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
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2026) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Went to turn car on engine made knocking sounds and lost power and sputtered out. Errors came on and said "warning loss of or reduced power to the engine" as well as something else I can't remember. Every warning light came on and stayed on. Car cannot be driven and is currently being towed to Nissan.
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
My ABS Lights the triangle with the ! In the middle goes in and off the down hill control light and the sweet control light all go on when the ABS light goes on my oil was completely dry had to add two quarts while the engine was ticking when started and when accelerating it was making a clicking noise I still had 3000 miles before needed an oil change but like I said it was bone dry and then the ... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO
(2019) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
My car has only 68,800 miles and the dealer is telling me I need a new engine assembly i reached out to the kia corporate because I am the 2nd owner and I have had this car for 8 years and I have taken it for all the oil changes and maintenence to the dealer and have read on the website this year of car is known for it engine problems I had submitted a request for a goodwill repair for kis to repl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Egr valve went out ; causing a fuse to go out; which triggered a limp home mode: stranding me on side of road
Incident date: Jan 3, 2026
The vehicle has experienced persistent engine performance issues that have not been resolved through standard repairs. Initial diagnostics indicated knock sensor faults, which were replaced at significant cost. However, the issue persisted and additional codes related to air fuel imbalance (P219B) appeared. The vehicle continues to exhibit reduced power, hesitation, and inconsistent acceleration ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound while being charged. There was an abnormal electrical burning odor coming from the vehicle while driving. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V741000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and 25V766000 (ENGINE). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the high voltage battery s... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Before the most recent failure, the contact heard an abnormally loud clicking sound coming from the engine and returned to the residence. The vehicle was driven to the dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
[Incident Description & Manufacturer's Bad Faith] On April 6, 2026, an authorized Honda dealership (McConnell Honda in Montgomery, AL) diagnosed my vehicle (2019 Honda Odyssey EX-L, 143,097 miles) with DTC P219A (Rec replacing fuel injector set and fuel feed pipe at this time), requiring a fuel injector replacement. This exact mechanical failure is documented in Honda’s official Service Bullet... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a catastrophic timing chain failure on my 2014 BMW X3 xDrive28i equipped with the N20 engine. While driving, the timing chain and oil pump drive chain failed without warning. This is a well-documented defect on BMW N20/N26 engines that has been the subject of extended warranties and numerous consumer complaints. This failure can cause sudden engine seizur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Oil cooling system has been replaced. Major leak in AC line needs replacement. Purge solenoid stop functioning and was replaced, now there is an additional major coolant leak
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
approaching a round about at a slow rate of speed, prior to entering I noticed there was time to safely enter the round about ahead of a car also entering the roundabout from another direction. I pushed the accelerator pedal to about 30% at the time I choose to enter the traffic circle and attempted to enter. The truck did nothing in response except keep rolling forward due to the momentum I alrea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
Replaced all spark plugs and coils , code is saying misfire cylinder 4..replaced intake manifold gasket code states multiple cylinder misfire .My [XXX] was stranded in the middle of a busy road due to loss of power the.engine jeking..cutting out .after $1000 worth of shop work CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ITS INSANITY .....IM TIRED OF DUMPING MONEY INTO THE CAR THAT HAS A MAKER ISSUE !!! ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Oil pressure switch in engine fails to accurately read oil pressure due to a lack of voltage, needing replacement. Causes driver to be unable to read proper oil pressure, leading to a possibility of fire through extreme overheating and friction-induced mechanical failure if the oil pressure is too low and unable to be read. The part has not been inspected by the manufacturer in any capacity, but i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2025
Engine and Transmission failed at 46,000 miles even though under a extended warranty Ford short changed us to where we had to pay $7200.00 to get the car fixed. This car is the worst for failures of the powertrain. Never will buy another Ford ever.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 57 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message to “Service Vehicle Immediately” was displayed. The contact stated that the 4WD setting switched from “Auto Mode” to “Snow Mode” independently. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and remained there for two hours. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
We purchased a used 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe with approximately 105,000 miles. The vehicle has had regular routine maintenance and oil changes. Around 107,000 miles, the check engine light came on and the vehicle simultaneously started running rough. It was diagnosed with a failed valve on the #3 cylinder and now needs a total engine replacement. This issue also coincided with excess oil consumption.... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
on March 26, 2026 my engine light turned on and I’m getting in misfire on my car, and all of a sudden I can’t run more 40 mph or my car start shaking. I went to AutoZone to get it checked and the the result is, they are needing to replace the cylinder 3 coil pack or spark plugs. I went to Ford on March 31, 2026 trying to have my spark plug replaced and was told that my engine has coolant intru... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2026) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact became aware that there was smoke coming from the exhaust. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2018) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I own a 2011 Hyundai Tucson (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle had an engine replacement performed by Hyundai service. Immediately after picking up the car, I noticed a loud abnormal noise coming from underneath the vehicle. I reported the issue right away, but was told nothing was heard and it was dismissed. The noise has continued and worsened over time. I am concerned there may be damage or improper ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
I was sold a defective 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. Both the batter and engine can catch fire while parked and is not recommended to be parked near other cars or any structures. The dealership told me that the recalls were not on my vehicle at the time of purchase per Stellantis (November 7, 2025) which in fact they were. They said my car was not protected under Lemon Law which it is. And a numbe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
Engine continuously burns oil excessively and the dealership is falsifying the oil consumption test. At my local oil change shop, there is no oil left on dipstick at 3,000 mile interval. When I took it to dealer for consumption test, they checked dipstick after 1,000 miles and it was OVER THE FULL LEVEL. How can the oil be over the full level? This indicates they overfilled it to begin with and in... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine and radiator failure. The contact was informed that the engine and the radi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Traveling hiway on cruise. My 5.3l down shifted to accelerate to go up an incline. Shortly after that there was low to almost no power. Check engine light then came on. I was able to do 30mph on freeway to get it home. Took it to a local garage since gray Daniels chevy wouldn’t service it since I recently transitioned to MS. The problem was the #4 lifter had collapsed. It costed me just shy of $... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
My 2020 Hyundai Palisade has an excessive and dangerous oil consumption defect. The vehicle consumes approximately 3/4 of a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. At a standard 8,000-mile oil change interval, the engine loses more oil than it holds between services. At approximately 185,000 miles, my vehicle stalled on the interstate with my family inside the vehicle. Upon inspection, the engine was cri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
2025 CADILLAC XT6 AWD SPORT, VIN [XXX] , PURCHASED NEW FROM CENTRAL [XXX] CADILLAC ON FEBRUARY 20, 2026 WITH 3,950 MILES. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS OF DELIVERY THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISE AT COLD START AND AN INTERMITTENT VIBRATION DURING DRIVING. I REPORTED BOTH SYMPTOMS TO CENTRAL HOUSTON CADILLAC BY PHONE AND TEXT MESSAGE. DEALER PERSONNEL TOLD ME THE NOISE WAS "NORM... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
I am submitting a claim pertaining to NHTSA Recall Number 25V636000 which pertains to a engine starter issue that can result in fire. This recall was reported first on September 23, 2025 and has been gone without a remedy. Since as of today, it has been 212 days without a solution that I am driving a car that may catch fire. This is too long and I am seeking remediation in the form of a replacemen... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
Loss of driver power- while driving on the freeway/street at a speed car shut off. which it might have cause accident and injured myself and/or others No the problem has not been reproduced by manufacture No the vehicle has not been inspected by dealer. Took the car to an independent service center and unable to confirm defect. The incident been ongoing since yearly last year. It stops and come... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Head gasket failure, Over heated randomly putting myself and kids unsafe and at risk for accident. Been confirmed by independent service center. Not inspected by police or insurance. Had cylinder misfire a week prior.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
While driving about 35 MPH, the vehicle began to alarm and stated "the engine is off; pull over, put in park or neutral, and restart the car". I pulled over and found that the engine had indeed turned itself off in the middle of driving. When the engine turns off, both the braking vacuum system and the power steering go off, making it harder to brake and steer to safety. If I were going highway s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that he had received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact then stated that soon after the recall was serviced, the vehicle would hesitate to start after multiple attempts without warning. The vehicle had been taken back to the dealer on multiple occasions due to failure; the dealer was ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump and other fuel pump-related parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The main issue is engine knocking and ticking also winding noise. There has been an issue with electrical with rear passengers getting burnt due to heat coming out of rear when rear system is off.
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
COMPONENT/SYSTEM: High-voltage battery system (traction battery). The vehicle is subject to a manufacturer recall for risk of internal short circuit and potential thermal event. The vehicle and battery are available for inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK: According to the manufacturer and dealer, the defect presents a risk of battery fire, including while the vehicle is parked and not in operat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
This same incident has happened twice, June of 2025 and more recently March of 2026. My vehicle will essentially have no oil left causing my car to shake while breaking and eventually the car stalls out. The first time this occurred, my vehicle stalled out in the highway and again at a 4 way stop sign. I took it to the Hyundai dealership where an oil change, oil plug and oil filter was replaced. I... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
My Hundai Tuscon 2017 was making a whurring sound on the highway, at which time my RPM's were not going over 3. As I was looking for places to pull over on the highway, I heard a loud 'pop' and then my engine started smoking and an intense rattling ensued to where I could hear a series of parts drop out of the bottom of my car. My car began smoking and the engine completely stalled just in time fo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
The engine in my 2021 Kia Sportage failed while being driven at highway speeds on US 131 in Michigan. The car was taken to the closest gas station where the oil was checked and it was determined that 5 quarts were needed to reach the dipstick's full line. The fact that the car had consumed 5 quarts of oil seems to be a major safety concern. I've attached a note with additional information that h... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a coolant flush was needed, the brake lights, and a camshaft sensor needed to be replaced.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
right bank collapsed lifter. this is the 3rd time in 5 years this has happened same side same lifter. loss of power engine shakes the whole truck. Also electronic emergency brake won't release automatically and engages when driving. This has happened when I first bought the truck in Mar 2021, again in nov 2024 and currently at antelope valley Chevrolet on Mar 20 2026 for the same thing.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
I purchased Used in Jan 2026 When starting the lifters were loud and I thought was normal engine operation. Since 2/17/2026 the engine vibrated or ran rough when idling. The auto/Stop Start feature failed randomly as the engine stalled when trying to start. The car passed the recall for the 6.2 Gm L85 engine issue, but is still having issues. The dealership Val Ward Ft Myers has the car now, and i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
THIS IS THE THIRD RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. FIRST TWO WERE FIXED. THIS ONE HAS NO REPAIR AND NO ETA IN SIGHT. RIDICULOUS.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Infiniti QX30. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle steadily moved forward even after releasing the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was info... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Blown Head gasket due to known faulty Engine. Coolant leaking into cylinders. Known design defect.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
System/Component Involved: Fuel System / Fuel Injectors / High-Pressure Fuel Joint Pipe Description of Incident and Safety Risk: My 2017 Honda CR-V (1.5T engine) experienced a fuel system failure evidenced by DTC P0172 and a failed AF cylinder test, confirmed by an authorized Honda dealer. This failure leads to engine hesitation and power loss, creating a safety hazard during operation. More cri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the ABS, BRAKE, and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that approximately one year later, while driving approximately 5 MPH in the rain, the steering wheel jerked left and right continuously, and the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle stopped facing on-coming traffic. The vehicle was driven to the residence... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
Repeated concerns involving the reliable response to pressing the gas pedal. Directly after purchase notified dealership the vehicle felt unsafe to drive. That pressing the gas pedal did not guarantee the vehicle would predictably move forward. Response ranges from high rpm with no forward propulsion, delayed response with eventual slow or regular movement, high rpm with no forward movement when t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2020
My 6.2L engine failed on 1/6/26 due to a OEM bearing issue. The vehicle was inspected and engine had to be replaced after the recall and service were done. The vehicle stalled while doing 30 mph on a local road. No warning lights or problems were observed or detected prior to the incident.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
Unknown. I was driving and my jeep started making g a very loud rattling sound it kept getting louder. Eventually it made a screeching sound and the dash board lit up and it stopped and the engine began to smoke really bad. The engine light came on but I tried my best to make it home. It was towed to the dealership and they said that the engine needed to be replaced because there was a hole in it.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
I am reporting two separate stall/loss of propulsion events on my 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Limited (VIN: [XXX] ), which is subject to NHTSA Recall #25V274000 and GM Special Coverage XXX (L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion). INCIDENT 1 — April 16, 2026: While decelerating off a highway exit ramp, the vehicle stalled without warning. The dashboard prompted me to shift to neutral and restart. I perf... Read more