effecting the water pump and electrical issues. Whenever I drive it, the front hood starts to smoke. I notified the main bmw dealer and local bmw service. They stated there is no remedy available yet. This is my only source of transportation to work. Which is half hour away from my house. I explained the situation to the manufacturer. I have only been given the runarou... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start after several attempts. The message "Low Coolant" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had le... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall re... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
While driving, vehicle will display "stop safely vehicle will stop soon" and illuminate the battery and auto stop/start icons. This had happened previously and I was advised to have the auxillary battery replaced. After, the issue did not occur for a month or so but happened again. Had been intermittent but the car never shut off as I have read has happened to others. The additional issue I have i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
Fuel injection systems failed At 5000 miles cell 2 At 15000 miles cell 3 Under warranty but although tech said other two would fail prematurely Hyundai would not replace cell one and 4 As these failures happen suddenly without warning while driving I feel this is a serious safety hazard
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
my gear shifter in my 2021 Rogue was stuck in park. I was stuck in the middle of a 6 lane road. Car would not go into drive or reverse in heavy traffic or neutral. Had waited for police they arrived 15 minutes later car was able to engage drive . Then towed to Nissan of Rockville Center NY. I was informed that liquid was under gear shifer and the electronics were faulty. I had the same issue in 20... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
my gear shifter in my 2021 Rogue was stuck in park. I was stuck in the middle of a 6 lane road. Car would not go into drive or reverse in heavy traffic or neutral. Had waited for police they arrived 15 minutes later car was able to engage drive . Then towed to Nissan of Rockville Center NY. I was informed that liquid was under gear shifer and the electronics were faulty. I had the same issue in 20... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
Issue a recall here! Many others are reporting this identical issue and a class action suit has been filed! ABS sensor light and chime comes on at random times. My truck just reached 100,000 miles. I've performed no troubleshooting but it is extremely intermittent, either the Service the Automatic or Service the Electronic Braking System(s). Usually, a bump in the road makes it come and another tu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2024
While waiting at a stop light when the automatic start kicked back in it was so hard I felt that someone had rear ended my car and then the car stalled. I had to put the car in park and restart the engine. My biggest fear is being rear ended. My engine whines and the rpm will hit 4 or 5 before the car will shift into the next gear. It does the ssame thing when trying to accelerate - it's as if it'... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating and jerking while driving. The emissions and AWD warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a fuel leak, and the fuel pump was replaced. After the vehicle was repaired, the contact started smelling an abnormal burning fuel odor. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The straps for the car seat do not secure and are easily untightened. The issue is solely with the Nuna Rava car seat and not the vehicle. My 1 year old was completely unstrapped after driving because he was playing with the straps. After investigating I found I could easily untighten the straps with one hand without pushing the button to release the tension on the straps. Food debris got unde... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
Transmission Warning Indicator appears on Dashboard Cluster and vehicle bucks and stalls and won't shift properly. Dealership found Transmission was never filled properly and below specifications according to Kia Service and was verified the fluid level was extremely low and not filled to specification from factory. The dealership filled transmission to proper level and test drove vehicle. Issue s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); 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 contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
I am experiencing two significant issues with my 2016 Ford Focus, both of which closely match known recall problems documented for this model and year. However, my vehicle’s VIN does not currently show an active recall, and Ford has not covered the repairs. Canister Purge Valve (Error Code P1450): The canister purge valve in my vehicle is malfunctioning, leading to rough idling, poor fuel econo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
The Low Beam Lights are extremely Dim, Had to drive with Hight Beam ON all the time, which would make it dangerous for the on comers, During rain or fog, high beam should not be used and Low beam is of no help at all, its a prevalent with 2015 RDX base model at least, Apparently Honda does not want to care about that.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
2015 Volkswagen cc I was told that the ABS module has gone bad. Some of theses vehicles are on recall, mine is not. I was also told by the dealer that there is a national backorder on this part. I’m not sure what I can do at this point.