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: Nov 28, 2025
NHTSA 20V-699, FCA W79 (replaces previous campaign 19V-757/VB1) - this recall involves an EGR Cooler but my VIN number was not included. Today, I have been informed by a mechanic that the EGR Cooler has failed and must be replaced. As this is the same engine and same failure as the above campaign, I am requesting that my repair costs be covered as a result
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
My 2018 Ford Edge with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine (approximately 100,000 miles) has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders — a known manufacturing defect documented by Ford in TSB 19-2346 (NHTSA ID 10169807). The coolant leak was discovered over the course of several months as I noticed that heat wasn't coming out and I checked that the coolant was low. I replaced the coolant twic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
While riding the motorcycle, engine suddenly began making a loud clacking noise. Brought motorcycle in to Harley Davidson dealer and it was diagnosed that they cam chain tensior had become loose and was destroyed inside the engine causing small bits of metal to clog oil ports and damage the engine. The remedy was an engine replacement. Through deliberate research this appears to be an issue with... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
IMRC actuator rod broke causing the air/fuel mix to be sporadic. Creating a misfire on random cylinders. Major loss of power and very jerky motions, causing the vehicle to loose control. Luckily it was on an open spacious road. Unfortunately this has been an ongoing problem and there is nobody selling updated parts the electronics will recognize and very difficult to find oe replacement parts, rea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
April 2025 our Ford Escape, a 2017 model, had an issue with the car overheating, we brought to a dealer and the diagnosis was coolant leaking into the cylinders of the engine . Repair costs range $8-10,000.00 , new engine $11,000 plus. Through research on chat rooms we have discovered that this is a known issue with Ford's design, several consumer complaints and open class action lawsuit exists.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
sudden total drivetrain failure at 52k mi with no warning, child passenger, prior dealer-documented leak that was not escalated.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
My 2007 Toyota Camry was manufactured with faulty piston rings that Toyota acknowledges that causes the engine to burn oil. I need to put 1/4 of quart of oil per week to avoid the engine from burning and up risking it from catching on fire. Toyota offered to fix this issue from 2008-2010, but I was not notified nor was I aware of this issue. It wasn't until 2020 when my car got about 70k miles tha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The auto-idle off feature - yes The stall happened in a situation where cars behind me would have expected me to start moving and could have resulted in a rear-end collision. The vehicle has stalled like this three times. The other two times were not in public or traffic situations. It has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It has not been inspected by anyone else... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The cylinder head (which involves the engine cooling system) has a known manufacturer defect that affects all year/models of the Mazda CX-9 with turbo. The manufacturing defect poses a risk to motor vehicle safety in a group of vehicles or equipment of the same design and/or manufacturer. Specifically, the overheating and failure of the engine can occur at any time, without warning. This puts my f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
My 2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited equipped with the Theta II 2.4L GDI engine experienced a sudden connecting rod bearing failure while driving on the expressway in Florida. At the time of failure, the vehicle had approximately 153,000 miles. The Check Engine Light illuminated and the vehicle entered limp mode, causing significant loss of power while in motion at highway speeds. The engine and vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA) and the Under Hood Wiring Harness have failed due to internal fluid contamination and corrosion. Yes available for inspection. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power while driving. Per Safety Recall SC276, this component failure creates an electrical short and internal corrosion that poses a significant fire risk and potential for a sudden stall ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
My wife was driving our 2016 Mazda CX-5, and was getting ready to pull into our daughters' driveway. My wife slowed down to a stop before entering the driveway. She gave the vehicle some gas to move forward. She stated that there was a pause, then the vehicle accelerated forward slamming into the garage door and the corner of the garage/house. There was also a Tesla parked inside the garage that w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I am writing to report a serious and dangerous issue that occurred with my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu LT on April 27th 2026. While driving on the interstate after work, my vehicle suddenly experienced a failure that made it extremely unsafe to operate. The brake pedal became extremely hard to press, and the vehicle did not want to slow down or stop properly. This created a very dangerous situation whi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
I've had several incidents of my car stalling occur since the purchase of the vehicle over the span of 16 months, probably around a dozen times or so. I will stop at a stop light and the vehicle's idle-stop system does not function properly. The vehicle shuts off but does not auto-restart. When I try to manually restart, nothing happens. There have been times where it took several times before ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
While operating my 2021 GMC Yukon AT4, my vehicle suddenly developed a popping noise, the check engine light began flashing, and the traction control warning illuminated. The vehicle lost power and had reduced acceleration, forcing me to pull off the road because it was unsafe to continue driving. This created a serious safety risk and appears consistent with reported GM lifter or engine defects.
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
I want to start off by saying that I have taken meticulous care of this vehicle and the intention was to keep this truck forever. However, that will not be possible after this incident. I was driving the vehicle at 60 mph when I noticed smoke coming out of the back of the vehicle and at that moment, the dash cluster started warning to shut off the engine immediately due to a lack of oil. I know t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
High Voltage Battery (hybrid battery) has excessive drain when parked. This was noticed after completing the 68C recall. In any temperature it drains 8-12% over 12 hours. I noticed it happening when it was 65-75 degrees, so not hot and not cold. I brought it in for a repair once, it spent 3 weeks at the dealership and was claimed fixed but it's still doing it. It is known problem on the forums as ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - ENGINE
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
Iccu failure. Vehicle stops working completely
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
Vehicle jerking back and forth aggressively while at a complete stop with foot firmly on brake pedal. Vehicle seems to want to lurch forward.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
DAILY COOLANT LOSS WITH NO LEAK. LARGE VOLUME OF WHITE SWEET-SMELLING SMOKE IN MORNING AT START UP AS WELL AS ENGINE STUMBLING AT STARTUP. UNKNOWN COOLANT LOSS CAUSED OVERHEATING
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2022) - ENGINE
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
The vehicle shuddered violently when turning the ignition, and then failed to start entirely. The mechanic found that the engine coil was severely damaged, no external influence, just that it had become worn out remarkably fast. The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles and just 5 years in service. The repair will end up costing about 1500 with tows included and the vehicle has not gone without maint... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ENGINE
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
While driving on I-84 between [XXX] and [XXX] , the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete engine failure with no prior warning. The engine seized, resulting in an immediate loss of power while traveling at highway speed, creating a dangerous situation in active traffic. The driver was fortunate to safely pull the vehicle onto an exit ramp. State police arrived and positioned their vehicle be... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
A Mazda Dealership should me a Mazda cx5 2019, in 2023, at nearly 38k miles, right about where many have reported a cracked cylinder issue due to a manufacturing issue in age, and in milage. There is a lawsuit ongoing regarding the turbo version, however many reporting the same issue in the non turbo versions. My engine started smoking while on the highway causing a highly dangerous scenario to ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
Ecoboost. Coolant intrusion into cylinder head causing white smoke to come out of the exhaust. This is the second ford vehicle I have owned with the same issue.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since march 13,2026 due to this issue and not feeling safe to drive it
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
Our 2024 Carnival has had a recurring engine oil leak that has required the vehicle to be left at the dealership 4 times for the same issue. Each time we get the van back the repair lasts about 1-3 weeks (depending on how often it's driven). Oil continues to leak from the engine area, creating risk of engine damage or a potential fire hazard if oil contacts hot components. The issue has not been r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
This Ford 2018 Escape has an Intrusion that is a Major defect on this motor . It is in the shop to be fixed now costing me a total of $6875.27 . As soon as the check engine light came on we stopped the car as we were home. We had the car towed to a mechanic for diagnosis & repair. It is in the shop now. I called Ford and told them and they said it is a known problem but nit a recall at this time... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Code P052E after oil changed. seems to happen often judging my forums.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox [XXX] ). The fire originated in the engine compartment. The official fire report lists the causes as "undetermined", with the area of origin identified under the hood. There were no prior warning lights, mechanical issues, or indications that a fire risk was present. The vehicle was being used under normal conditions and was proper... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Have called about this starting 2020. Had 137000. Also previous owner since 99000mi. Drive train & Turbo. Brake assist. Oil leaks, shutting off while driving. Now as of Saturday April 25 2026 Car shut off while driving and has been towed to dealership. Car deemed lemon by GM. In 2020 car to have been replaced I have all service contact numbers as well as my receipts. Car is a death trap. Do better... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the brakes failed to operate properly while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake pump had exploded, causing damage to the camshaft sensors and several other parts inside ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and had to be towed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
I completed the N252494003 recall inspection on my 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 6.2L at Carl Black Buick/Chevy/GMC in Roswell, GA. They said my crankshaft was not one of the vehicles affected and sent me on my way with my free oil change as a remedy to the issue. I subsequently used that information, thinking the “bottom assembly” of my motor was good and not impaired, and proceeded to have the D... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
This vehicle has suffered from persistent, substantial, and uncorrected defects, including but not limited to failures in the 48V mild-hybrid electrical system, lithium-ion battery system, DC/DC converter and coolant system. These defects have substantially impaired the vehicle’s use, value and safety as well as my safety, and remain unresolved despite multiple repair attempts at two separate au... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Coolant leak in the cylinder head grooves that builds up on the seal and leaking into cylinders. Causing coolant loss, white smoke and engine overheating. This issue has left me stranded on the interstate and in danger with potential engine fires. These incidents have exposed myself and the general public to unnecesary safety hazards.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The recall was issued more than 8 months ago but the remedy is still not yet available, which is very concerning as the problem may cause the event of fire even when the vehicle is parked. Issued SEP 23, 2025 Description of Problem It is possible for water to contact and enter the engine starter. This could lead to corrosion which could cause a short circuit. Safety Risk This could increase ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that around 4:00 o'clock in the morning, she was awoken by the sound of her dogs barking; she then discovered that her vehicle had caught fire and had burned to the ground. The fire spread, which caught fire to a nearby mobile home and a 4-wheeler. The authorities were called to the scene, and the fire department managed to extinguish al... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
I was driving for couple hours then my oil light came on check engine light came on. Vehicle started to shake very badly. I had to pull over and see what happened. I started the vehicle up again and the oil light and check engine light are still on. I know that these vehicles have the wet belt system on the automatics. But they don't have one for the manual transmission. There should be a recall f... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated to maintain automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
The vehicle was purchased on 04/07 and represented with a mileage of 167,334 at the time of sale. No issues with the odometer or mileage accuracy were disclosed prior to purchase. On 04/08, the vehicle was taken to Walmart Auto Care Center for routine service, where it was identified and documented that the odometer/instrument cluster is not functioning and does not display or track mileage. Beca... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The vehicle has routinely had issues restarting from auto idle. When the vehicle turns off in traffic at a stop or stopped at a red light, then it will not restart and the vehicle will essentially be dead for several minutes and unable to be turned on or moved.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
Exhaust manifold studs broke off (as do they all break) and turbos oil lines leak engine oil causing fire. By the time I stopped and got out there was already flames coming out from the hood. It was so fast I didn’t have time to be get my firearms or tools out. I have not notified Ford or and I only had liability insurance on my 2016 f150. 3.5 eco boost.
Fire
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Only 41,000 miles and head gasket is leaking
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Poor quality hydraulic roller lifer arm failure caused a frown rod and a hole in the engine block
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Polaris Slingshot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the oil, brake, ABS, check engine, and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then accelerated inadvertently and swayed back and forth, and when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle did not slow down as intended. The contact added that the motorc... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
To whom it may concern. Our 2017 XC90 unexpectedly, spantaneously, and catastrophically caught fire under the hood and was a total loss 5 minutes after parking it on April 19, 2026. There were no leaks or other signs of mechanical issues. The vehicle had all regular maintenance completed at the Byers Volvo Service Department in Columbus, OH. It had no open recalls. It was always parked overnight i... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
This is now going to be the FOURTH time we are going to have to put a NEW engine in the same exact car. We just replaced the engine barely a year and a half ago.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
On 4/6/2026 At about 2:30 p.m. my son [XXX] stated that he started the car and was in the process of driving out of the parking lot when he saw smoke coming thru the vents in the car. My son [XXX] stated that he got out the car and opened the hood and the car was on fire. [XXX] stated that he called the fire department and they came and put out the fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FRE... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
Noticed fuel smell in passenger cabin. Had vehicle towed to Ford dealership. Dealership refused to repair because Ford said parts aren't available. Gasoline odor still prevalent. Took vehicle to independent shop on 4/27 and mechanic found substantial leak pooling near injector #1. So, the software update which is supposed to identify a fuel leak and put vehicle into limp mode and eventually s... Read more