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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 169,480 complaints - component: ENGINE

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

Purchased vehicle in August of 2025 and there was an open recall for engine issues at that time. Took vehicle back to dealership in October or November for dealer to inspect. The vehicle passed the engine test and oil was changed to a heavier weight. From October/November 2025 I’ve been noting that there’s been a significant loss of engine oil prior to scheduled maintenance that requires any... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

OnXXX my car experienced sudden knocking in the engine. I pulled over to the service station on the [XXX] and had my car towed to Empire Hyundai in [XXX]. I had just changed oil on XXXand upon inspection oil level was fine. Problem is the theta 2 engine and though the car is under extended warranty Hyundai is requesting maintenance records before repairing this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

I’m currently on my third motor as a result of the L87 engine loss. When I bought the vehicle, I was not aware that the engine had already been replaced however, due to hearing a tick, I brought my vehicle to the dealership for the recall and was told that this is not the original engine, but they had the paperwork for this engine as well. Nonetheless, the engine “passed” their inspection. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

Shortly after I purchased this used 2018 Land Rover Discovery with approximately 30,700 miles, the vehicle began intermittently lurching, surging and shaking during normal driving. These symptoms began before the check-engine light illuminated. Two days after the check-engine light first appeared, the lurching and surging became noticeably worse. Approximately two minutes before the first engine ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

My 2021 Kia Seltos stalled twice while driving and failed to restart, creating a severe safety hazard. The vehicle was previously inspected twice at a Kia dealer for the Piston Ring Recall (SC209). The dealer diagnosis now shows timing failure codes P0014 and P0017 with misfires. The technician notes that the engine oil is entirely 'metalized' and the oil control valves are contaminated with metal... Read more

Incident date: Oct 12, 2025

My Vehicle has a 5,3 engine it now has 23000 miles. It goes to the dealership for all the oil changes. I check my dipstick before I took it in for service and warranty work for a third time first time at this dealership. But noticed there was no oil on the dipstick. So I went to auto zone and bought a new 3 gallon container and funnel. So they changed my oil and put it in and I got my vehicle back... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

Vehicle has 43k miles on it and a has a failed oil pump, already switched to the heavier oil and still have engine issue

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Early this year the crankshaft seized while driving. The engine was promptly replaced and I carried on my way. Then 7k miles later, the replacement engine that GM sent also blew up and was a total replacement. Hopefully the third engine lasts longer.

Incident date: Apr 18, 2026

In April 2026 (29,805 miles) I was on an interstate underpass U-turn and when I went to accelerate from the U-turn, the vehicle “revved”, had difficulty accelerating, and appeared to not go into the next gear for a roughly 10 seconds, meaning I was unable to accelerate and get out of the way from oncoming traffic. Traffic slowed and the vehicle suddenly returned to normal (no warning lights ap... Read more

Incident date: Feb 28, 2026

1 - The Engine or something electrical, possibly the ECM, failed or malfunctioned, and yes, it is available for inspection. 2 - The vehicle lost power, reduced speed, was hard to steer, and I couldn't put the hazard lights on; this occurred twice while driving on the highway, once I was driving at approx 75 mph. The results could have been catastrophic not only to myself but to others on the roa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

"I am writing to report a latent safety concern regarding my 2022 Toyota Tundra Hybrid equipped with the V35A-FTS engine. Non-hybrid 2022–2024 Tundras sharing this exact V35A engine block architecture are subject to active safety recalls (NHTSA Campaign IDs: 24V381, 25V767, and 26V320) due to crankshaft main bearing failure caused by manufacturing debris and oil film disruption. My hybrid model ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

I had taken my Sonata to Mike Miller Hyndia in Peoria,I'll and they agreed to do the recall although they had my vehicle for two weeks. They did not service it and when I picked it up they said I had to drive it till the service engine light come on. I was driving it five days later and heard a loud noise and car started malfunctioning I was stuck in a middle of a intersection and I had to push ve... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

Engine failed to restart after turning off at idle at a stop. When releasing the brake the engine tried to turn on but stalled out. It is available for inspection upon request. No major safety concern, traffic behind the vehicle was prohibited from moving until the vehicle could be restarted. The failure has not been reproduced by a dealer or service center, or inspected by anyone else. There were... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Engine knock sensor went off and now the engine needs replacement due to faulty cylinder rod.

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

Engine making noise during a trip took to dealership and they reported engine is bad and needs to be replaced because it would freeze on the road. Vehicle has 7000 miles.

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

On XXX around noon in medium traffic I was traveling on the [XXX] southbound at about 65 miles per hour when the engine suddenly stopped with no warning. To make matters worse the dash instructed me to apply the brake to start?? Not at 65 mph! I was able to coast onto the offramp safely and call for a tow to the GMC dealer in [XXX]. They diagnosed the failure to the engine seizing. I was fortunat... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

Check engine light repeatedly comes on. Take it in, multiple Chevy dealerships “fix” the errors such as fuel line pump 5x, gear shift issues, modules that went bad and various other issues. I Routinely take care of vehicle (oil changes, tire rotations and service when needed) This truck will randomly shut off while driving (stop and go traffic ) I was told to turn off the start/stop which I ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

2025 Honda Odyssey Elite. Approximately 12,000 miles. Vehicle has experienced 4–5 instances where Auto Idle Stop engages while stopped and the engine fails to restart. Vehicle cannot immediately be restarted with the push-button ignition and must be completely shut down before it will restart. Battery was replaced by Honda, but the condition is ongoing. Vehicle can and has become disabled at an ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 3, 2026

At 82,000 miles, cylinder number 6 lifter collapsed resulting in a bent push rod. I have since replaced the cam, lifters, push rods with an AFM delete kit for Texas Speed knowing that the same problem would occur if factory parts were used again. One would think that a newer vehicle should last longer than 82K miles with all the technology today. Oil changes were always on time between 3 and 5k m... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

Camshafts wear out prematurely, rendering engine inoperable. This could cause bike to stall in middle of traffic and hurt someone. KTM has known for years but not doing anything about it.

Incident date: Jun 14, 2025

While driving 65 mph down the highway pulling a trailer. I lost all power and chimes went off on the dash to push button to start. I coasted to the side of the road and vehicle was completely dead. It was towed to the nearest dealership and it was determined that it needed a whole new engine. It took 119 days for the repair to be made.

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

Oil leaks from the timing cover on the top and bottom.

Incident date: May 23, 2018

I’d like to report this vehicle and its engine as I did not know I could before we have had this car since 2015 This engine has chronic repeated issues that Chevy would patch once under “special coverages” or “extended warranty” and it fails again and again but they only honor it 1 time even if it fails yet again due to bad engineering or design flaws. This car has had 3 water pumps ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

Driving approximately 75mph on a local highway, my engine shut down with no warning, the screen said to shift into neutral to restart but nothing happened so I was stranded along the side of the highway and had to wait 2hrs for a tow truck in the middle of the night and the engine is currently locked up.

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

My vehicle "passed" the engine recall only to have the engine blow at 33,000 miles. My vehicle was at the dealership for 52 days most of the time was spent waiting for the new engine. Dealership was amazing, GMC however is the worst. My new engine has about 1,000 miles on it and it stutters occasionally when the auto start turns on.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The engine failed at 5383 miles while driving on remote highway in Nebraska.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

Car abruptly lost power while driving. I was barely able to pull over to the side and park the car in lot that happened to be next to where I was driving. The car was towed to a award-winning service facility (non-Honda) and it was determined that P0303 Cylinder Misfire and P16e8 engine error codes due to a blown engine head gasket. According to the head mechanic, they had recently had another... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AT 18K MILES AND TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND METAL IN THE FILTER AND INSTALLED A NEW ENGINE AND ALSO REPLACED THE MIDPLATE GASKET ON THE VALVEBODY DUE TO A HARSH DOWNSHIFT WITHOUT CODES IN THE SYSTEM THIS ENGINE IS GOING ON 2K MILES AND IT SEEMS TO BE FINE NOW BUT THE PROBLEM WITH 6.2 WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE 21-24 MODELS AND MINE IS A 25 MODEL AND ALREADY HAD A REP... Read more

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

My engine is consuming an excessive amount of oil due to a known issue with the Hyundai engine design impacting cars from 2011-2018. My car only had approximately 89,900 miles on it when I noticed the issues. Hyundai is aware of the defect and has re-engineered their engines due to the issue. The engine is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others is put at risk... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

I own a 2026 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum purchased new. The vehicle has repeatedly exhibited hesitation, shuddering, jerking, and abnormal vibration during acceleration from a stop and the transition from electric propulsion to the gasoline engine. When accelerating from a stop, there can be a noticeable hesitation after pressing the accelerator before the vehicle responds. As the gasoline ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

What component or system failed, and is it available for inspection? The right frame engine mount, differential/rear mount, and upper engine mount were all torn or broken. Both front CV axle shafts also needed replacement. Repaired 8/17/2026 by Miami County Auto, Louisburg, KS (invoice #13092). No, I don't have the parts anymore. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Engine developed a bad skip, dealer service originally said it was a faulty spark plug or coil on cylinder 2so they replaced those for a cost of $414 on 6/4/26. This did not fix the problem. The second diagnosis identified the engine defect that was causing the skip. They recommended an engine replacement and contacted Ford to request assistance since it's a know manufacturing defect. This request... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

Not that anything has happened to my truck but im genuinely worried that something bad will happen with my motor. With it being the 6.2L L87 motor. My truck was manufactured july 2024 which is 2 months after Gm's cut off. I love the truck but im worried about going to and from work, what if i was to turn and this truck dies and i go into oncoming traffic? What about everyone else driving their own... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

Horrible gas smell on the interior and exterier of vehicle after fueling up.

Incident date: Aug 26, 2026

Had a check engine light come on a couple months ago and vehicle went into Reduced Accelaration safety mode. Come to find out, it was a faulty Valve Body. I came out of pocket for $2,800 to get it replaced because GMC said the Valve Body/Special Coverage was not assigned to this VIN. Even though it was a 2022 with 60,000 miles on it fitting every criteria of the exact recall (mind-blowing). Now fa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

The 2017 Audi Q7 Prestige was purchased on November 7,2016. Since the purchase, all service was provided by one or the other of two Audi dealerships. During this period, the Audi recommended 10K, 20K,30K, 40K, 50K, 60K, 70K, and 80K mile services had all been performed. In the almost ten years that I owned the car, the oil and oil filter were changed 11 times at one or the other of the two deal... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

I got this car in 2024 and it burns through oil. I am constantly replacing the oil and have had to have the seals replaced a couple of times. Every 200 to 300 miles I have to put oil in it. It’s too new of a car for that. I know a lot of other owners have had issues.

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

FROM DEALER ASSESSMENT Concern - CUSTOMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE IS ACCELERATING THERE IS A RATTLE Correction - test drove and was able to duplicate rattle/knocking from the engine. checked oil level and condition verified both are good. checked for bulletins and followed 23-NA-170. compared vehicle noise to noise is video and noise is nearly identical. removed oil filter and inspected for debris... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

Vehicle engine light comes on and says loss of power restart engine. Dealer found no codes and no repairs were made. This is the second occurrence.

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

2020 BMW M5 a metal-shavings engine failure at highway speed is a safety event. I had total catastrophic engine failure at less than 50,000 miles. No warning lights, found metal shavings in the engine system and engine needs complete replacement. I discovered that the very first and most important service at 1200 miles was never performed by BMW of [XXX]. It has been detailed by managers in writin... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

My 2024 GMC Yukon Denali equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8 experienced an engine failure on July 4, 2026. Prior to the failure, there was no visible damage, warning, or other evidence that the engine was about to fail. I drove the vehicle to purchase fireworks and shut the vehicle off normally when I arrived. When I returned to the vehicle after shopping, the engine problem became apparent. There had... Read more

Incident date: May 22, 2026

At 12,000 miles a lifter malfunctioned. It was repaired by my local Chevrolet dealership by replacing lifters on one side of the engine. The delearship also changed the viscosity of the oil. At 64,000 miles roughly another lifter malfunctioned and needed replacing. Had I been on the highway at the time of failure it could have posed a risk for the safety of my family and others on the road. Each t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

I am reporting a serious intermittent transmission and loss-of-propulsion problem with my 2021 Lincoln Navigator, VIN 5LMJJ3LT6MEL05416. While driving, including at highway speeds, the transmission will unpredictably behave as though it has shifted into Neutral even though the vehicle remains in Drive. When I press the accelerator, the engine responds, but the vehicle temporarily has little or no... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The motor started to make a ticking noise 5 months earlier. 5 months later at 180,000 miles a borascope finding, reveled all 4 cylinder walls were worn related to cylinder slap. Called Hyundai dealership and was told ithe car is too old and the milage too high for a warranty coverage.

Incident date: Jul 8, 2026

l have a 2014 grey Kia soul with engine problems engine recall. The car has stopped multiple times. The KSDS is already installed since my Kia in limp mode can’t got past 40mph. Its engine recall P1326 knock sensor rod bearing engine recall. Everything on car is up to date oil change last month and all other car parts. Smoke come inside car and outside my 2014 Kia soul making very very d... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2026

Vehicle stalls while driving which is very dangerous. All dashboard lights go on prior to stalling. No engine light is on. Knocking sound coming from engine. Dealer states engine needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced regularly despite that Hyundai denies engine replacement. The knocking sound that engine does is common between this model and year but mysteriously there has not been engine re... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

The component was the engine. The engine has since been replaced. The safety of myself or others was not in immediate danger before the engine seized. Luckily my mechanics employee was test driving for other issues at the time. My mechanic said it was likely due to the recalls that have been issued from KIA. Unfortunately the engine was seized so the dealership I had the car towed to was unable t... Read more

Incident date: Mar 16, 2026

I am a Canadian owner of a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 equipped with the 6.2L L87 engine. VIN: [XXX]. I purchased the vehicle new. I am reporting this because my experience appears directly relevant to NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA26005 concerning L87 engine failures after Recall 25V-274 remedies. The GM recall remedy/oil change was performed at 103,503 km (64,315 mi). At 130,695 km (81,210 mi), t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

I own a 2019 Audi Q8 3.0 TFSI that has been regularly maintained and serviced through authorized Audi dealerships. The abnormal engine ticking/knocking did not suddenly begin at 91,000 miles. A similar noise could be heard earlier, but it was not identified by Audi service as an internal engine/piston problem. Because the vehicle continued to be serviced by Audi, I believed the sound was related ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

Driving on the highway lost proportion/acceleration, loud knocking coming from the engine

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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