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: Dec 1, 2025
Unexplained complete engine failure. Engine seized, no warnings, on gauges or lights. Dealership repair shop indicates engine has seized up.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
-Vehicle would not start several times, this occurred just after purchasing, then battery was replaced and it occurred again over the course of 8 months. -A few days ago after getting the jeep to start, the RPM would not go >2 and the speed would not increase >20 MPH. This happened on PA220 with speed limit of 40MPH causing a near-wreck when pulling out onto the road and not being able to accelera... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption. An oil consumption test and combustion cleaning were performed; however, t... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2015) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
Head gasket blown, apparently this has been a known problem with Honda, which they are refusing to repair, noting mine did not come from a specific factory. [XXX] 2018 ACCORD 1.5 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I am reporting a recurring safety issue involving sudden loss of power while driving in my 2023 Ford Escape. The vehicle has experienced multiple incidents where, while accelerating or pulling into traffic, it suddenly loses power, hesitates, or fails to respond to the accelerator. In some cases, the RPM drops unexpectedly, and the vehicle will not move or respond for several seconds. After this ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
I purchased this vehicle in June 2024 as a demo vehicle with approximately 7,000 miles on it. Within one month of ownership, the vehicle began experiencing serious problems that have continued to worsen. The vehicle currently has approximately 34,000 miles, and the issues have been ongoing from the time of purchase through the present. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been in the dealership mu... Read more
THOR MOTOR COACH
PALLADIUM
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
Coolent intrusion, coolent leaking into cylinder number 2 causing a misfire and excessive white smoke every time I start the vehicle, seems this is a manufacturing flaw from the research I've done with so many other people having the same complaints because the engine block is the cause of the problem the way they designed it ford acknowledged the problem saying it's the engine block because of a ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2025
Engine Failure According to Chevrolet dealership my engine needed to be replace due to tapping coming from the engine. In addition, they found lifter damage along with the camshaft. Cylinder 3 lifter roller failure causing noise and camshaft damage, Yes this was confirmed and engine replaced at that same dealership No warning light or any other symptoms prior to the problem. I have a copy of th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Manufacturer has not remedied two safety recalls in a timely manner, and instead provided me written guidance via email stating it is safe to drive the vehicle, despite two open safety recalls which both state the issues can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Vehicle has had Manufacturer Recall Number A7C (NHTSA Recall Number 25V-710) since Oct 17,2025, and Manufacturer Recall Number 78C... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
car transmission issue not getting enough power while putting foot on gas pedal rpm goes upto 5k for getting speed not shifting gear properly
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
"The 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission and engine (Cylinder 4) failed on my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium AWD with 37,780 miles. Both components are available for inspection upon request. While merging onto the highway in Sport Mode, the vehicle experienced violent shuddering and noise so severe I believed I had multiple flat tires simultaneously — specifically both front and rear passenger... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Safety Risk: The vehicle suffered a sudden loss of power while driving. Without any warning light or prior symptoms, the car began "pulling". I was advised by mechanics that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the severity of the misfire. After two expensive spark plug repairs in six months, the engine light finally triggered during a trip, revealing that the internal defect was significantly w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
I have a 2019 Escape with only 33k miles. The check engine light came on for P0304cyl 4 misfire and on/off again rough idle. Ford service had technician pulled plug on cylinder four and used a borescope and found coolant leaking into engine. Ford has a known TSB for coolant intrusion on this particular model and vin and manufacturing date. Ford refuses to help me with cost to replace the long bloc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The truck currently has 48000 miles. The 6.2L L87 engine was replaced at 17000 miles. A few weeks ago, I parked it, went to a ballgame, came back 4 hours later and started the truck. Drove it approximately 500 feet and lights started flashing on the dash. It was running rough, had loos of power, and sounded like a diesel. I immediately shut it off and had it towed to a dealer. The lifter on the nu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
My Drive Assist stopped working. Then my Air conditioning stopped blowing cold. Then the temperature gauge stopped working. Upon turning the car off the fan continued to run for several minutes. Took to repair shop where it required a new thermostat housing, coolant temp sensor and coolant flush. The total cost for repair was $1,131.52. The car has 37,000 miles on it. Barely out of warranty. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
Vehicle caught fire and completely burned up. It had no problems, had been serviced and recently inspected for emissions and safety in Virginia.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
A recall repair was completed in 2023 related to an overheating warning. Recently, the same issue has returned. The engine cooling fan runs at a very high speed for several minutes and then shuts off, even when the vehicle is cold or operating under normal conditions. An overheating warning message appeared briefly while driving, but the temperature gauge remained within the normal range. This su... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
On March 14,2026 I was driving 80 MPH on the interstate and the vehicle shifted to Neutral and shutoff. Shortly before that the vehicle revved to 4000 RPM and you could feel rhythmic vibrations. The vehicle was towed to a Chevy dealership and diagnosed as loss of propulsion needing a new engine. Tahoe had 104,000 miles at failure.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I already replaced 3 catalytic converters and I am at 31000 miles. They finally decided to do an oil consumption test but it passed. The other day my car started shaking and my ignition coil and spark plugs were also bad which somehow is related to my engine issues.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Engine warning lamp illuminated as the engine lost some power. Code was diagnosed as the knock sensor issue. Unit taken to mechanic to evaluate and diagnose. Repair shop notified us that based on the sensor, the engine could succumb to a failure at any time. Engine oil was flushed, cleaned, and replaced. Code was addressed currently. This is similar to the failures observed by other engines ... Read more
CONTINENTAL
STEEL BELT RADIAL
(9999) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
On 1/26/2024 approximately 9am, my husband had been driving on the highway for about 2 hours and pulled over to shut his eyes for a few minutes. He shut off the engine, closed his eyes and immediately smelled smoke. Black smoke began coming from under the hood and quickly got worse. He quickly got out of the car and walked away. He heard a loud pop sound and the engine area was engulfed in flames... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I am experiencing intermittent loss of motive power. Without warning at highway speeds I get a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. I drive with a code reader in the car and have received a P030... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -After the 68C recall update for the HV battery failures, the vehicle has not been able to consistently maintain or provide power due to the limitation of the battery introduced as part of the recall. This is most noticeable driving in Electric Mode below 60% charge. The throttle behavior is inconsis... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while her sister was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The driver pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted and informed that the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Car hesitate/stutters when cold and you try to accelerate from a standstill with partial throttle. No engine codes are set. BMW could not duplicate issue.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
I was driving and white smoke started coming out of my exhaust. The vehicle was idling erratically. I pulled over and took it to the side of the road. Ended up taking it to the dealership, they confirmed it needs a new engine because of coolant intrusion. This is a known issue to the dealership and public knowledge that the 2019 Ford Edge 2.0 ecoboost engines have this defect . They quoted me $15,... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
My 2024 Chevy Trax’s engine (1.2L turbocharged I3 engine) went out while driving on the expressway (about 70mph) in the middle to left lane. I had to come to a complete stop and safely and immediately get my car on the left shoulder without injuring myself or others around me. My own safety was severely at risk as I was as close to the dividing wall on the left side as I possibly could be but ca... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2026) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
On January 19, 2026, the vehicle lost power while driving and required a tow to the local dealership. After inspection, the dealership determined that the ICCU was at fault and needed to be replaced. The ICCU part was backordered. The vehicle was inoperable for 6 weeks as we waited for the part to be available and installed.
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2022) - ENGINE
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed a leak underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the master seal was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The repairs were den... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I am filing this complaint because my Volkswagen Tiguan has a serious and ongoing engine issue involving excessive oil consumption and a faulty cylinder head. The vehicle burns through an abnormal amount of oil between changes, requiring constant top‑offs, sometimes as frequently as every few hundred miles. Despite regularly adding oil and following all manufacturer‑recommended maintenance, th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
Auto idle stop activated at a stop light for the 2nd or 3rd time over a few years. Lifted foot off the break and stalled, the car went into Park and I could not put it into neutral or drive. The odometer screen looked like it does when the engine is on. The battery light was on. I tried to turn down the radio and the volume didn't work. I tried pressing the ignition button to turn off the car enti... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Maintenance Required - Visit the Dealer" was displayed on the screen. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the coolant flow control valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket. Upon further investigation, the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
6.2L Engine has well documneted problem with the valvetrane, I have had to fix it 2 times in 3 months. I have pictures and documents from servicing dealerships. Since my ownership, it has always been dealer-serviced. Unexpected catastrophic engine failure, which happened on a major interstate. GM service technicians know there is a valvetrane issue. This instance, the warning light came on under a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Engine Failure at 18,000. Knocking noise started immediately followed by vehicle going into low power mode. Dangerous to drive in traffic in low power mode. No other warning lamps or indications that something was wrong. Dealer inspected and found a bearing went out in the engine.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to a potential fire risk. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V011000 (Equipment). An appointment was scheduled with... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The first problem part is the airbag. The clockspring was fixed twice under warranty. Then the dealership said they wont keep doing it and blamed me wrongly. I had a private mechanic repair the same part twice due to the code it was giving but it turns out thats not what's wrong with it. The entire airbag and electrical components are bad, that is why the two repairs the dealership as well as the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
Bought in 2024 ..few days later car wouldn’t change gears transmission overheats shutters jerks and won’t go when giving gas at times. Had the car in 5 times to fix, didn’t work.. I’ve almost been in accidents one of which was with a tractor trailer This car is a death trap had to quit job due to this .. and have a 7500.00 loan on a car I can barely drive. I want this loan paid off and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
My transmission is now missing the 3rd gear and left me and my kids stalled in traffic as I was turning in oncoming traffic. Toyota dealership confirmed that was the problem upon inspection.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
On 2/14/26 my car decelerated on the interstate. No warning lights came on. I parked the car and had it towed the next day to the dealership. Several days later they told me I needed a new engine, and then later told me that Nissan would not replace the engine but told them I need the EGR Cooling System replaced and that would resolve my problem. 3 weeks later I picked up my car ($3722) and immedi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The car powered off on me while driving on the interstate causing an extremely dangerous situation for me and other drivers without any warning, no signs the vehicle abruptly stopped I coasted to the side and avoided traffic and started right up but drove rough. It’s fuel and fluids in the car and no check engine lights were on.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
My vehicle has been taken in for the ac 3x now as well as the start stop feature stalling and not working twice. This most recent service repair is for a coolant leake and ac issue resulting in a head gasket needing to be replaced
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP FEB 2026 FOR TURBO/WASTEGATE REPAIR (P0299). MARCH 22, 2026, VEHICLE STALLED AND SCREEN SAID TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND PUSH TO START AGAIN. CAR WOULD CRANK BUT NOT START (SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS NO COMPRESSION). HAD VEHICHLE TOWED TWO MILES TO RESIDENCE AND CONNECTED TO OBDII SCANNER, WHICH SHOWED 6 NEW CODES (P0006, P228C, P0089, P0340, P0365, P0299).
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
I own a 2020 Kia Sorento. There is currently a class action lawsuit settlement ongoing. I have been informed that my 2020 Kia Sorento is not eligible while the settlement clearly states the 2020 Kia Sorento is included as part of the settlement. My Kia’s engine did not fail until after the settlement was finalized because I don’t drive a lot anymore and my mileage was just over a 100,000 mi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
I see there was a P0420 error code related to catalytic converter oil consumption recall, but when I put in my VIN it said no recalls. This is for a 2020 Hyundai Elantra 2020. The problem comes and goes and was able to be reproduced or confirmed by a dealer Hyundai. The warning lamps, messages comes on frequently and was reportedly fixed charges $2000 for a sensor. I the code and it is all over th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
Truck started making a solid bass thumping as driving then got worser as days went by, then I spent money at 4 places to get opinions but no1 wasn't definitely, so I had the engine opened up and there it was a SPLIT CRANKSHAFT, I knew it was something there bcas I pull oiled and I seen metal themes/ grit in my oil, And there's no recall on my truck, then I did research online and yesss it's alot o... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The failure involves the engine (powertrain), which was under warranty. The vehicle has experienced four catastrophic engine failures resulting in sudden loss of power, including at highway speeds (65–75 mph). The most recent failure also involved an oil-saturated catalytic converter. These failures occurred between 06/25/2024 and 03/16/2026. During this ~629-day period, the vehicle was only in ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I am reporting a persistent and unresolved excessive oil consumption issue that I began to notice at approximately 61,000 miles. I follow all routine maintenance and oil change schedules, but my car has returned to the dealership I purchased from (only owner), three times for this specific problem. - First Visit (64,074 miles): I shared my observations of excessive oil consumption to the dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Head gasket failure diagnosed by Wittmeier Honda in February of 2026 Chico Ca. Car was initially throwing misfire codes, battery, fuel pump, then fuel injectors were replaced. Took it back to the dealer because car would sputter, dash is blacking out and I'm unable to indicate the speed at which I'm traveling, white smoke from exhaust, misfire, poor gas mileage, car nearly stalling in intersection... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
SUV has ran hot and had it towed on 3 separate occasions when this happened. Had thermostat and water pump replaced. Not fixed. Coolant keeps running out if bottom of suv. It is at dealership and blown head gasket and probably much worse. Apparently these models have something wrong with cooling system. The engine cost will be about what I owe on it. Buick needs to pay for another engine for my S... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
Hyundai Tucson Sport 2016 GDI engine. I am the original owner of this truck I have taken care of this truck so much it being my first brand new purchase. No oil leaks NOTHING! When I first purchased the vehicle I noticed that it would stall when I would accelerate but did not think too much of it since it was brand new. A few years passed started to notice frequent oil changes were supposed to be ... Read more