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 169,480 complaints - component: ENGINE
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
My 2016 Kia Soul (1.6L GDI engine) experienced a catastrophic, sudden engine failure while driving, preceded by Check Engine Light code P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold). This exact failure sequence is the precise subject of active NHTSA Safety Recall Campaign 19V120 (Kia Campaign SC176).Although the vehicle received the mandated SC176 preventative software update in 2019, the und... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while idling at a stop light the vehicle suddenly stalled. The engine did not restart and the vehicle was pushed to a nearby parking space. During the failure no warning lights or messages had displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2021) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 28, 2026
The cam carriers for my vehicle are leaking oil. This is an incredible common, seemingly almost guaranteed, issue with these vehicles from Subaru at the 75-90k mile mark. The carrier are dripping oil, so worse than seeping, but not pouring. This runs the risk of the engine bleeding oil fast and running dry without checking oil levels every week or so and carrying extra emergency oil. This is a hug... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle idled and drove unusually rough. In addition, t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
Beginning on 04/17/2026, my vehicle began displaying multiple safety-related dashboard warnings simultaneously, accompanied by audible alerts. The warnings included the Forward Collision Safety System, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Stability and Traction Control, Lane Keep Assist, and AUTO HOLD — all activating at the same time. These warnings reappeared on several occas... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The reason for the recall on this make and model is what I'm experiencing now. The whole car will shutdown power while driving with no warnings. In traffic the car will just roll to a stop with cars closely behind me. I bought the call September 2016 yet I just saw a recall when I signed up for triple a. The last 12 months I have been on n and out of shops trying to find the reason. Starter was fi... Read more
BMW
K 1600 GTL
(2018) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Head gasket seal broken, leading to coolant leak into the engine causing misfire
Incident date: May 26, 2026
[XXX] [XXX] Fax: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Vehicle radiator cracked at 31k miles on the highway leaving myself and my family stranded. My roof has been leaking since I bought the vehicle and Mazda keeps saying they can't replicate the issue and if I can find it they will then fix it. I don't think that's my job. I bought a car that I expected to be able to drive safely without issues. I don't want to play find the issue because I'm not a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
My torque converter went bad on my 2017 Ford Fusion, it's the same problem the other 2017 Ford Fusions had with their torque converter however my vin is not on the recall.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I received a voluntary emissions update letter from kia, and although it was voluntary, the letter said failure to update could be considered lack of maintenance. The update was performed on XXX at Dorsch Ford/Kia in [XXX]. The vehicle ran poorly from that day forward. I gave it a couple of weeks to insure that the system could learn my driving habits. I then went to the Dorsch service department ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
We have been waiting for this solution to this recall and it’s made my family nervous to have vehicles that can catch fire at any point Our mental health has suffered
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
car starts emitting white smoke with plastic burning smell inside car and outside. no notifications on dash board before this happens therefore emitting this white smoke into car which we are subjected to inhaling further
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 5 to 10 MPH attempting to park the vehilce lunged forward traveling 20 feet and crashed into the house. The air bags deployed. No warning lights were illuminated , There was no injuries or fire. A police report was filed. The gas company was on the scene due to a gas leak. Additionally the... Read more
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Engine shuts off while idling and also while driving. While driving, the condition most commonly occurs at speeds under 10 mph, but it has occurred on public roads and highways. When the engine shuts off, the truck violently engages Auto Park while the vehicle is still in motion. The condition occurs multiple times per day. There are no warning lights or messages prior to the shutdown. The condit... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
I own a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE High Altitude (VIN: [XXX]) with three open safety recalls, two of which involve fire hazards: NHTSA ID 25V741000 – High Voltage Battery May Fail and Cause Fire (parts available) NHTSA ID 25V766000 – Engine Failure May Cause Fire or Loss of Drive Power (parts not available) 2.0L PHEV Engine recall (parts not available) I have been trying to schedule a recall rep... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Head gasket leak - 3rd head gasket. Know issue in CRVs . Vehicle will not go when gas is pressed (intermittent), vehicle sporadically sputters when in idle, engine overheated.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2024) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 1, 2026
I started the vehicle in the morning, and noticed a knocking noise from deep inside the engine. Took the vehicle to the dealership, the knocking be turned into squealing and grinding and banging, check engine light came on, and vehicle died in front of the service department door. I’m an experienced auto technician and know that that was a connecting rod bearing knock. And now need a new engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing excessive engine oil consumption. The engine burns approximately one quart of oil per week during normal driving conditions. There are no visible oil leaks, and no warning lights, check engine light, or other dashboard messages have appeared. The oil level drops rapidly between oil changes and requires frequent topping off to prevent the engine from running low on oil. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I am filing a complaint regarding the premature head gasket failure on my 2021 Honda Accord, which failed on May 28, 2026, with only 89,000 miles on the vehicle. A head gasket is a critical engine component that should last well beyond 89,000 miles under normal driving conditions and proper maintenance. I purchased this vehicle because of Honda's reputation for reliability and longevity, and I am... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Check engine light (MIL) came on while driving and vehicle lost power. Would not accelerate. Had it towed to Mercedes Benz of Mrytle Beach. $8000 repair. Mercedes Corp would not help. This is a copy of a TSB (LI05.20-P-080257) for this issue: Complaint engine vibrations perceived at low rpm. Fault codes for the camshaft position of the intake camshaft (p001100, p001104, p001200) or exhaust... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
Vehicle suddenly shifts to 1st gear while travelling at 45MPH or more causing immediate jerking and slowing of vehicle, placing driver, occupants and other drivers at risk of crash. In this condition, the speedometer reads 0MPH while still travelling and other warnings on dash are: Airbag Failure, Blindspot system fault, Cross traffic system fault, and See manual. Vehicle then appears stuck in 3... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Truck has 116k miles, started losing power and acceleration diminished. CEL and Trac Off light came on. Pulled over twice after experiencing same issue. Took to mechanic and diagnostic code P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). Replaced 6 spark plugs to be safe, and replaced broken coil in cylinder 1. Drove less than a mile and CEL came back on. Brought to dealership this time and they found a leak in the h... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
On June 1, 2026 driving eastbound on I-64 in Louisville, KY. Engine shut-off warning popped up and engine immediately shut off. There were no prior warnings or unusual engine or noises. 3 passengers in car. Had to change 2 lanes and then onto shoulder while coasting and slowing down. Car was incapacitated and gave battery and 0% oil read. Oil is changed regularly and engine recall work had been pe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
While driving my 2022 Honda CRV at highway speeds and at operating temperature, the steering sticks and/or pauses then releases causing the steering to jerk back in the opposite direction. This creates a major safety issue while driving on the highway and can potentially cause an accident. Additionally, when turning the vehicle left at slow speeds, we would periodically hear a clicking noise. Thes... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - ENGINE
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Component Failure: The vehicle is equipped with the M274 2.0L turbocharged engine, which suffered a major internal mechanical defect. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership diagnosed the vehicle at 79,504 miles with a malfunction in the crankcase ventilation system alongside severe internal defects, quoting a total repair estimate of $9,851 to perform extensive engine work. Safety Risk: This known... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My brand new 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport-L experienced sudden significant power loss while operating on highway around 300 or so miles. Dashboard displayed warning: 'Emissions system problem — power may be reduced — see your dealer.' I had to immediately get off the highway and very slowly drive back home and then took it to the dealer as soon as their service dept. opened after that. Vehicle... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Car shut off in the middle of the road while driving and auto braked. Had to get a tow. Dealership said engine is bad now.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 3, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
At approximately 87,000 miles, my 2021 GLE350 (M264 2.0T engine) experienced a severe engine misfire resulting in a flashing check engine light, rough idle, engine shaking, significant loss of power, and near-stall condition. The vehicle was taken to Speedhaus Automotive (Newbury Park, CA) where all four ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. Total repair cost was approximately $635. This f... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
When I bought the car it stuttered it ended up being the clutch then my transmission went out The bolt in my engine mount broke and my engine was basically on the ground
Incident date: May 29, 2026
A major engineering and material design failure occurred involving internal fluid containment seals, resulting in a severe electrical safety hazard. Pressurized engine coolant breached an internal component seal and began migrating internally directly through the vehicle's engine wiring harness via capillary/siphoning action. The fluid used the sealed wiring loom as a literal pipeline, traveling ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
I was driving when the vehicle stalled while slowing down. It stalled several more times at a stop light, and then when slowing down or accelerating slowly. I then noticed the engine started making a noise. I have parked it and not been able to drive it since. No safety indicators popped up during the stalling. When the engine started making a noice the check engine light then turned on. The car h... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
My 2019 Mazda CX-5 (equipped with the 2.5L naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engine with cylinder deactivation) has experienced a severe structural failure resulting in a cracked engine cylinder head. This casting defect allows pressurized motor oil to leak continuously from the cylinder head down onto the hot engine block and nearby exhaust components. This has led to the following severe safety ris... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - ENGINE
Jun 3, 2026
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Vehicle has been recalled for a speed sensor issue that still persists. Recall repair was NOT properly executed. Vehicle engine still randomly shuts off while in idle at stoplights and during travel. Engine won’t start at this point.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Engine and Transission System Fuel Management system, How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving the vehicle it would just shut off, when you tried to restart vehicle it would not start all you could smell was gas. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This happened on ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The engine check appeared on dashboard then engine did not start, Vehicle towed to dealership. Where they discovered a lift pin had broke. A new engine was ordered. Details on incident: I driving on I88 at 70 mile per hour when my vehicle when from 70 to 30 with engine check flashing running rough. After pulling off to side of the HWY, turn-off the engine and calling for help. I decided to try ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Initial Breakdown: July 2024, my 2021 Kia Soul (under 40,000 miles) idled roughly and stalled while in motion. It restarted, but as a precaution, I towed it to Kia Greenbrier Chesapeake while it was operable. After diagnostics, the vehicle would no longer start. Warranty Denial: The dealer blamed engine sludge from two missed oil changes in 2022 and quoted $10,000 for a new engine. In August 2024... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2024) - ENGINE
Jun 3, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Check engine light came on after feeling hesitation while driving and roughness while stopped. Diagnostic eval was done at shop and Evaporation Emissions Purge Valve was found to be faulty and replaced. Mechanic stated after the repair that this was a problem with certain year Traverses (unsure of which at the time) and an extended warranty was added that include 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Problem with the fuel pump control module. Car broke down in front of my neighbor’s house. Now there is a problem with the transmission. It is slipping and there’s a clunking noise.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
The vehicle has gone into a limp mode unexpectedly while driving on the highway at 60+ mph. The first issue was on May 13, 2026. The car immediately stopped driving and went into limp mode and cannot go over 30 mph. It was taken to a service dealer. They could not replicate the problem, therefore the vehicle was given back as undiagnosed. This next incident occurred and almost caused an accident,... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I just bought my Subaru outback brand new in October 2025. I’ve maintained my oil changes at the dealership. I bought it from in the last one was last may 26. I filled up my tank with a full tank of gas June 1. On June 2 when I was driving home from work on the I 94 Highway in Detroit Michigan I was going about 50 mph when my check engine light went on and within seconds the engine failed. The c... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
This make and model Honda with a 2.4L engine have several known defects which brings potential harm and high operational and repair costs to its owners. Honda is well aware of the engine problems but refuses to issue recalls to correct the problem. Two of the major problems are: 1. due to a design error, the engine burns excessive amounts of oil, and 2. Honda installed a defective VTC Actuator i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
1. The engine architecture suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. Specifically, severe, systemic internal oil consumption/vaporization starved the hydraulic timing chain tensioner of critical hydrostatic pressure. This caused the tensioner to collapse, creating slack in the steel timing chain, which then "jumped time" (skipped a tooth on the camshaft sprockets), causing the engine to instantl... Read more
FIRESTONE
TRANSFORCE AT
(9999) - ENGINE
Jun 3, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Vehicle has only 48,037 miles. Diagnosed with bad cylinders 1 and 2 . Coolant also contaminated cylinders. I took vehicle to Autonation Honda Corpus Christi twice before the diagnosis. Vehicle was running rough. When first turn on engine especially when it is cold, there's a lot of engine shakes. Same as in when on idle. Technician said he could not duplicate problem but did not perform diagnostic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a . The check engine light illuminated, while driving, the vehicle shifted to a lower gear unexpectedly and the turbo began to make a noise., the RPM's rapidly increased. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the doors locked after her husband exited the vehicle. The key fob failed to open the door. After two hours, the vehicle suddenly unlocked. No warning lights were illuminated. Upon starting the vehicle, it was driven to another location but failed to restart. The vehicle made an abnormal trembling sound. The vehicle was jump-started. The br... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
My 2019 Sorento 3.3L suffered high oil consumption followed by a severe oil leak at the back of the head/engine block threads. There is an odor of coolant which smells sweet with no visible coolant leak meaning there is likely coolant seeping into the engine mixing with the oil. I believe this an ongoing engine failure caused from Kia not correcting the issues over many years.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The Throttle response is very slow when slowing down and then trying to take back off you are half throttle or more before anything happens, i have had to pull off the road to keep other vehicles from hitting me because the vehicle would not go. There has been a few times on the interstate that the throttle would not accept throttle at all and i would have to keep mashing it to finally get it to r... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start, the vehicle was , the hood was raised, the contact went back to the vehicle to try to start, the vehicle would not turn over with clicking in the engine. the vehicle began to smoke with very thick white smoke, the contact was unable to exit the vehicle of the drivers side front seat. The battery was disc... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
Car would shut off shortly after using remote start on key fob then display a warning on digital instrument cluster for two days now. It would also show my speed going back and forth from 0 to 1mph while parked.