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: Apr 23, 2026
Dealership replaced all 16 lifters and replaced camshaft. Dealerships repair took 28 days. Repair cost $4k out of my pocket and Chevrolet Corporate covered $4700 due to the know lifter issue with their engines. Within 24 hours & less than 100 miles, vehicle started making new abnormal noise, and the engine shut off and would not start back up. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prio... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
While traveling at highway speed on I-75 northbound, the vehicle experienced a complete and total loss of electrical power. and propulsion. The following conditions were present simultaneously: - Complete loss of propulsion - Inability to shift transmission to neutral — vehicle could not be moved out of the active traffic lane - Complete loss of hazard lights — no ability to warn approaching... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
When acceleration hot air blows through dashboard fogging front driver windows. Weather strips in doors are coming apart.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0720 stands for “Output Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction.” It is stored when the ECM/PCM/TCM perceives a problem with the output speed sensor or its circuit. If, for example, the engine speed and input shaft speed are at a certain RPM but the output shaft speed is erratic or not what the computer expects, P0720 will be stored. There may also be a P0500 code store... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - ENGINE
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
Vehicle has an "Engine Hot" warning and coolant loss, which creates a safety risk of stalling in traffic.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
In march 2036 my car just completely stopped in 5pm traffic and I was almost hit over a dozen times car wouldn’t albe to be moved because it completed died out. When I took it to JLR had to have it towed twice . They said it was the battery and that it needed to be calibrated, sent me home and same day car stalled again in a busy traffic, this time they said it was my alternator and that my own... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Vehicle randomly shuts off in EV or ICE mode usually when driving on highway at 60-70 mph; warning comes of “vehicle will shut off soon” check engine light and limp mode; eventually power goes off and steering also stiffens ; this happed multiple times, but the check engine like didn’t stay on long enough for the dealership to be able to read it! So I was give the vehicle back then the same ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Getting 2 cylinder missfire. Possibly connected to head gasket. Radiator fluid dissolved quickly.
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Hello. We purchased this 2018 Honda CR-V new in 2018 from the local Honda dealer, Honda of Lake Jackson, TX. In the Spring of 2025 the A/C stopped working. We took it to a local shop and they had to replaced the following: Blower motor replaced, blower motor replaced, A/C evaporator replaced, A/C expansion/orifice valve replaced, Heater core replaced. This was around a $3,000 repair. A month or ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
This vehicle has a known design flaw which causes the cylinder gasket to leak and require replacement. VW has only issued a Technical Service Notice which was no provided to owners regarding the part that needed replacement. They are correcting the problem with a differently designed part in order to try to cure the design flaw. This can cause catastrophic engine failure. It should have been a rec... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Engine failure with the 6.2 engine. My engine failed the Pico test in July of 2025 with 66k miles. The entire engine was replaced and I was told this would “fix” the engine issue. On April 25, 2026, my engine failed while I was driving at highway speeds. The engine was knocking and I pulled over as I could not accelerate it. I had it towed and was told by the dealership that the rod bearings f... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Oil consumption is at an all time high. At last oil change I had Milage 71847 on 3/8/26. I checked my oil on 4/26/26 with 73182 miles, oil was at the add mark on the dipstick which means 2 quarts was gone from my engine at about 1500 miles put on my car since the oil change. Upon reading up on this issue, it is a wide spread issue with several Hyundai models. I bought it used at a car dealship wh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Hair line creak in oil pan. Creak has caused excessive oil consumption and leaks on pavement. Issue was confirmed by Antwerpen Hyundai and oil pan was replaced on 4/28/2026 at a cost of $520.00. As above reported to dealer. Problem started, 1st. noticed about 9 to 12 months.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Both camshaft carriers failed due to a manufacturing defect. According to NHTSA bulletins 21-NA-240 and PIP5755, the oil leak from the cam carrier is caused by improper sealant application during manufacturing. Although the dealer addressed the issue, it was clearly not a problem that arose from normal use. The leak had the potential to worsen and lead to a fire hazard. Chevy of Montebello confirm... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Front exhaust pipe bellows cracked, allowing exhaust gases including carbon monoxide to enter the passenger cabin. This is the same defect Subaru acknowledged in Service Program WUJ-95R (2015-2016 models) and Warranty Extension WI22-013 (2017-2018 Foresters). The failure pattern extends to 2019 model year vehicles and should be investigated for a recall expansion. This is a design flaw, consistent... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While on the highway, the vehicle felt sudden loss of power and a burning smell. Immediately took the next exit and entered a gas station where large volume of oil leaking under the vehicle. Exited the vehicle and called for a tow truck to bring the vehicle to the nearest auto shop who informed me that the engine was damaged internally similar to what’s described in the recall and informed me to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Engine failure at 9052 miles on 3/2/2024 miles hike driving 50 mph. Car shut down completely with no warning. I was able to get it to side of road without wrecking. Towed to Lafayette Indiana blown motor had to be replaced. Repaired and returned on 3/27/2024. Failed engine recall at my routine maintenance at 33680 miles on 12/26/2025. Engine ordered. I was told it could still be driven I feel this... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2013) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Vehicle is having the same issues it had before with soot and sludge build up in the engine that caused the EGR to fail and melt into the engine... I have all the parts that were replaced from the 1st time this happened and was not repaired properly and is now causing a catastrophic failure....
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally before unintendedly decelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While driving my 2005 Nissan Altima in active traffic with my [XXX] child, the vehicle suddenly stalled without any warning. The engine completely shut off while in motion, creating an immediately safety hazard in live traffic conditions. Immediately after the stall, I observed oil leakage and smoke entering the cabin. The vehicle became inoperable and we were stranded roadside. This failure is... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
I was driving on the highway when suddenly the car lost power and the engine light started flashing. I was able to coast into a gas station. The car would no longer start and I was stranded. The next day, we drove back to where the car was stranded and attempted to get it started again, but we were unsuccessful. We had the car towed to a mechanic shop where we were told that the entire engine ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Car has shut off while driving. Check engine light, traction control light, hill assist light, power steering light, and vehicle stability light have all come on causing me to have to pull over on the side of the road.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the engine seized and made an abnormal sound, nearly causing a semi-truck to jackknife and crash into the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was left stranded in the west desert of Utah, where a wildfire had started, and the contact did not have phone service. Additiona... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
The vehicle hesitates and does not accelerate immediately from a complete stop. This occurs more frequently when the car is on a slight incline. The delay in acceleration creates a safety concern, especially when attempting to merge into traffic or pull out onto a roadway. I have reported this issue to the dealership multiple times, but they have not taken action because they have been unable to r... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The EV portion of the PHEV is often not providing power to the motors, even though, there are still plenty of battery power available. The vehicle sometimes gave "Power Reduced" warning that usually went away after 30 minutes, and the vehicle cannot go into EV mode. When in EV mode and just cruising on the highway, it barely has power to keep up with traffic and sometimes it is losing speed ju... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
On 04/28/2026, when diagnosing a reoccurring check engine light on the vehicle at a Chevy Certified Service, the mechanic "Borescoped cylinder 4 and found significant scuffs on the cylinder wall which along with the misfires indicate a cracked piston. The big picture appears to be the piston cracked which caused excessive oil consumption and misfires. The excess oil and unburned fuel overloaded th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the supercharger-A and the under boost needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated again. The manufacturer was not notified of the f... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
When accelerating from a stop position while pushing on the accelerator the vehicle will not move. Takes a couple seconds. Almost struck by oncoming car when attempting to turn left onto Main road. Happens frequently. Next: left sliding passenger door doesn’t close all the way then opens back up. Takes several attempts before it decides to close or with my assistance. Third: rear cargo door shu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My 2025 Volkswagen Taos is exhibiting active symptoms of a known safety recall involving electrical system malfunctions. The vehicle experienced multiple failures including the instrument cluster going blank, screens shutting off, and a false start condition where the dashboard illuminated with multiple warning lights. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing to a Volkswagen dealership. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
When car was at 44,000 miles, check engine light repeatedly went on, and Honda dealership determined the car needed adjusted valve job. Car rode rough, and I was worried it would cut out on drive. Now that car is at 77,000 miles, check engine light came on with the exact same problem (misfire on cylinder 1). Car rode rough, and I was worried it would cut out on the drive to the dealership, but ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
While exiting a highway via an off-ramp, the vehicle experienced a sudden mechanical failure consistent with internal engine/bearing failure. During deceleration on the off-ramp, the engine began to shudder violently and immediately lost power. The vehicle was unable to maintain normal operation and became unsafe in an active traffic environment. After coming to a stop, the engine would not resta... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
2018 Kia Optima LX, 2.4L GDI Theta II engine. Approximately 128,000 miles. Reporting severe internal oil consumption that has progressed to engine misfire and shaking, consistent with late-stage Theta II connecting rod bearing failure. The vehicle is now unsafe to drive and has been parked. Timeline: Purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in December 2021. Excessive oil consumption began shor... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
The car has cut off three time while at stoplights. I can get it restarted but the dealership cannot duplicate it even though there are codes in the system. Also the automatic braking will randomly stop when it shouldn’t and it is a hard braking.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Interstate driving 70mph. Sudden engine power loss, vehicle slowed to 50mph. Check engine light came on. Engine knocking noises. Drove car 2 miles to our Acura dealership. Service dept says we have rod bearing failure. Currently deciding how to proceed...used or Reman motor repalcement.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
The vehicle experienced engine failure due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The issue presented with engine misfire, including diagnostic trouble code P0302, rough running, and coolant entering the combustion chamber. The condition was confirmed by a dealership, which determined that the engine has internal damage and requires full engine replacement. There were no external coolant... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
Honda CRV with less than 50,000 miles and has blown a head gasket. Cost to replace head gasket and fuel injectors is $6500 at a Honda dealership. Car is not drivable. Honda Corporate has refused any assistance. There are class action complaints for this very issue in the state of CA and Canada.
LINCOLN
CORSAIR PHEV
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The engine is malfunctioning. It is available for inspection. When you accelerate the vehicle, the engine goes into limp mode then it goes into neutral and you have to find a safe place on the side of the road to pull over shut it off and restart it. It's very very dangerous. Yes, Vatland Chrysler Dodge in Vero Beach. After it first malfunctioned the engine light came on and it's been on ever s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
So my car is about to be out of warranty and I have called and made two appointments to get my recall taken care of as it is a safety risk for me and my kids. They canceled the first one with no communication and the second appointment they called and said they can’t get the part in so I have to call them in 2 weeks to check. After two weeks I believed my car will be over the 60k mark putting me... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Urgent: Engine Failure Following Recent Service – 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request assistance and an investigation regarding a serious engine failure involving my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. In July 2025, I paid out of pocket to have the lifters and camshaft replaced on this vehicle. More recently, while traveling, the vehicle broke down and was taken to Ue... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Hello, I was driving on the highway with my family and my engine had a sudden loss of power. I only have 52,000 miles on the engine and it has been serviced the entire time. We almost got in a major accident as we had cars and trucks moving around us at a very high speed as we tried to pull over in the breakdown lane. I brought the car to Daddario GMC in Shelton, CT. They did a diagnostic test ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
On 3/14/26, on I-75 in Troy, Michigan at 70mph the vehicle, with 4000k miles on the odometer completely shut off. I pushed to restart the engine and it would not restart. My whole family was in the car and we were on a curve. I was able to coast to a flat shoulder. The vehicle would not restart or shift out of park. OnStar took seven hours to tow the vehicle. The dealer is installing a new L87... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
This was a 6.2L V8 that is actively under investigation and recall for model years 2021-2024. it is a part of the same GM generation of engines 4th Generation, GMT T1XX. I was not told about the active recall for other members of the generation by the dealership in which i purchased it at in august of 2025. I purchased this vehicle less than a year ago and the engine has now suffered a catastrophi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
I purchased a 2020 Ford F-150 XLT with a 5.0L engine from Quirk Auto Group in Maine approximately six months prior to discovering a major engine defect. At the time of sale, I was provided documentation stating there were no known mechanical issues or prior defects with the vehicle. Shortly after purchase, I brought the vehicle back to the dealership due to a noticeable rattling noise and perform... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was pushed over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and inspected the oil, transmission fluid, and antifreeze, but found no failure. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
This truck has a violent vibration throughout the CAB. It has been brought to Peterbilt in Peabody and Plainville and has been diagnosed with no issues. We are a Fuel Oil Delivery Company and are concerned that the vibrations will cause harm to the working components to the truck that may result in failure while driving the truck.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
The truck has a violent vibration, you can feel it while sitting in the drivers seat the steering wheel and also the steps getting into the truck, pretty much the whole CAB vibrates. Truck was taken to Peterbilt in Plainville, MA and upon three and half weeks of them trying to diagnose the issue for the third time we were told by Peterbilt that this was acceptable. We are a Fuel Oil Delivery Co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
We were driving on 95S when the Yukon Denali automatically shifted itself from D to N. On the dash it had a warning message to press start again. When my husband did that we could smell a smoke smell. Meanwhile, we are in the middle lane of the highway while trying to safely get off the middle of the interstate without being rear ended by the semi that was behind us. We finally made it to the side... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - ENGINE
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The vehicle suffered a recurring mechanical failure of the fuel injectors and a flooded EVAP charcoal canister, causing the engine to run lean (Fault P2177) and lose power. This defect creates an unreasonable safety risk as it can cause the engine to stall or lose motive power unexpectedly at highway speeds. Furthermore, the fuel system defect led to a flooded EVAP system, which poses a potential... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
My vehicle experiences a loss of power while driving. The vehicle will unexpectedly lose acceleration and power during normal driving conditions, including when merging or driving in traffic. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle does not respond properly when attempting to accelerate. The issue occurs intermittently but repeatedly and makes it difficult and unsafe to drive, e... Read more