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: Mar 25, 2026
When I drive in alloys mode the system jerky and engine makes noise or hangs and I have to turn it off and on to start it back up to drive. When I drive without alloys on it thugs sporadically as if it is going to drive backward. Per the dealer the engine oil is slugs even thought it had oil change. But this vehicle is scary, I need it but scare of driving it.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
There is a transmission recall for 2009 to 2017 Chevrolet traverses. My traverse has the exact same transmission and engine as the recall but for some reason GM decided not to add my Vin to the recall. My vehicle is experiencing the exact same issues recorded in the recall. I called the GM dealership who could not help. I called [XXX] directly who told me that customers can’t make any decisions... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Engine failure due to coolant intrusion.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
On September 3, 2023, the fuel pump failed while the truck was in the corner of an on-ramp for an interstate. The truck immediately lost power while in the corner causing a loss of control of steering. This resulted in a near collision with a concrete dividing wall while attempting to maintain control of the vehicle until the vehicle came to a stop. There were no warnings, check engine lights, or ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
I've had an oil leak for a couple of years, typically having to put in 5 - 7 quarts of oil in between oil changes. In 2025 I had my spark plugs and some oil seal replaced it was quite expensive to have done. 6ish months later my 4th cylinder started misfiring. I took it to the repair shop. They performed an oil wash and it seemed to fix the misfire issue at the time. 3 months later it started t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The dealership Direct Motor, located in Manassas, Virginia, sold me this car in poor condition. On Sunday the 22nd, I picked up the car around 10 PM. They didn't show me any information about the car. When I picked it up, I saw that the front bumper and rear door were damaged, and the airbag lights were on, which is dangerous. I returned the car first thing Monday morning and asked them to exchang... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
slowly pulling into head in parking in front of town homes and engine suddenly had sudden unintended acceleration . Car jumped curb, tried to brake but couldn't get car stopped and ran into end of group town home. Car is now in shop with about $8,000 to $9,000 dollars of damage. No knowledge of damage to home as Geico Insurance hasn't said Checked with Honda online forum and others reports of s... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
While driving warning light blink indicating electronic emergency brake issue, unable to drive because the brake set and would not release. After a while it released and drove to Honda dealership for a diagnosis. They stated it was a failed head gasket and due to this failure it leaked coolant onto the spark plugs, all had to be replaced and the estimated cost $5,500. It's a 2021 Honda CRV hybrid ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
My 2018 Ford Escape, which has experienced catastrophic engine failure due to the well-documented coolant intrusion defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. In early March 2026, without any prewarning or engine light, my vehicle displayed an “Engine Fault Service Now” warning and stored diagnostic trouble code P2601 (Coolant Pump A Control Circuit Performance/Range). I immediately took the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
I'm reporting a 5mpg fuel economy reduction immediately following the 6.2L L87 engine recall (NHTSA #24V795000). I use 93 octane and monitor my fuel mileage consistently. I bragged about my fuel economy in my 6.2l until after the recall was applied. This is going to cause a financial hardship as I'm on fixed income after Servicing 29 years in the Army and 100% disabled. There is no other reason... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Incident Summary: On 2/2/2026, my vehicle was serviced under Safety Recall 25V-274 at an authorized GMC dealership. The service technician performed the mandated diagnostic protocol (including the PicoScope test) and informed me that the engine had "passed" inspection. No internal components were replaced; the remedy was limited to an oil change to a higher-viscosity oil (0W-40) and a new oil fill... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer for Technical Service Bulletin TSB #: 19-NA-065. While driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward; the driver was able to pull over. While attempting to restart the vehicle, it suddenly caught fire. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. AAA was called, and t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
The vehicle is a 2018 Kia Sedona with approximately 122,000 miles that experienced a catastrophic engine failure resulting in complete engine seizure. The failure has been identified by an independent mechanic as a rod bearing issue. The engine remains intact and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is currently not operational and the battery has been disconnected. This vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
My car for the last 2 years has had multiple malfunctions with misfiring and replacement of head gaskets, pistons and more. Not to mention consistence oil concerns. On two occasions my family and I had to have the vehicle towed home over 200 miles because the car was not driving well. I have a [XXX] ghter who was with us at the time. The only warning lamp that ever triggered was the check engine. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while a family member was driving the vehicle at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine and transmissio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Brakes activated unintendedly, and the vehicle jerked to the left and independently accelerated and moved back in the lane intended lane. The vehicle then jerked to the right, unintendedly accelerated, and then went back into the intended lane. Then... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
Rough running engine at idle. The vehicle also shows low oil pressure at idle 13psi. Took to several service technicians and was told this is unfortunately a flaw in the engine design and there is not a known current remedy. Also they are surprised that this model was not covered under the same recall campaign that later models are as they are nearly identical engines. The transmission also gave o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I was stopped at a stop light and the idle stop function activated, turning off the engine, as designed. However, when the light turned green and I released the brake, the vehicle stalled out. I had to completely turn off the vehicle and restart it.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Beginning in January 2026, the vehicle exhibited progressive symptoms including repeated lurching and difficulty shifting gears. These symptoms are consistent with the open and incomplete recall for the transmission shifter cable bushing and the powertrain control module reprogram. On or around March 25–26, 2026, while operating the vehicle at approximately 35 mph on a surface street, the foll... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
While the vehicle was off and in my garage, the vehicle started on its own and was idling at an extremely high RPM. I was the only person home, the keys were out of reach on a key rack and had not been driven yet for the day. I walked into the garage and found my vehicles engine running at a high RPM and all the electrical displays within the vehicle were compleltely off with only the engine runni... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
LINEAGE
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The check engine warning light started flashing and then remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH. The contact stated that the battery was drained and showed only one bar of battery charge on the instrument panel. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
This recall was in September 2025, and for a starter issue that could cause a fire. Despite the urgency of this recall, it's now six months later, and I am still getting a response from BMW "Remedy Not available". So, in the meantime BMW advises to keep the car outside in the hot Florida sun so it doesn't burn the house down. This is a totally unacceptable situation, and I would appreciate the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
WHILE DRIVING ON HWY AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE IN MODERATE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC- THE ENGINE FAILED, LOCKED UP AND STALLED IN THE FAST LANE- THERMOSTAT OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING OR LIGHTS- ENGINE LOST COMPRESSION- SHOULD BE RECALL AS THIS IS PREVALENT IN THIS MODEL ENGINE- 2020 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA UNLIMITED 4 CYL 2.0 TURBO
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
I was getting off the highway in late January 2025- in my fairly used 2019 Hyundai Elantra Value edition, that had less than 70,000 miles on it- when a piston rod suddenly shot from my engine, causing a slight implosion. This set off the oil pan gasket & caused it to blow into hundreds of pieces, leaking my engine oil all over the highway. The vehicle has never been in an accident and has always b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The original engine was replaced in my Escalade in September 2025 under the GM Engine Recall. The original engine was working, but it failed the inspection at the dealership and was replaced. March 1st, 2026 the Escalade died while driving. Police came and helped block traffic and called a tow truck since the engine was dead. The Escalade was towed back to the same dealership and they confirme... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I was driving my 2017 Kia Rio at approximately 70 mph when the vehicle began shaking violently. I heard a loud mechanical sound from the engine compartment that sounded like something broke loose and was being thrown around. I immediately began pulling over as smoke started entering the cabin. As soon as I stopped, the car erupted into a fast-moving, intense fire originating in the engine compartm... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
The vehicle was purchased approximately one month before this incident and was represented as inspected. While driving on the highway at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly exploded near the exhaust area. The engine then began smoking and caught fire. The brakes did not work, and the doors locked, preventing the driver from pulling over normally. The driver had to jump out of the moving veh... Read more
Fire
3 injured
Incident date: Sep 27, 2025
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine made an abnormal sound. The contact turned off the vehicle to let it cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic, who de... Read more
Fire
1 injured
PIRELLI
SCORPION MS
(9999) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
There is a recall on my vehicle and I took it to the local Nissan dealer Jones Nissan Bel Air, Md. 21014 and they said their manager called Nissan and they told them there’s no recall on my vehicle but it keeps showing up in the system that there is. At this point I don’t know who to believe and I want a vehicle that is safe and reliable. The dealership said they ran tests on it and nothing co... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Car is not holding oil it acts like it's gonna cut off while driving and it jerking was diagnosed with colitic converter p0604
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon purchasing the vehicle and driving to the residence, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a code reader and retrieved DTC: P0420 (Catalytic Converter). The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); and four ot... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Driving on highway, "Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System" warning came on, vehicle lost all propulsion, needed to pull over on road and restart the engine. Almost got into accident with car behind me because of sudden power loss.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler 300. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The contact stated that the vehicle sputtered and stalled after refueling. There was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact waited for 30 minutes to restart the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to res... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Vehicle suffered acute catastrophic engine failure. No dash lights alerted me. Engine just started rattling and smoking. Dealership it was towed to pulled codes p0302 p0304 p0012 p0014 tried to blame it on us despite known coolant intrusion issue
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV, leased in April 2025. Since early in my lease, the vehicle has had ongoing drivability issues that have worsened over time and now present a serious safety concern.From the beginning, the vehicle exhibited jerking and hesitation while driving. Initially minor, this has become more frequent and now includes stalling behavior during ... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 PRIME
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
This vehicle comes with idle stop. Many times especially at red light, the idle stop switches off the engine but then it does not restart automatically. We have to switch off the car and then restart it again. This takes some time. In the meantime, it is the panic with cars honking behind us.
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 300 4MATIC
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
I’ve been doing research for this particular issue on the 2020 bmw m340i (B58 engine). There is a plastic housing on the oil pump that seems to completely collapse due to consistent heat cycles (starting the vehicle). As far as I know that common symptoms include not being able to read oil levels and this is what commonly shows a faulty or unreliable oil pump that could potential cause a oil lea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The vehicle experienced multiple electrical and safety-related malfunctions while driving. On several occasions the instrument cluster and vehicle screens suddenly went black while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of critical driving information such as speed and warnings. In another incident the vehicle displayed a “High Voltage Malfunction” warning while driving and the vehicle shut... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The internal core of the Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS), part of the center muffler/front pipe assembly (#28600-L5210), suffered a catastrophic failure. This allowed approximately 9 gallons of engine coolant to leak directly into the hot exhaust stream. Safety Risk: This failure creates a severe visibility hazard. During acceleration from stop lights and stop signs, the vehicle emits massive,... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Yesterday March 25th 2026 I went to work and parked my 2017 Toyota RAV4 and about 30minutes later it was on fire in the parking lot. The fire happened around the battery area
Fire
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
When I had accelerated to pass a vehicle, the car acted as though it had been flooded with fuel, but then wasn’t getting enough fuel. It was shuttering/shaking and then eventually it completely shut down in the middle of traffic. I was in the left lane. The car would not start. I could not get it out of park to be able to get it off the road, causing a traffic delay and safety hazard to me and ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
My Ecosport prior to going to Celebrity Ford had no mechanical and electricial issues. It went to into Celebrity Ford of Toms River for the Engine Pump Recall on Dec. 23, 2025. I did not get the vehicle back until Feb 4, 2026 after major engine work was completed by Celebrity Ford. Substantial engine parts replacement—was performed as part of this recall repair (can been seen on service invoice)... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
While driving on the freeway without warning, my engine stopped working. My vehicle was towed to the Chevy dealership where they confirmed that I was the latest victim of the ongoing engine failure problem with the 6.2 L engine. There was no warning, no sign that I had a problem. My engine just simply stopped working on a busy freeway. I was barely able to make it to the shoulder where I had mer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The check engine light is on my Chrysler Pacifica 2017 Limited with error codes P0302 and P0306, indicating misfires in the second and sixth cylinders. The vehicle was purchased brand new in 2017 from a Chrysler dealership in Olathe, Kansas and currently has approximately 97,000 miles. So far, the spark plugs and valve cover gasket have been replaced, but the same error codes persist. The mechanic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
I was driving about 10mph around a turn and the motor turned off and I had to park to start the motor again. When I came to a complete stop the car engaged it's parking break and suddenly jerked forward. This has happened several times in the last year and this time I was the driver of the vehicle. It's a extreme safety issue and my wife has had it happen to her at a busy intersection more than on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
My light came on it said engine malfunction reduced speed service now I checked online for recalls found one and “got it fixed” I left the dealership and had to turn back as the light came back on got it “fixed again” I left later that day my transmission light came on and reduced speed I brought it back to dealership they then kept my car for almost two weeks “fixed the problem again”... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
03/25/2026 Driving down the street card started jerking and acting like it did not want to move kept slowing down like it wasn't getting any gas. like the transmission was going out. There is nothing wrong with my transmission. The car had been on a recall for a part that has been replaced 2 different times. I tried to have it checked out the Ford dealers here where I live wanted to charge me $200... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
My complaint is that I was sold a dangerously defective vehicle with a known, unrepaired “stop driving” airbag safety recall, was not warned about the deadly risk, and am now being told to move and tow the car in direct contradiction to official safety instructions. ### Factual background - The vehicle I purchased has a Takata‑type airbag safety recall that carries a formal “do not drive... Read more