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 6,381 complaints for MINI
Incident date: Apr 14, 2003
CRACKED WINDHSIELD ON MINI COOPER S. ONE OF PROBABLY THOUSANDS SUFFERED BY MIN OWNERS OWING TO THE GLASS BEING TOO THIN AND THE WINDSHIELD TOO UPRIGHT. THIS IA A DESIGN AND SAFETY ISSUE. MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED MONDAY APRIL 14. A SMALL STONE MAY HAVE HIT IT, BUT THE CRACK DID NO BEGIN UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. RANDOM CRACKS DUE TO STONES AND ROCKS ARE TO BE EXPECTED FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THE ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2003
MY MINI COOPER HAS DEVELOPED A HUGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER SAID THE CRACK WAS STARTED BY A CHIP FROM ROAD DEBRIS, HOWEVER CRACKED WINDSHIELDS ARE A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE MINI. MANY MINI OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THEIR WINDSHIELDS 3 OR 4 TIMES. BEFORE I BUY A NEW WINDSHIELD I WOULD LIKE ASSURANCES FROM MINI USA THAT THE REPLACEMENT WON'T PROMPTLY CRACK, AS HAS HAPPENED WITH MANY OTHER ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2003
MINI COOPER S 2002 HAD A CRACK START AND GROW UNTIL IT SPANNED THE WINDSHIELD. HAD TWO SUBSEQUENT ROCK CHIPS THAT GREW INTO MASSIVE CRACKS. THE WINDOW SEEMS TO CRACK TOO EASILY. *AK
Incident date: Jan 10, 2003
THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2002 MINI COOPER S DEVELOPED TWO CRACKS IN IT'S WINDSHIELD. I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN SEPT OF 2002. THE FIRST CRACK DEVELOPED AFTER OWNING THE CAR ABOUT 4 MONTHS AND MINI USA WOULD NOT REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. NOW A SECOND CRACK HAS DEVELOPED 3 MONTHS LATER. *TT
Incident date: May 29, 2003
MINI COOPER 2003 STOP DEAD AT THE THE INTERSECTION FOR THE THIRD TIME.THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK
Incident date: May 12, 2003
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOT THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE SIDE AIR BAG IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DEPLOY WITH NO REASON. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE WERE CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ACTIVATED.
Crash
Incident date: May 28, 2003
WHILE DRIVING THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *AK *CB *NLM
Incident date: May 2, 2002
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE WE BROUGHT THE CAR HOME. MINI HAS ATTEMPTED FIX THE PROBLEMS UNSUCCESSFULLY 8 TIMES, CULMINATING WITH THE DEALER GETTING INTO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHILE TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *NLM
Crash
Incident date: Feb 8, 2003
I NEED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD ON THE MINI COOPER 2002. ONE WEEK AFTER I GOT MY CAR, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN A CHIP APPEARED. I NEVER SAW OR HEARD ANYTHING HIT IT. I HAVE SINCE GOTTEN ABOUT 10 CHIPS IN MY WINDSHIELD. EVER SINCE I GOT THE CAR, MY WINDSHIELD HAS CREAKED AND MADE A LOT OF NOISE AS IF IT WERE SHIFTING AROUND. THIS SCARES ME SO MUCH! THEN, I HAD AN APPO... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2002
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR LESS THE VEHICLE STALLED. *NLM
Incident date: Apr 17, 2003
STRESS FRACTURE OF WINDSHIELD ABSENT SPECIFIC IMPACT FROM OUTSIDE SOURCE. NUMEROUS POSTS ON INTERNET FORUMS, INCLUDING THE MANUFACTURER SPONSORED MINI OWNER'S SITE REVEAL AN INCREASING NUMBER OF WINDSHIELDS DEVELOPING APPARENT STRESS FRACTURES. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THAT OF OTHERS IS THAT THE WINDSHIELD OF THE MINI HAS A PROPENSITY TO CRACK UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. DEALERS OFTEN DEN... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2003
I OWN A MINI COOPERS 2002. I HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN JANUARY OF 2003. I AM SURE THIS WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MY DEALER SAW OTHERWISE. MINI USA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS FLAW IN THEIR DESIGN. MY REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOR SUCH A DEFECT. *JB
Incident date: May 2, 2003
THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2002 MINI COOPER S CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT. IT WAS FINE IN THE MORNING BUT THERE WAS AN 8" CRACK WHEN I HOPPED IN FOR THE DRIVE HOME. I'M GUESSING THE HEAT (90 DEGREES F, WINDOWS UP, SUN REFLECTOR ON DASH) CAUSED A CONTAMINANT WITHIN THE WINDOW TO CAUSE STRESS, WHICH IN TURN BECAME A CRACK. JUDGING FROM THE MINI COOPER MESSAGE BOARDS ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2003
WINDSHIELD CRACK. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS REPORTING SIMILAR CRACKS IN THEIR WINDSHIELDS. MINI HAS STATED THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GLASS CRACKING DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION IN PREVIOUS BUILDS AND CURRENTLY HAVE A SURVEY FOR THE DEALERS TO PERFORM AN INSPECTION ON ANY WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS CONDUCTED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SURVEY IS EXPLAINED IN THIS BULLETIN SI M 51 02 03. THE PROBLE... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2003
THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BALD. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS NOT FROM ROUGH DRIVING. *NLM PH *JB
Incident date: Dec 24, 2002
THERE WERE TWO CHIPS AND A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. *JB
Incident date: Feb 14, 2003
2003 MINI COOPER CVT. VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. BOGGS DOWN, LUNGES UPON ACCELERATION. POWER FAILURE. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON DASH WARN OF PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ON THREE OCCASIONS FOR SAME PROBLEMS. BOGGS DOWN AND LUNGES CORRECTED BY REPROGRAMMING ON FIRST SERVICE. AFTER FIRST SERVICE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPT. WHO WERE UNA... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2003
THE VEHICLES REAR HATCH IS ELECTRONIC AND IF THE VEHICLES BATTERY DIED THERE WOULD BE NOT WAY TO INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
Incident date: Jun 20, 2002
WILDLY STUMBLES WHILE AUTO IS STOPPED. IT IS INTERMITTENT THERE IS ON CONSISTENCY TO THIS PROBLEM. *JB
Incident date: Feb 7, 2003
THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *JB
Incident date: Aug 9, 2002
THE HEAD LIGHT FAILED TWICE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE AND THEN THE COMPUTER CHIP. *JB
Incident date: Aug 26, 2002
THE DOOR LOCKS ACTIVATED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN EXAMINED BY THE DEALER TWICE, HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *JB
Incident date: Aug 15, 2002
THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
Incident date: Jan 5, 2003
CAR ALMOST STALLS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP. ACCELERATION RATES VARY AND SOMETIMES ARE DANGEROUSLY SLOW CAR LUNGES WHEN TRYING TO MOVE SMALL DISTANCES
Incident date: Jan 5, 2003
CAR ALMOST STALLS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP. ACCELERATION RATES VARY AND SOMETIMES ARE DANGEROUSLY SLOW CAR LUNGES WHEN TRYING TO MOVE SMALL DISTANCES
Incident date: Oct 28, 2002
I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 MINI COOPER, IT IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN THREE SEPARATE OCCASION TOTALLYING 54 DAYS, THE LAST TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT WAS 40 DAYS. THEY FINALLY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED, BUT IT TOOK THEM THAT LONG TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THA... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2002
VEHICLE WILL HESTITATE TO ACCELERATE AND INTERMITTENTLY LY STALL WHILE DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER.CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK
Incident date: Jul 20, 2002
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDERS. TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE OUTISIDE WHEEL. FIRESTONE, P22575R16 STEELTEX.*AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SEPARATED TREAD WAS WRAPPED AROUND TAILPIPE AND DAMAGED WHEEL WELL. *YH
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 25, 2002
AT 65MPH REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD STARTED TO SEPARATE CAUSING A BLOWOUT OUT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH. SIZE 22517R16, DOT UNKNOWN.*AK THE DOT OF THE TIRE IS VD1L1XD WITH A DATE CODE OF 368. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *JG
Incident date: Nov 19, 2000
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER, AND NOTICED THAT RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD HAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE. TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX, R4S #LT 225/7516M/S. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK DOT#VD1L1XD298. *SLC
Incident date: Aug 27, 2000
WE HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT WITH TREAD SEPARATION, AND LEARNED FROM THE DOT NUMBERS THAT THE TIRES ON OUR MOTORHOME CAME FROM THE SAME PLANT THAT THE RECALLED TIRES HAVE COME FROM, AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE TREAD SEPARATION THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND THAT IT MAY HAPPEN TO ANY OF THE OTHER TIRES. WE HAVE GOTTEN NO HELP FROM FIRESTONE OR FORD MOTOR COMPANY, ALL THAT THEY W... Read more