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
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2026) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
2021 Yukon Denali. Inspected by dealer under recall. Passed dealership test and new oil viscosity adjustment completed by dealer at 39k miles. Told no issues with vehicle continue to drive it. Today 4-14-26 on the interstate traveling 75mph the engine seized and lost all power. Instrument panel showed 0rpm as I coasted to a stop and the engine lost all power. I placed the vehicle in park on the sh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
My 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan has repeatedly experienced a complete loss of motive power while driving in active traffic. The engine stalls without warning, forcing me to perform a manual reset in the middle of the road. The vehicle also has a severe defect where it independently engages the electronic parking brake or shifts itself into Park during low-speed or turning maneuvers. This happens without... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I bought this motorcycle new on Apil 4th 2025 and after 200 miles my engine stopped while cruising and couldn’t turn it on. A pickup truck picked it up and brought to the dealer who claimed a software issue. This happened again recently, was driving at 60mph on an interstate and the engine suddenly shut off. I tried to contact the dealer without success and I’ve been reading blog posts about a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Vehicle: 2021 Kia Seltos VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 71,728 Recall: NHTSA 25V-099 / Kia SC336 (piston oil rings) – Subsequent Repair Action SC336YZ On [XXX], while driving at highway speeds during a trip from Everett to Bellingham WA, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the check-engine light came on, and it set DTCs P132700 (Piston Noise Detection) and P017100 (System Too Lean – Bank 1). The engine wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed, and metal shavings were found inside the engine in cylinders #1 and #4. Additionally, oil was found on top of the pistons in cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
I am seeking a case review regarding a persistent and unresolved drivetrain issue with my 2025 Toyota Tundra (non-hybrid) that began immediately following a dealership service visit and has continued for over one month without resolution despite multiple repair attempts. Since that time, the vehicle has exhibited consistent transmission-related defects including failure to shift properly into high... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle continued to lose power with a huge cloud of white smoke coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off to the shoulder of the roadway, and the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. Due to t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The auto start/stop malfunctioned and then the engine sounded like it was going to die. It is available to look at. I thought it was going to stop in the middle of the road. Unknown Unknown The auto start stop light came on and said it was unavailable. They just first appeared today. And the engine light is on.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the air bag, ABS, parking brake, check engine, seat belt, and collision warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the messages "START/STOP not ready," "ACC Disabled", "Cruise Control”, “Service Air Bags System", "Blind Spot Alert Off", and "Service ESC" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an auto parts stor... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
The cam phasers failed somewhere between 60,000 - 70,000 miles. It is a defective part that was subject to a customer satisfaction program in 2020 or 2021 but we purchased the vehicle after this. Now, Ford is saying that we need to pay to replace the cam phasers and the timing belt. It was quoted at $5777.62, which is a significant repair cost. Also, this shouldn't happen with this part and I am s... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, IVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS RELATING TO MY ENGINE BURNING OIL TO FAST, ENGINE SHAKING AND NOT ACCELERATING LIKE ITS SPPOSE TO... YOU HAVE A RECALL ON 2016 OPTIMAS BUT ONLY THE HYBRID (HEV). WHICH WE ALL KNOW ITS NOT RIGHT. WHY ONLY DO IT FOR CERTAIN OPTIMAS KNOWING WE ARE ALL (ALL OPTIMAS) ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING!! SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, IN AND OUT OF DEALERSHIPS A... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The vehicle began to overheat while traveling at fair speeds (35mph) on state road. Thermostat reading increased to H and vehicle note read “vehicle overheating” please park car. Car temperature read over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. No check engine light present. Vehicle was parked and turned off to cool.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
I have a 2024 JEEP 4xe. I received a notice not to charge the car or park indoors as it a potential fire hazard. The car has been in the shop over ten times These services included water pump, new antennas as the car would not start, two new keys, low tire pressure light won’t go off, radio malfunction, body shop as door from factory was not installed properly, car stopped on middle of road and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
2018 Honda Accord with blown head gasket. Vehicle has a 1.5L turbo charged engine and 100,000 miles.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
I recently took my 2019 X5 to the BMW dealership because of the recall (Engine starter) and the code P0456 (NVLD Minor Leak Fault). At the same time, there's a warning that says, "Oil at a minimum level. Add 1 liter immediately". I have the 3 Year Oil Plan and asked them to put some oil, but the dealership said that they can't add oil because the oil level wouldn’t read properly. They told me ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH on a local roadway, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to accelerate. The engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the mechanic retrieved DTC: P1299, P0300, P0303; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to t... Read more
CONTINENTAL
SPORT CONTACT
(9999) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Aug 30, 2025
Truck shut off and emergency brake came on the truck finally restarted after a few minutes i released parking brake and drove home luckily it happened in a empty parking lot
Incident date: Dec 20, 2025
My engine keeps decreasing and throwing code p0299, wastegate/turbo, under boost. 84k miles. After a few drive cycles, engine light may go off, then next drive cycle come back on. I’ve seen this is a common issue and has been recalled in previous year model.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2012) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
March 29th 2026 my 2021 Yukon XL engine stalled while driving at 45mph (No prior warning lamps or messages, restart engine came on dash) causing me to immediately pull over and come to a stop still in traffic, it shifted my vehicle into park, I was in an in an un-safe spot and was stuck in park (conditions not correct for shift on dash) because my vehicle would not allow me to shift to neutral an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Driving the vehicle, and it went into limp mode. Loss power and would not accelerate. Had to drive very low speeds to get home.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
Engine Shutoff/Idle Stop Failure: The vehicle fails to restart after the automatic idle stop engages in traffic, requiring a manual restart. Electrical System Malfunctions: car dying at stoplights, loss of power, and, in some cases had to restart in "limp mode" where the vehicle is restricted to 1st gear,not very safe on major highways. Reported this to Honda during service on 3-16-26, they didn... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
My car would not go when i gave it gas on a major highway with mu 3 children in the back seat. We almost got into a wreck.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
While driving approximately 70 mph on the highway, my 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe experienced a sudden and complete loss of power without warning. This created a dangerous situation with risk of collision. The vehicle is also subject to an active recall related to high-voltage battery fire risk, which prevents safe charging and normal hybrid operation. Additionally, at approximately 12,000 mile... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Vehicle: 2024 Jeep Wagoneer (Base Model) The vehicle has experienced ongoing and progressively worsening engine performance failures, specifically involving unstable RPM behavior and loss of power during idle and re-acceleration from idle. These defects have been present on multiple occasions and occur under normal operating conditions. While stopped at traffic signals or intersections, the vehic... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle lost power and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Reduced Acceleration - Drive with Care" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions, and the d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
The contact owned a 2019 Acura ILX. The contact stated that while reversing, the backward collision avoidance system activated without any objects or persons behind the vehicle, and the vehicle abruptly stopped. The backup sensor did not sound, and the vehicle then shifted into drive, and the vehicle independently accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were deployed. No inju... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
While driving on a highway, my wife abruptly experienced warning lights, loud rattling from engine and loss of power. Check engine light indicated cylinder misfire. Troubleshooting revealed a bent push rod and later discover broken lifter. While researching the issue it was found to be a very common issues with vehicles using active fuel management. Issue is so widespread parts are replacement... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
The engine coolant temperature sensor has failed on my 2019 GMC Canyon. The check engine light is illuminated, the temperature gauge does not register correctly, the air conditioning has been disabled by the vehicle's computer, and the engine cooling fan continues to run after the engine is turned off. These symptoms are consistent with the vehicle entering fail-safe mode due to loss of a valid co... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The vehicle began to experience issues where it was difficult to start and ran rough. Multiple times after turning off vehicle and attempting to restart later it would not restart. Had vehicle towed to dealership for repairs, they conducted a recall repair and test over multiple days. Picked up vehicle, drove approximately 7 miles. Went into store came back and vehicle would not start. Multiple ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
I am submitting a vehicle safety complaint regarding a vehicle purchased on March 5, 2026. Within days of purchase, the vehicle exhibited multiple safety-related issues despite reportedly passing a Virginia safety inspection on February 27, 2026. The safety concerns identified include: - Driver-side headlight partially inoperable, which resulted in a traffic stop on March 15, 2026 - Front hood not... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Engine Temperature fluctuates. Check engine light comes on, prompt on dash will say engine is overheating. Engine fan stays on high. Code on scanner states Coolant Control Valve. GM has issued special coverage on this exact issue. However, they tell me my truck is not covered. I am very upset with GM as they are failing to address a known concern with my vehicle.
Incident date: Feb 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Due to the issue, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, and the contact was forced to pull over and turn off the vehicle. The contact waited approximately 30-40 minutes before restarting the vehicle and r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
Woke up at [XXX] [XXX] to neighbor banging on door and yelling your car is on fire. Vehicle is parked in front driveway, front part of the car where engine is ablazed. Neighbor said he heard "pops" like firecrackers/gunshot when he went to look out his window the fire was reflected on the fence across the car. I did google search for possible fire causes and search returned with Recall notice for ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment and underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brakes needed to be repl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2025
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving a 2011 Buick LaCrosse CXL. The vehicle has repeatedly shut off while being driven, creating a dangerous situation. The issue first occurred in January 2026. The vehicle was later towed for repair in February 2026, and I was told the issue had been fixed and picked up the vehicle 3/20/2026 and gave $1600. However, on April 9, 2026, the vehicle shut ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
My 2024 Ford Ranger XLT 2W has been suddenly losing power or stumbling upon initial acceleration. This has been occurring intermittently. My truck now has approximately 20,000 miles. The problem has become increasingly frequent. It seems to occur most often when accelerating from a complete stop. The loss of power can last for several seconds, then normal power is regained. Several times, the truc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Number 3 Lifter spun into housing & ruined camshaft, send metal throughout engine. On trip to another state pickup started ticking, service motor light, service parking brake light and service traction icons came on and also messages on them. Had to drive slow to get to next town. Decided to go back home six hours away, very slow the ticking became knocking. Pulled over multiple times. Contacted d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
There was an unusual amount of oil "slug" created by the engine which caused the engine to be inoperable. Therefore, we had to replace the engine.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
The head gasket failed which caused the vehicle to stall out while driving which poses a safety threat to the driver and others due to other vehicles possibly colliding with the vehicle when stalling out. Also, this issue cause the warning light of the engine overheating, which required me to pull over while driving to prevent additional damage to the engine. The vehicle was taken to a nearby deal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
On April 7, 2026, the vehicle experienced a 'quiet fade out' stall while in motion, resulting in a total loss of motive power. The dealership (DCH Kia of Temecula) confirmed cylinder scoring and referenced Techline Case 26022952. This failure is identical to the conditions described in the NHTSA Campaign 25V-099. The dealership is currently refusing to classify the repair as a Campaign Repair, whi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
My engine starting making a knocking/ticking noise out of no where. I was traveling alone on the highway so I stopped to check it. I got to a gas station and google searched it and it came up that the LS 6.2 engine that is in my vehicle was recalled on other models because of this issue. I did have a mechanic look at it as well and he agreed it is that same issue that was recalled in other models.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Engine seized while driving.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The engine is overheating at idle speed and there's a phamtom coolant leak. We just bought this in January and are already having major issues. Seems to be a problem with the plastic coolant reservoir being near a very hot engine.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
Turning left from a stop sign, engine turned off in the middle of the intersection and parking brake was automatically applied. max speed achieved approximately 5mph. Red Battery dash light was illuminated. Dash instructions were to press brake pedal and push park brake release button. after completing I was able to shift to park and restart the vehicle. Red battery dash light remained. After movi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
front end axle actuator failing and causing all safety systems to turn off, loss of power and can lead to seized up front end
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
First instance at 50-55 mph the transmission violently shook the car when downshifting to accelerate on multiple occasions. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a faulty transmission and replaced it at 44064 miles on March 18, 2025. Second time the car failed to accelerate when merging into traffic while the engine revved very high. Again it was taken to the dealership and the diagnosis was faul... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
Engine throwing a code after dying at intersection. Found that it isa known issue for this vehicle and repair costs are astronomical. Diagnostic Summary: 2013 Mazda CX-9 (3.7L V6)Issue: Faulty Crankshaft/Camshaft Correlation (Code P0016)Current Mileage: ~160,000 miles Reported Symptoms: Extended cranking (long start), rattle upon startup, and rattle under light acceleration. The 2013 Mazda CX-9... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
On December 28, 2025, while driving normally with my children, my 2024 Chevrolet Trax displayed multiple warnings including Engine Power Reduced, Service ESC, Service Stability, and Steering Assist Reduced. The engine began sputtering and knocking. The next morning the vehicle would not start and was towed to Malcolm Cunningham Chevrolet. The dealership found the engine free-wheeling with no com... Read more
FOREST RIVER
SALEM
(2024) - ENGINE
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Technical Service Bulletin 19-2387 My vehicle has this defect which is an ongoing problem and at the time of this correspondence my vehicle has under 13,000 miles. Seepage around the perimeter of the oil pan which in time will result in a steady leak and in turn loosing enough oil will cause engine damage. Technicians refer to this as the oil pan sweating. As per the Technical Service Bulletin thi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
I was driving down a major highway (I65, northbound, indiana) and my vehicle suddenly slowed down and wouldn't accelerate in the middle of traffic. The check engine light came on and was flashing, as well as many other lights on the dash. Thankfully I was able to pull over. I had to wait on the interstate for a tow truck with cars and semis flying past me. It was absolutely dangerous and Kia state... Read more