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 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the tire pressure monitoring system, Emissions system, ABS, and electric power steering warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, there were alerts for the adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, and road departure systems displayed. The v... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The rod barring failed in my engine. I broke down in the middle of the parkway with my daughter. This is my third Kia optima that has had this issue but the dealership is stating there is not a recall on this model. The check engine light did not come on except when the car lost all power.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact’s son owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while the contact’s son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, and the rear of the vehicle caught fire. The contact’s son pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, and the fire extinguished on its own. No fire or police report was filed. The contact was informed by local police that... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The brakes and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact refere... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
My 2024 Subaru Outback has twice become inoperable while stopped at a traffic signal. In both incidents, the engine was off while stopped, but the vehicle remained powered on and would not restart. The vehicle also would not properly power down. The car could not be safely driven or moved and required towing both times. This created a serious safety hazard because the vehicle became disabled in ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Bearing and Engine failure, Had to pay out of pocket for a new engine at 78,000 miles. The problem was diagnosed by my local dealer Denoyer Chevrolet in holland Mi. There was no warning lamps, messages, nor symptoms. Dealer had all the info on date, inspection and repair. Engine failures like this are very dangerous as they can cause catastrophic injury or damage. General Motors should be held acc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Vehicle exhibits delayed deceleration after releasing accelerator. Engine RPM remains elevated for several seconds, causing the vehicle to continue applying power unexpectedly. Issue began after recent repair and was not present before. Condition is intermittent but reproducible and affects drivability.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
My vehicle experienced complete engine loss while driving due to a crankshaft failure. There were no warning lights, no messages, and no indication of a problem. The vehicle suddenly lost all power in traffic and then the engine seized completely. This is extremely dangerous and could easily cause a crash. The dealership confirmed this is part of the known national crankshaft defect, but the repl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
I am writing to formally file a safety complaint regarding a catastrophic engine failure in my 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with a 6.2L engine. The vehicle had approximately 9,640 miles at the time of failure. On March 21, 2026, while driving on a highway, the engine failed suddenly and without warning, creating an unsafe and potentially dangerous situation. The vehicle lost power and had to be ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2014) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The car misfires very badly. I have changed the fuel injectors, fuel pump, spark plugs and the ignition coils to no avail. Also, car randomly showed to be overheating one day, got home and checked and my coolant level had dropped dramatically very quickly. The car has since been diagnosed with a bad head gasket.
FOREST RIVER
SANDPIPER
(2024) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
engine failure - coolant entering engine cylinder #2, Internal engine failure. Car was stalled loss of power on highway and almost killed. Towed to nearest mechanic shop. Need to disassemble and confirm failure point. Ford law suits for coolant internal engine damage and failure. This is a known defect with Ford Ecoboost engines. Including coolant/antifreeze entering the engine. Also, th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
On March 3, 2026 my son was driving our 2020 Acura MDX when we lost power in the middle of an intersection. The following day we had it towed to Montanto Acura in [XXX] where we were told we had a blown engine due to a bad crank shaft and possibly engine bearings. Prior to this the car drove fine with no warning signs. My son who was [XXX] old was at a dangerous intersection and had to wait for ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Engines has a severe issue with coolant leaking into the engine cylinders due to a design defect in the engine block. This "coolant intrusion" lead to misfires, engine overheating, and complete engine failure, and is requiring a full engine replacement.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
My car was parked at home and hadnt been driven in hours. My neighbor contacted me, saying that my car was on fire. I went outside, and it was on fire, and the fire department was called. After BMW conducted an investigation, they deemed the car fire to be related to the active recall. The manufacturer (BMW) is violating the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S Code Section 3012... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
Motor is not included in the 6.2 recall for some reason. It is consistently burning through 3 qts of oil every 2-3k miles. This is a major concern considering I travel a lot. I want to know why this specific motor isn’t covered in the recall considering it is having the same issues as the current recall. This has been an ongoing issue and I have been waiting for a recall notice. GM dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
My wife was driving our 2016 Honda Pilot and making a right turn when she lost most of the power on the vehicle. She noticed an immediate rattling/knocking sound and drove home with reduced power. We took it to the Honda dealership on the week of March 30 to have it evaluated and they said it was a timing belt issue. We were charged the diagnostic fee and had it towed from the dealership to a repa... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2025) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Said it needed a map sensor. I replaced it and it started acting g crazy. Dying at stop lights making weird noises. I finally threw cod P0011 so I bought the oil control valve before it arrived ny car died. It skipped 5 or 6 teeth. 3,900 left to pay on it. Im a single mom and need my car to provide [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2020) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
On March 6, 2026 exactly one month ago from today, I was driving my Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 with a 6.2 liter gas engine to a family vacation. We were traveling through our home state to another state. I was driving and my wife, along wiht two children (age [XXX] and [XXX] ) and my family dog were all riding inside the truck. We were traveling at posted highway speed approximately three ho... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Vehicle has heavy leak from water pump. Most vehicles of this model have extended warentee due to class action lawsuit from failing water pump, primarily the 4cylinder models, but it is a well known issue among the V6 models, and some of those are covered as well. Vehicle has 56K miles at this time.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2019) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle was driving sluggishly, and the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated before stalling. The vehicle was towed to the local Service Center and was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and metal shavings were found inside the engine oil, and th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
Bought car, it was a recall on the vehicle got it fixed then the ESC code came on, stops the car while driving & smoking from rear driver wheel, took to Hyundai was told I needed to get wheel speed sensor, CV axle & valve cover gasket replaced, got it done then it was the starter, radiator , got it fixed , then it started slowing down while driving putting the car in limp mode now I need a new eng... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware of the warning lights that were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings had failed and that the engine... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
My vehicle was leaking oil an oil change. My vehicle started having a knocking sound. I am a single parent of a [XXX] child. The car would suddenly stop while I was driving which put me and my daughter's safety at risk. I took if to Southern Kia Greenbriar dealership to have a diagnostic test on Jan 17, 2026. [XXX] from the dealership confirmed my vehicle needs a new engine. It could be covered ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2025
A significant engine failure occurred while driving, presenting as loud knocking from the engine. The issue developed without prior warning lights or messages. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership and the problem was confirmed as internal engine failure (piston slap/engine knock). The dealership recommended full engine replacement. The engine is available for inspection upon request. There ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
While driving at highway speed, the engine suffered a sudden connecting rod bearing failure (Cylinder 3) with no prior warning lamps, messages, or symptoms. The vehicle made a slapping noise, a belt came off, the engine died, and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership. The driver, a [XXX] [XXX] , was able to safely guide the vehicle to a stop without injury. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
Basically normal driving the car stalled. It slowed to a stall. I had to restart the car. This has happened a couple to times.
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
Our 2018 Honda Odyssey repeatedly and without warning completely loses acceleration power, creating extremely dangerous driving conditions. This occurs in two distinct situations:(1)while driving at highway speeds when attempting to change lanes or accelerate, and(2)when stopped at a stop sign or intersection and pressing the gas to merge into or turn into traffic. In both situations, pressing the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
As I entered onto i4 reaching the speed of 60 miles an hour my vehicle began to make a high pitched whining noise that got louder as I pressed on the gas pedal, noise dissipated when I let off the gas pedal. Vehicle began to slow down on its own , even when applying pressure to the gas pedal, I had no choice but to pull over on i4, error message displayed “RED CAUTION EMBLEM” error message “... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
Radiator has anti freeze smell when driven long periods of time or sometimes when at idol , also start /stop system not working properly when making a stop vechiel does not want to turn back on
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Took dealer 3/26 for Sam issue Engine Power reduced after already cause me hit curb. Got it out 4/1/26 Now 4/5/26 it happened again same codes after they claimed they fixed it. Also keep having Emergency services come on a caused my dashboard out. My issues is car keeps stalling losing power. Same codes as week ago after dealer fix. Also 4 time took for noises in my car from passenger side. They k... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated and reversed which caused the vehicle to crash into a brick wall; the contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes failed to engage. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was towed to an independe... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
This motorcycle has had a history of stalling while riding, this issue has persisted through two "repairs" that the dealership deemed safe. It stalled on the way back from retrieving the motorcycle from the supposed repair and put me in a life threatening scenario when the motorcycle stalled in traffic in front of a diesel in a construction zone without any available shoulders. The error that disp... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Engine failed while driving down the road, car was looked at by two mechanics with no known reason for engine failure so car was took to Hyundai of murfreesboro for diagnostic testing and was there for a total of 12 days for inspection, in which during that time i as asked to submit maintenance records for vehicle which i provided 18 pages of oil changes, other records. I was then told my claim wa... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
Warning lights came on while driving down I-43 in Walworth county, WI. The "hot oil" light stayed illuminated. The vehicle ran until I stopped on the off ramp where it shut itself down and would not restart. The hazard lights would only work briefly then turn off.
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
NHTSA Complaint Draft I am filing a follow-up complaint regarding Recall 78C on my 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. This recall involves risk of catastrophic engine failure, loss of propulsion, and potential fire. It has now been approximately 5 months since the recall was issued, and there is still no remedy available. I have completed all other recalls that had remedies and have fully complied with... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Vehicle experienced catastrophic timing system failure causing engine to jump time and stall at idle, creating a safety hazard due to risk of sudden loss of power. This is a repeat issue originally documented under warranty (2020) and again during recall/service program 21N03 (2021), where repair was declined as “not severe enough.” Recall 24E13 (software update intended to prevent timing ch... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was reversed to the residence and parked, but the sound was heard longer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the sound from the engine compartmen... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle started shaking erratically, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Vehicle: Ford EcoSport Issue: Overheating / Unsafe to Drive After Recall Repairs Dealership: Bolton Ford Dates: Vehicle at dealership since December 31, 2025 Complaint Text: My Ford EcoSport has been at the dealership since December 31 for multiple recall repairs. After the recall work was completed, the dealership informed me that the vehicle now has an overheating issue and another non‑recal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Had recently turned 40,000 miles and was driving down a highway; ,lost all power had to get towed to dealership. Was told engine went out, and had to get another. Would be weeks, still no engine. Was towed 3/2/2026. Common problem finding out, was a 90k vehicle unacceptable!
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Catastrophic fire started in fast food restaurant drive through, but able to drive to the parking lot before it became engulfed in flames.
Fire
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - ENGINE
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Due to General Motors AFM lifter defect and oil consumption issues that have been proven faulty, #4 AFM gave out on us in February of 2026 costing us approximately $5,000 in Engine repairs on our 2013 Chevrolet Silverado plus several tow bills and the inconvenience of not having a vehicle for weeks. GM Recently lost a class action lawsuit for this issue that they have failed to fix but the lawsuit... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
I was driving my vehicle on the highway doing normal highway speed, when I began to hear an odd noise coming from the engine area. I slowed down and moved into the slow lane at which time the noise became worse. The vehicle then lost power and I wasn’t able to get the vehicle to do over 40mph. I was able to exit the highway and limp my vehicle home. I had the vehicle towed to a GMC dealership th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
My brand new 2024 Kia K5 has been at Kia of temple hills since February 23, 2026. The dealership has stated they do not know how to diagnose or repair the issue and indicated they needed a special diagnostic tool from the manufacturer. The vehicle has now been out of service for an extended period with no repair timeline provided and no communication from them at all. I also have not been provided... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
Recently our 2021 Kia Telluride, had a fluttering/metal knocking/mechanical sound and I scheduled a shop visit at our trusted local mechanic. After their inspection, they found that the oil was extremely low and there was metal shavings in the oil filter housing. This was found when absolutely no warning lights were activated that would indicate low oil level or any other engine challenges. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
I brought my 2019 Honda Accord to dealer for safety recall for something with the fuel system. Since then, I've been having car problems with acceleration, car jerking, and numerous dash lights coming on along with the check engine light. Had a few incidents where my vehicle was not functioning properly and would break down. Had my vehicle towed once since getting my vehicle back from dealer due ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - ENGINE
Apr 5, 2026
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Nothing has happened yet. However, after only 308 miles… my 2026 Denali is knocking and ticking very loud. Why? How is this possible? We’ve only had it 2 weeks! I have only driven it 5-6 times in the past 14-15 days, too worried that this might happen. But I was reassured by the dealership it wouldn’t. But here I am now. I am so disappointed. Being a Disabled Vet I thought we could have some... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
Motor locked up on highway with heavy traffic trying to exit highway
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
My 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is subject to Recall 78C (NHTSA #25V-766) regarding sand contamination in the engine. The manufacturer officially warns that this defect can cause 'catastrophic engine failure' resulting in a 'vehicle fire' or an 'unrecoverable loss of propulsion'. As of April 2026, the manufacturer has no available fix for this safety hazard. Simultaneously, the vehicle suffers from per... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
While driving at low speeds twice now my ram 1500 has stalled and engaged the parking break. Once coming to a stop and another time making a turn onto a road. Once I turn the truck back on there is a battery light on the dash and I’m allowed to drive to a safe place and restart the truck and the battery light goes away. Very concerned for my safety due to living next to a busy road.