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: Apr 9, 2026

Vehicle start shaking Violently out of control. AAA picked up the vehicle and took it to their European shop and discovered it’s the piston rings . I asked Volvo to do a goodwill repair and they rejected my claim on a well know issue that I was not brought aware while having the vehicle serviced at their facility Findley Volvo dealership. I’ve been taking this vehicle there for two years, wit... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

Sitting at a red light the vehicle seemed to almost stalled then lunged forward about eight feet almost colliding with the vehicle in front of me. To my knowledge the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor has the problem been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. To my knowledge there were no warning lights, messages or symptoms. I am somewhat unfamiliar with this... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2025

There is something causing an engine misfire, and this was the first time it happened. It has happened again, and I realized that there were a lot of class action lawsuits about lifter failure in these engines

Incident date: Jun 25, 2025

2017 Ford Escape. 58K miles. Engine light turned on, took vehicle to Ford was informed there was an issue with a coil. $5000+ for repair. Warranty had already lapsed, took to an auto repair shop, coil replaced. Problem solved. 1 month later car overheats, zero coolant in vehicle. Coolant replaced and within 3-5 days level of coolant is less than half. Research and find a recall for coolant pr... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2026

I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ), originally purchased in California. While driving at approximately 70 mph on a highway, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without warning and rapidly decelerated. This created a dangerous situation with surrounding traffic and put me and my family at risk. I had to quickly maneuver to the sh... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2026

The vehicle involved is a 2017 Dodge Durango. The primary systems malfunctioning include the engine cooling system, braking system, and electrical system. The engine repeatedly overheats while driving and has produced smoke from under the hood, creating a risk of breakdown or fire. The braking system is unreliable, with the brake pedal going down too far and not providing proper stopping power, i... Read more

Incident date: Mar 22, 2026

While my husband was driving me and our 2 kids getting off of the highway, we experienced catastrophic engine failure. The engine just shut off with NO warning. It went in to Neutral and then park and shut off and would not turn back on. We were stranded on the side of the road in the dark while it was raining. We waited on an active roadway for 1 hour for a tow to come. It was towed to the deale... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

Dear NHTSA Safety Team, I am submitting a formal safety-related complaint regarding my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250, which is currently under an active high-voltage battery recall. The recall imposes significant safety restrictions, including an 80% charging limit, a requirement to park the vehicle outside due to fire risk, and the inability to safely charge the vehicle at home. Additionally, I have... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

I owned this car for less than 2 years and it's already costing $700.00 to have a EGR valve failure. This seems to be a big problem with these SUV's and I just don't no how this is not covered under the warranty or a recall as this is clearly a defect. There are so many complaints about this issue. This is my 3rd Nissan and most likely my last!!! Not happy at all with this outcome of $700.00 repa... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2026

we have had no issues with this vehicle at all. then one day notice a ticking in the area of the valve covers. Sounded to be more on drivers side. Thought maybe just the oil was low which has never happened before. Oil level was fine. I always change oil on regular intervals and there were no check engine lights and engine continued to run fine with no loss of power or ticking changing. It w... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2025

I am submitting this complaint on behalf of the vehicle owner. On March 31, 2025 (136,962 miles), the vehicle was brought to Fred Anderson Nissan of [XXX] for Voluntary Emission Recall PD128 (NTB24-061), which required a new Particulate Matter Sensor and ECM reprogramming. One day later, the Check Engine Light illuminated. On April 2, 2025 (137,083 miles), the dealer diagnosed code P2002-00 (DPF... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

Carnival was working fine then, without warning, I was unable to accelerate. Had entered highway and reached a maximum speed around 30 mph in a 55 mph zone. Pedal fully depressed and zero acceleration, dashboard read "check hybrid system, stop safely". Tried changing driving modes to no effect. Lots of cars speeding past as I pulled to the side to restart the vehicle, then it worked again without ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2026

On April 11, 2026, my 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 experienced a catastrophic engine failure while traveling on a public highway. The sudden loss of power created a significant safety hazard and could have resulted in a serious accident. I was able to maintain control and avoid a crash. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and diagnosed as requiring a full engine replacement. The vehicle has bee... Read more

Incident date: Apr 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact added oil to the vehicle; however, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 60 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contac... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

My Buick Cascada is a 2017 model and has 78,000 miles on it. There was a high pitched whistle/squeal type noise I was hearing and was told by the Buick dealership that it is an issue with the PCV valve failing. To replace this it will cost over $2,000 because of the design of where the valve is housed it is part of a much larger piece. In reading commentary on line i discovered that this is a k... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

Engine seized while driving on the highway. Diagnosed to be a failed rod bearing leading to catastrophic engine failure. Vehicle and engine have 84,000 miles. I have owned and driven it since new.

Incident date: Apr 14, 2026

The coolant bypass valve failed and the car is a 2021 Rav 4 LE. I called Toyota and according to the VIN it is not covered for this type of repair. I see quite a few cars have had this same issue, all Toyota's. It was inspected and repaired at a local Toyota Dealership but I had to pay out of pocket for the repair. There was a brief warning light that said "Engine Maintenance Required" See deale... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the knock sensor and the harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred on seve... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2026

Driving normal traffic . Started hearing ticking . Check engine light flashing ,service esc and braking system light up. Parking not loud ticking from engine bay

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

The 2.0L Nu GDI engine in this vehicle is experiencing terminal internal failure. Following a P1326 KSDS warning event, a borescope inspection at an authorized dealership documented severe cylinder wall scoring in all four cylinders. Despite this documented internal block destruction, the manufacturer has denied the mandated settlement warranty repair based on a software-based proxy test (BCT). Th... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

I was looking at common problems associated with the make and model of my car. I came across an issue that could possibly cause engine failure. I am unsure if any one has reported it yet. here are the details - Problem overview An VVT-i oil line on the Lexus RX350 is known to burst. This is a very large leak which covers the ground, engine, and undercarriage. If the oil line ruptures while driv... Read more

Incident date: Apr 17, 2026

Bought 2020 Ford Ranger Lariat in March 2024 with 13k miles. I have had no issues and have kept up maintenance needed. Vehicle currently has 19,128 miles and on 4/17/26 while driving the vehicle lost power. I was able to pull over and immediately called the dealership where vehicle was purchased and had towed to their facility for diagnosis. There we no warning lights prior to losing power. The de... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Juke. The contact stated that the timing chain was loose and caused damage to the timing case. The failure caused a three-inch gap, and engine oil was leaking onto hot parts inside the engine compartment. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,373.

Incident date: Apr 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH with 100 miles of charge, the vehicle stalled and shut off. The screen was black, unresponsive, and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a power module failure. The part was on back order. The electric module was previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2026

Vehicle would not go into gear when turned on. Vehicle would not turn off when attempted to turn off. Could not even open doors when attempting to get back in vehicle. I received notices to service the following: blind spot alert, electronic stability control, transmission, autopark, electric vehicle system. I received a notification that the vehicle was going 317 miles per hour. It is now in the ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

While driving, on approach to a stop signal, at an intersection the car stopped moving. The display said engine malfunction, have inspected. The electronics and engine continued to operate, but the car would not move when gas pedal was depressed. I shut off and restarted my vehicle numerous times, with no effect on the problem, the car still would not move. The vehicle behind me had to brake unexp... Read more

Incident date: Jan 7, 2026

I am reporting a serious safety defect involving my 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport equipped with a Theta II engine While driving and exiting the freeway with my wife as a passenger, the engine suddenly failed after knocking symptoms and completely seized/locked while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle immediately lost motive power and came to a stop, creating an immediate and dangerous tra... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2026

I took my vehicle for an oil change to the Tracy Chevrolet dealership. I was informed that they detected a leak. I returned my vehicle on 4/28/26 for an inspection. My vehicle on has 59,297 miles. I was just informed that my timing cover located at the front of the engine has a leak and possibly the oil pan. After doing research, this seems to be a common issue.

Incident date: Sep 28, 2025

The engine cooling system and engine block failed due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. This is a known issue in certain 2017 Ford Escape vehicles with the 1.5L or 2.0L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle experienced a loss of power and an engine malfunction while my daughter was driving it, which created a dangerous driving situation for her. The issue has been diagnosed by a mechanic.... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

The car is available upon inspection, the car caught on fire after being driven for about 45 mins. Smoke started to come from under the car hood, fire starting dropping from underneath the vehicle and then fire started coming from under the hood of the car. The car started smoking while being inside vehicle and the fire could've spread. The fire was put out by the fire department, the vehicle has ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

Re: Vehicle Safety Defect Complaint – 2023 Chevrolet Blazer To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting a formal safety defect complaint regarding my 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. This vehicle has exhibited multiple system failures that present a serious risk to driver safety and public roadway safety. The vehicle was purchased new on July 20, 2023. Beginning on April 21, 2025, at approximately 27,610 mile... Read more

Incident date: Apr 10, 2026

Blown head gasket

Incident date: May 13, 2025

The engine has been burning oil since last May and Hyundai has been putting me through the ringer of hoops to get it fixed. After 11 months and almost 30 visits to the dealership, they are finally replacing the engine. The dealership has told me this is a known issue and I know of others who have the same car and are having the same issue. Someone needs to hold them responsible.

Incident date: Apr 14, 2026

My vehicle recently idled roughly and shut off at low speeds and while stopped at intersections on my way to work. I brought it to an authorized Kia dealership the very next day. After researching my VIN, I discovered Kia Safety Recall #SC336 (NHTSA Campaign 25V099), which identifies a piston oil ring defect known to cause excessive oil consumption and internal engine damage. I promptly brought my... Read more

Incident date: Apr 24, 2026

While operating my vehicle under normal driving conditions, I experienced a sudden and complete loss of engine power without warning. The engine shut off abruptly in active traffic, creating an immediate safety hazard and increasing the risk of a collision for myself and surrounding motorists. Following the stall, the vehicle would not restart. The engine cranks but does not start (a “dry crank... Read more

Incident date: Nov 11, 2025

It’s started at 80,000 miles when my check engine light came on and it give a code P0302 So I change the spark plugs but when I replace it with the new one the code came but the code came off and after a few days later it came back on and it throw the same code. I believe that my head gasket is not good.

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

This vehicle has under 90,000 miles and is only used to transport my grandchildren to and from the local elementary school. We got in the vehicle, and it would not accelerate. The vehicle is currently at the Chevy dealership getting diagnosed, but the error message was for the transmission. We do not feel that this should happen on a vehicle with this low mileage and completely without any warnin... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

The vehicle is designed to shut off at a stoplight and restart when your foot leaves the brake, or the steering wheel is moved. On multiple occasions, the vehicle turns itself off (typically at a red traffic light) only to not restart. Driver must manually put the vehicle into park, and try to restart it using the traditional push button (IN TRAFFIC). This is horribly dangerous even if it takes j... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

While driving, I noticed that the vehicle seemed sluggish. Shortly after, I experienced grinding and knocking. The engine then stalled when I came to a traffic light. Fearing for my safety, I was able to get the engine to re-start to be able to pull off the road into a parking lot. At this point, the engine was barely running and making a ton of noise. There were no warning lights prior or after t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the timing belt needed to be replaced. The part was on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

My car just stopped and turned off. On the screen it says service electronic stability control. And power steering unavailable and service immediately. I serviced the car on April 24th. I received the car April 29th and they said they had to flash the computers and it would take 1.5 hours. I paid 330 dollars. I drove the car off and 15-20 min later the car cut off. I called the dealership and told... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

I had the thermostat and water pump replaced at 57k miles. At 125k it needs to be replaced again. Costing me another $1700. I have read about numerous complaints about this issue.

Incident date: Mar 4, 2022

Driving on highway, engine light came on with many warning lights. Was just starting on a trip to SC then OH to help father for a surgery. Lifters went bad within fist 5-6k miles on the truck (6.2L) causing other damage to the engine such as bent rods (etc). Dealer repaired all DFM Lifters as there were failures on both sides of the engine, but it still sounds like there are issues internally. ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 10, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related engine defect involving sudden internal engine failure, excessive oil consumption, persistent bearing knock, and overheating of the catalytic converter. The vehicle repeatedly triggered Bank 1&2O2 sensor fault codes due to oil blow-by and thermal overload. A certified mechanic documented the engine is failing internally and that the cat. converter has been damaged a... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2026

I am reporting a safety defect involving my 2023 Kia Carnival SX Prestige. On June 6, 2025, I brought the vehicle to Yonkers Kia Service Center because of a strong gasoline odor. The dealership told me the fuel tank was swollen and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle remained at the dealership from June 6, 2025 through October 17, 2025. Kia later indicated that the fuel tank, caniste... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

Went to park car in a park to drop daughter off and it sputtered out and stalled out of nowhere with no warning. I had received a lamp warning very sporadically prior to this and on occasion that stated 'reduced steering assist drive with care' this resulted in heavy steering for that drive until car was shut off and then it would go away and be fine again, fixed the car through Knudtsen Chevy due... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

The vehicle will randomly shut off while driving. A message will appear stating "Check the Starting System" Attempts to restart the engine are unsuccessful. The engine will start, stall after about 2 seconds and the message "Check Starting System" will display. The first time it happened, I was turning a corner at a rather dangerous intersection and the vehicle stalled. It took about three attempt... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

The vehicle's auto idle stop system is malfunctioning, resulting in the engine failing to restart from a complete stop. This total failure has occurred on five separate occasions, including while stopped in active traffic intersections. Prior to these total restart failures, the vehicle showed the following symptoms: 1) Initially, the vehicle experienced rough engine idling, abnormal vibrations, ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

I am seeing warning lights on my screen and using OBD-II scnner shows code P0302 (misfires). Vehicle bought 2020 August and gas about 90K miles. Is this vehicle under recall for this issue

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

Subject: Request for Buyback or Trade Assistance – 2020 Ford Escape SE To Whom It May Concern, I am writing regarding my 2020 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L engine, which is currently subject to multiple open safety recalls. Of particular concern is the active fuel injector recall involving a risk of engine compartment fire. I understand that the current remedy does not fully address the ... 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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