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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 169,480 complaints - component: ENGINE

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

The fan kept running with the vehicle turned off, the engine caught fire. The vehicle was totaled

Fire

Incident date: Dec 23, 2025

Engine Failure at 35,000 miles due to well known and documented engine design flaw between cylinder 2 and 3. The gasket fails and leaks coolant into the cylinders causing engine failure. An upgraded 2020 engine that has fixed the issue is required.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [XXX] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 17, 2026

This vehicle has experienced repeated catastrophic engine and drivability failures since purchase and has now undergone four engine replacements under warranty. Despite these major repairs, the vehicle continues to experience dangerous shutdown/stalling conditions. The primary safety issue occurs while braking or coming to a stop. The engine will suddenly shut off unexpectedly, creating a serious... Read more

Incident date: May 19, 2026

purchased a vehicle that has experienced ongoing mechanical and safety-related defects, including excessive oil consumption, seat belt malfunctions, and unresolved injector recall issues. Despite multiple repair attempts by the dealership, the problems continue to persist and have not been permanently corrected. These defects substantially affect the vehicle’s safety, reliability, value, and eve... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

While operating the vehicle on the highway at speeds around 55 to 60 mph, without warning, the engine suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal mechanical engine failure that resulted in an immediate and complete loss of motive power, rendering the vehicle entirely undriveable. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership for a formal tear-down and diagnosis. They Hyundai dealership ... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

Bought the car 8 months ago from a Kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled Kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different Kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I’m sure records ref... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving, the engine revved lightly. Over time the vehicle began to lunge forward, and the revving had become more intense. The RPM increased and revved. While reversing, the vehicle lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the m... Read more

Incident date: Apr 2, 2025

I am submitting a vehicle safety and certification concern regarding a 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid that was marketed and offered for sale as a Kia Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle by Shawnee Mission Kia, 7951 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Mission, KS 66202. On [XXX], during an in-person inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase, I observed conditions inconsistent with expected Certified Pre-Owned inspecti... Read more

Incident date: Feb 6, 2026

My RDX A-Spec experienced premature head gasket failure and suspected turbocharger related issues at low moderate mileage. Vehicle shows coolant loss and overheating/midfire symptons, rough idle. Im concerned this May be related to known Honda/Acura 2.0 turbo engine defects causing unsafe and costly engine damage.

Incident date: May 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 RAM 1500 The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, occupied with her husband in the vehicle they could hear a knocking and shatter noise coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure, and they informed her... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

Both of the turbos on my truck failed with a code description of "waste gate actuator stuck closed". This resulted in a significant drop in power while on the interstate. This code appeared several months before this incident when it was at the dealer for service and Toyota cleared the code and sent me on my way without mentioning it. I only saw it later when I was looking through the history in... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

On the highway, not reaching speed at expected RPM, try increasing power and RPM stops climbing at 3500, and speed decreases suddenly, car starts bucking, check engine light flashing. I pull over, stop, and keep going after several minutes idling with no apparent issue continuing. I take the car to get a computer check of the engine light code, P0420 for catalytic converter efficiency. Take car to... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

Engine component failure. If not identified early could have caused catastrophic failure being disabled in traffic. This problem has been diagnosed and confirmed by a certified GM dealership. Initial warning sign was a knock in the engine, no warning lamps. First identified on 9/2/25 at 80,345 miles. Dealership changed oil to a higher viscosity. Problem gradually got worse, diagnosed #3 cam lobe... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

Engine MalFunction while drive and car went into a limp

Incident date: May 2, 2026

Car randomly turning off/on. Key stuck in ignition, cannot turn off or on. Bouncing from on to accessory mode without user control. Vehicle was taken to dealership, VW North America has not been very helpful. Could have gotten into an accident as this occured in the road turning into a restaurant. No lights came on about this. Dealership has had car for 3+ weeks "waiting for parts". VW North Ameri... Read more

Incident date: Mar 9, 2026

Bought the vehicle used and two months later engine and transmission needed replacement after several transmission faults and check engine light stayed on due to coolant intrusion in the cylinders and the known transmission defects in this model.

Incident date: Apr 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 FORD F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he had a loss of motive power and check engine warning light was illuminated when driving, almost causing an accident due to not being able to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed to have metal shavings in the combustion system. The contact received notification of NHTSA Ca... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2026

car goes into park while driving

Incident date: Jan 1, 2024

Coolant Intrusion into the cylinders

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

I am the only owner of this vehicle and it has 114,000 miles At 90,000 miles i had to replace the transmission and now, its at the dealer due to turbo leaking oil internally and externally AND coolant intrusion. These issues are commonly known and the coolant intrusion is from a design flaw. Why is this engine not included with the recall for the very same issue on other ford ecoboost engines

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

The vehicle has an oil leak in the crankshaft with 70 K miles, dealership states not covered by VW

Incident date: May 20, 2026

The internal water pump failed, dumping a half gallon of antifreeze into the engine oil. This caused the engine to suddenly stall and lose all power while driving in the middle of active traffic, creating a severe crash hazard .

Incident date: Mar 16, 2026

These are the Dealers notes: ~INSPECTION ONLY HAS NEW PART NUMBER. This is the current SKU installed in my vehicle: 28113693 89661-02K41 Does this Part ECM require remedy?

Incident date: May 4, 2012

I noticed fluid on the driveway. I scheduled a diagnostic about a week later began hearing a grinding noise. Took it in for repairs and was told the transmission cooler failed which led to fluid leaks from the inlet and outlet tubes where they connect to the unit. The leak caused the transmission to run dry and result in complete failure. There have been recalls specifically targeting transmission... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2012

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the lack of specialize mechanical technician. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

Vehicle experiences repeated harsh shifting, hesitation, sudden downshifts, hard downshifts with engine redlining, and loss of acceleration during normal driving. Transmission intermittently jerks violently between gears and hesitates when pulling into traffic or merging onto the highway, creating a serious safety concern. I have experienced multiple near collisions due to the vehicle hesitating o... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2024

I am submitting a complaint regarding a 2017 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD equipped with the 1.6L Turbo Gamma GDI engine. My vehicle currently has approximately 127,000 miles and has experienced sudden engine knocking consistent with rod bearing failure and/or catastrophic internal engine damage. The vehicle has been properly maintained, including regular oil changes. However, the engine began cons... Read more

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the bracket was making an abnormal rattling noise. There was a hole on the outside of the muffler. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the bracket was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximatel... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

I take my car for updates (Recall) and now i am being told that the head gasket is blown and damaged the injectors The powertrain might pay for the blown head gasket but not the injectors (which were damaged due to the head gasket blowing) no coolant but the car never ran hot. Honda is trying to stick to me to pay out almost $7000.00 which is wrong when it went to them for a recall

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Made several stops and on the last one when I went to start the vehicle it wouldn't start. Used jump pack and it started. Had a non-flashing check engine light and a service ESC light. Decided to drive across town to auto store and have them check battery and replace if bad, When I pulled into the auto store parking lot the truck died and wheels locked up. (Very sudden stop) All four gear selector... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to release from low gear while at a stop. The transmission was backed up. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there were no recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 213,766.

Incident date: Mar 5, 2026

The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating un... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

I was driving at highway speeds when my vehicle suddenly lost power and began rapidly decelerating. The vehicle eventually stalled in the middle of the roadway, creating a serious safety hazard for me and other drivers and significantly increasing the risk of a crash. This vehicle had previously undergone the GM safety recall inspection under Recall N252494000 for the L87 6.2L engine loss of prop... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

The head gasket was blown on highway even though the car was functioning perfectly fine and was well maintained.

Incident date: May 9, 2026

2019 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost, VIN [XXX] , built July 2019, 59,300 miles. Experiencing coolant intrusion into cylinder bores — identical defect addressed by Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 and TSBs 22-2134 and 22-2322. Symptoms: white exhaust smoke at startup, low coolant level with no external leak, no check engine light. Two independent mechanics (Tune Craft Auto Center and Thomas Br... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Car exhibited white smoke, overheated and engine stopped. Left me stranded in middle of extremely busy road, 90° temps and I’m [XXX] with no one to help me. I had car towed to Autonation (Ford Dealership, Jacksonville, Fl, where car was purchased in 2022 and Dealership was aware of defect but failed to divulge at time of sale. Autonation has confirmed Coolant Intrusion EcoBoost engine defec... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

The issue I’m having is the transmission/engine when it comes to the hesitation for stopping and either slowing down or just a rolling stop. Sometime I would feel like I need to precisely control the brake pedal in order to go smooth stop, but no. It feels like it’s ’jumping’ in mini burst. I have the hybrid engine of the V35A-FTS. I did check for recalls but nothing found but found a TSB ... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2026

Premature engine fail. Excessive oil consumption due to piston ring failure. Maintenance has been done on car on regular basis. No check engine light. Carson was services at dealership 4 months ago.

Incident date: Jul 21, 2025

This is the third Check Engine, Drive train malfunction, Power Supply error messages popped up. Dealership replaced the battery at the first visit, replaced the starter at the second visit. Error messages appeared one week after the second visit to the dealership.

Incident date: Mar 29, 2026

*The mechanic diagnosed internal engine failure (May 14, 2026). The vehicle is at the second mechanic's shop. *The car stalled twice. The first time, over 20 miles, the air conditioning stopped, followed by the radio, and then acceleration. I pulled over and the acceleration returned but only for a minute. The second time, a clacking noise got louder and faster, and three miles later the engine s... Read more

Incident date: May 19, 2026

Engine Malfunction light is on and off while at a stop light.

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

am writing to report a potential safety and fire hazard issue involving my BMW X1, along with ongoing electrical concerns I have experienced with this vehicle since purchase. Approximately two weeks ago, for the first time in three years, I needed to bring the vehicle in for an oil change. Due to my work commute of more than two hours each way, neither the BMW dealership near my home nor the one n... Read more

Incident date: May 16, 2026

While driving to dinner in Bluefield< West Virginia on Saturday evening, I came to an intersection where I was making a left hand turn with a green arrow on the light. As I approached the intersection, I slowed to something under 10 miles an hour and proceeded to initiate a left hand turn. As I rolled onto the throttle, there was no response from the engine for approximately 15 seconds. The eng... Read more

Incident date: May 17, 2026

Toyota issued a recall (NHTSA 25V322) over a year ago. We are now more than a year beyond the issuance date of this recall and Stop Sale order for affected vehicles. There is still no remedy available for this recall and from what I can tell, none in sight. Additionally, on 11/6/25, Toyota issued a recall (NHTSA 25V767) related to potential engine failure. Over 6 months after this recall and S... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Car Engine stopped , shut down on I 475 South Macon GA at 70 mph in left lane. Had to coast to right shoulder. Towed to Hutchinson GMC in Macon GA and it was determined the Engine had locked up. 2026 with 4200 miles, Purchased January 2nd 2026.

Incident date: Mar 3, 2025

Rattling noise while driving in traffic

Incident date: May 20, 2026

The engine died while in use. We were130 miles from home when the engine started making weird noises and a tapping sound.all the lights on the dash lit up and truck would hardly run.l had a independent car hauler haul the vehicle back home to a local garage. The vehicle has been repaired for $10,919 and paid $800.00 to have it transported.

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Engine locked up at 10,000 miles

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Complaint Regarding 2018 Honda HR-V AWD – Air Conditioning Failure, Odometer Malfunction, and Prior Fuel Pump Replacement. I am filing a complaint regarding my 2018 Honda HR-V AWD due to ongoing mechanical and electrical issues that appear to affect many Honda HR-V owners. The primary issue is the air conditioning system, which has not been functioning consistently. The A/C repeatedly fails to... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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