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 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly, where an unknown diagnostic result was provided. The vehicle was taken to the used car dealer where it was purchased, and the engine was disassembled. The dealer determined that the cylinder head was cracked. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
car caught on fire in apartment complex over night. whole car was destroyed
Fire
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle violently jerked while the transmission was changing gear. Additionally, while starting the vehicle, the RPM revved to 1,500 RPM before the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the camshaft and crankshaft sensors were replaced; however, the failure per... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was shipped back to the contact's home state, where the contact also experienced the failure while driving at undisclosed speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, wh... Read more
GOODYEAR
FORTITUDE H/T
(9999) - ENGINE
Apr 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
While driving on the interstate lost coolant through the oil cooler housing. I had to quickly get to the shoulder of the road having to cross several lanes of traffic. The car had to be towed. I had it towed to the dealership where I purchased it as I paid for an extended warranty. Warranty company denied the claim. Through research I am finding this is an issue with BMWs as they part is plastic a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
2020 Blazer, 65,000 miles. Temp stuck on cold, A/C blows warm aor and driving assistance off. The radiator fan runs continuously. Check engine light on.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Coolant leak, upper radiator hose, TSB issued PIT6494A over $500 repair. Not covered under any warranty.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The vehicle experienced a failure while driving, producing heavy smoke and requiring the car to be stopped immediately. The “Low Oil Pressure – Stop Vehicle” warning light illuminated on 2/19/2026. The vehicle was subsequently taken to an Infiniti dealership for inspection. Upon evaluation, the dealer determined that both turbochargers have failed and are leaking oil. The turbochargers are c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and was losing automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that it was the second transmission failure in... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated the vehicle was unable to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the knock sensor was replaced as a temporary fix. The failure reoccurred 2 days later. The contact received notification of ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
cracked cylinder head at 109521miles, no warning, no temp gage no light indicators came on. I have pictures of vehicle dashboard showing no warning as it is smoking going to Mazda dealership. Dealership advised me of this being an issue in my make and model> I also have video from dealership. I have reached out to Mazda several times, its going on 5 weeks and I am getting the run around. Please ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Lincoln MKT. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled and shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not serviceable. There was no explanation provided. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. After researching the failure, the contact discover... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
The contact's father owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle started losing automotive power. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and while the vehicle was shifted to drive(D), the vehicle failed to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the engine shut off as intended in the fuel saver mode, but when the brake pedal was released, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was repaired but the repair information was unavailable. The contact stated that failure recently reoccurred and the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
I have already replaced the transmission out of pocket 7k its began to do the same thing immediately was flushed a 2nd time and told it could be the motor. Also my battery i have bought 2 new batteries in 2 yrs now to find out its a false warning.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
My mother's vehicle caught fire while in park and it’s listed under a fire-risk recall. Another car got damage with the fire. I want to open a claim.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
Driving at 70 mph when I tried to accelerate. Heard a loud bang from the exhaust and immediately started to lose power. I had zero warning that anything was wrong. Warning messages flashed and I lost propulsion. As I was pulling over the engine died completely and shut off. Purchased the vehicle on 11/25 and had 4100 miles on it. 6.2L Chevrolet ZR2. Dealer confirmed that that the crankcase failed ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The car has signs of current recall in other Cx-5 Models. Hesitation with acceleration or driving at high speed, reduced power, not responding appropriately when accelerating or would accelerate on its own, strong smell of gas after the car has been driven and is parked. I know there is currently a recall for a gas pump failure. There is no engine light on.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Coolant intrusion in cylinder 1. Confirmed by Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI. Known design flaw. Can potentially cause the engine to seize, misfiring of cylinders, excessive exhaust. Codes for rich fuel mixture and cylinder misfires were found when check engine light appeared. Checked plugs and coils before a camera was put into the cylinder to confirm the coolant intrusion. Dealership ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
"fuel pump issues directly cause injector system failures". Today Honda assured me than the fuel pump recall could not interfere in the injector system, that's totally false Now I have to changed injector system and spark plugs to my own expense. On Monday 6th of April 2026 showrd engine light as well as stalling when driving On Monday 30th of March AC COMPRRSSOR SMOKED, ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2014) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
Engine started knocking and within a couple days my wife was left stranded. The vehicle went into limp mode with check engine light flashing, and would not accelerate. The vehicle stopped completely in the middle of the road and lost all power, which could’ve caused a major accident. Scheduled maintenance and oil changes has been kept up by me. I had the vehicle towed to a trusted shop and was i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Dear American Honda Motor Co., Inc. ,I am writing to formally document my experience with a premature failure of the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) in my Honda HR-V. The vehicle was covered under the extended warranty program Honda implemented specifically for the known CVT issues affecting 2016–2020 model years.In On 3/10/26 the CVT failed at approximately 96,000 miles. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
I own a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali. In Nov. 2023, at about 4,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a complete engine and electrical failure at highway speed while I was traveling with my husband and three small children. It suddenly lost all power in the fast lane, including acceleration and engine function. Steering became extremely heavy, consistent with loss of power steering assist, and the electronics s... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Vehicle Safety Recall Information never received, and I need my vehicle sends to the local dealership for repair as soon as possible. Please send me the instructions for repair.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Original letter to Hyundai below. The car is currently at a dealer again for repair of the same issue. Fuel pump replaced in Nov 2025 but issue has returned in March 2026. Videos of the issue recently occurring are available. Good morning, We had our 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid lose power while merging onto the freeway in November 2025. I was pressing the accelerator and it did not do anything, just k... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Mi carro hay veces que prende la luz de la engine, lo lleve a checar y salió en la computadora que era un problema de Power Train system, que era secondary DTCs P1C28 Y P1C28000, lo busque en Google y salía que era un problema muy recurrente en Kias souls y sorentos. Que podría causar incendios
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The Power Electronics Control Unit (ECM), Part No. A453-900-72-11, and the DC-to-DC converter have both failed, rendering this all-electric vehicle completely inoperable. There is no backup propulsion system. The DC-to-DC converter powers safety-critical systems including lighting, turn signals, and hazard flashers — its failure could cause loss of safety-critical functions while driving. Total ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Oil is leaking onto my spark plugs and fouling them out. Also took my car into dealership and parts are not available for the recall for the rear toe links.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Vehicle: 2026 Ram 1500 Limited I am filing a safety complaint regarding a brand new vehicle that experienced a dangerous failure in live traffic and continues to have unresolved issues. The vehicle was purchased on March 31, 2026. On April 3, 2026, just three days after purchase, the truck broke down in active traffic. The situation was serious enough that local police had to respond to direct... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmis... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The vehicle experienced a hybrid system/charging failure documented by the servicing dealership as “service hybrid system message and vehicle will not charge.” The vehicle also had battery-related failure requiring a jump and repeated service visits. This caused loss of use and raised reliability and safety concerns.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
I am reporting a safety-related problem involving a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, VIN [XXX] . Dealership records reflect hybrid / charging-related failure, including a documented “service hybrid system message and vehicle will not charge,” repeated recall-related PHEV / high-voltage service, and later jerking during acceleration and deceleration with stored transmission-related fault code P07... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2016) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My [XXX] daughter was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a crash in which the vehicle struck a tree and a fire was present. She was unable to exit the vehicle and did not receive medical attention in time. Public records indicate the vehicle had an open federal safety recall at the time, listed as incomplete. I am submitting this information for awareness and review. I am not making any concl... Read more
Crash
Fire
3 injured
3 deaths
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
I don't know if this qualifies as an immediate safety issue, however, if the vehicle is stopped and placed into park on a busy freeway, or in traffic in any way, then this absolutely is a safety issue after the fact because the vehicle cannot be moved due to not being able to get it into gear. This involves the shift linkage component and not being able to get the car out of park and into any othe... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2024
Rod went through the the back of the engine causing smoke and vehicle locked up.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2025
Complaint is related to NHTSA campaign number 17v-209, engine and engine coolant. The 2014 Ford Escape we purchased, leaked coolant into the cylinder. The cylinder head was sent to a machine shop, upon examination the cylinder head was cracked requiring an new cylinder head be installed. The work was performed and paid for without reimbursement from Ford as the 2014 Ford Escape was not listed in ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2025
SYMPTOMS IS THE COOLANT DISAPPEARS RAPIDLY AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATS AFTER DRIVING FIVE MILES. ALARMS GO OFF. THE TEMPERATURE GAGE IN THE VEHICLE IS AT ITS MAX. IN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THERE IS WHITE SMOKE. THERE IS CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. I HAVE LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, AND IS NOT DRIVEABLE. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND FOUND EVIDENCE OF COOLANT INSID... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with major internal engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the warranty had expired the same day that the vehicle was towed to the dealer for the diagnostic test. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
On 3/27/026 at approximately 1800 hrs, I was driving my 2025 VW Atlas w/8500 miles southbound on the Florida Turnpike in the left hand land. Traffic was at a standstill at mm 76. We sat for 2-3 minutes without moving. When traffic started to roll forward, I moved my foot to apply the gas but the car shifted itself to Park. It did not shut down or stall. The engine was still running. I could not sh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
I will take 10k$ for the car or a new engine and steering, damages fixed. . I also need a rental by April 10th and $300 for inconvenience thus far. The engine stalled twice when driving over 2 months! The lawyer won't be forgiving.
Crash
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
My engine completely failed on March 19, 2026 and it is currently at Sterling GMC in Bryan Texas waiting for a backorder engine as it needs to be completely replaced
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
My 2022 Nissan Rogue experienced a sudden engine failure related to an active recall. The vehicle became undrivable and was taken to the dealership. The vehicle has now been out of service for over two weeks with no estimated repair completion date. This failure creates a serious safety risk, as engine failure can occur while driving and could lead to loss of power, stalling, or inability to safel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel delivery system and engine power management. The vehicle suffers from sudden "Limp Mode" activation and total loss of acceleration. The vehicle is available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was severely compromised when the vehicle sud... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
The engine in my vehicle (2007 Charger, 49,000 miles) has completely failed due to "Casting Sand Sludge". This issue has been acknowledged by FCA Stellantis; but only in much newer engines. The failure in my vehicle, from the "casting sand sludge" caused the vehicle to have engine heat issues, which could have started a fire or resulted in the complete seizure of the engine at speed, potentially l... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
I have a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 3.0L diesel pickup truck with 98,500 miles. The coolant control valve failed on my vehicle and for some reason it is not covered under GM's special bulletin that covers this part 15yr/150,000. Ridiculous.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that after shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the infotainment screen went black or displayed a half-operating screen. An unknown warning light was illuminated with the message "Attention Needed - Service Engine Soon" displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was determined that Part Number: BE52 needed to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a serious incident involving my 2025 Kia EV9. The vehicle was serviced on March 1 at World Kia in Joliet, Illinois. On April 4, only four days after that service, the vehicle experienced a sudden and unexpected ICCU failure while I was driving. During my normal travel, in active traffic and at speed, the vehicle abruptly entered limp mode and displayed... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
While driving in rush hour traffic, engine completely stopped. We were stranded in traffic for 2 hours until the police came to help push us out of the street. It was 20 degrees and we sat for 4 hours to get towed. After much ado, the dealership stated the following; "Checked and found engine wouldn't crank over, towed vehicle into the shop. Removed inspection cover to access torque convertor bolt... Read more