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 23, 2026
My 2021 Chevrolet Suburban experienced a sudden and complete engine failure at approximately 79,000 miles. The vehicle became inoperable and is currently at a dealership pending evaluation. There were no prior warnings indicating an imminent catastrophic failure. A sudden engine failure of this nature presents a significant safety concern, including the risk of loss of propulsion during operation... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Multiple low coolant alerts. Dealer inspected 3 times and denied problem while vehicle still under warranty. Dealer simply topped off coolant and denied finding leaks or any other issue. Now low coolant again and EPC/ check engine light. Took car to independent owned shop who confirmed 2 water pump failures. Dealer refusing accountability for missing water pump issues that led to possible overhea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
I’m using this car in Poland (Europe) my engine starts to make knocking noise due to Bearings rods and lifters failure . N252494001 L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion I called to European Cadillac authorized service and they refused to replace the engine because USA based manufacturer don’t wan’t to repair a car even is still on warranty
BUBBLE BUDDY
BUBBLE BUDDY
(2021) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Was driving approximately 45MPH and the truck just slowly powered down and "Engine Power Reduced" and eventually cut off and wouldn't crank back up. Got it towed to the Chevrolet dealership and was told the engine has to be replaced due to the bottom of the motor and the crankshaft in cylinder one. Was told it would be 17k to repair it.
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2015) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owned a 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 towing an empty container. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being driven uphill at unknown speeds, it unexpectedly caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or police report. The fire department was on the scene, extinguished the fire, and provided a fire report. The fire chief was unable to... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
2023 Ram 1500 V6 eTorque, 40,000 miles. Two stalling incidents have occurred under different conditions. Incident 1: While towing approximately 4,000 lbs, the 12V battery began slowly draining while the vehicle was in motion. Battery voltage gradually dropped below 10 volts until the engine shut off completely while driving. No warning lights appeared prior to shutdown. Jump start restored normal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
My vehicle has failed to restart several times with the auto idle start feature enabled while stopped at a stoplight. I was in a turning lane the first time it happened, so other vehicles had to make a left hand turn from a lane that was meant to go straight to get around me. The starter has not been inspected There weren't warning lamps prior to the auto start feature not working. When the c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
I HAD A 2020 CHEVY TRAIL BOSS AND THE PISTON ROD BROKE. CHEVY STATED I NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. AT THE TIME IT WAS 5 WEEKS OR MORE TO GET FIXED. I TRADED IT IN FOR THE SAME STYLE TRUCK BECAUSE I WAS ON VACATION AND NEEDED TO GET HOME. (2025 WITH THE L87 6.2 MOTOR). MY NEW TRUCK HAS 21000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE BEEN NOTICING A ROUGHER IDLE, OIL USE BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, AND METAL DEBRIE IN THE OIL AND OI... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
On one occasion, the car automatically applied the breaks and parked itself while driving on a main road. On another occasion, while parking the car at the home it accelerated aggressively and almost crashed into the garage- driver lost complete control of the car. On a separate occasion, the gauge console (screen behind the steering wheel) became morphed and could not show the MPH- an electri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I am submitting a vehicle safety complaint regarding my 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. The vehicle has a recurring engine warning issue (code P0471) that has not been resolved despite multiple repair attempts by an authorized Hyundai dealership. Additionally, there is a concerning discrepancy regarding vehicle usage while in dealership custody. My records indicate a substantial increase in mileage ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
1) Motor failed on interstate and car towed to automotive shop. Currently still at the shop with hope to tow to Kia to address issue. 2)My teenage daughter and her friend were placed in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation due to what appears to be a catostrophic vehicle failure. While driving our 2013 Kia Optima whith approximately 160,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost powe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Car has died while driving 4 times in the last 3 years. Complete loss of power WHILE driving. Lost of power steering, loss of brakes while driving. Chrystler is saying recall was resolved by previous owner but it is still happening. EXTREMELY dangerous. I have paid out of pocket to replace the TIPM (over $3000) and I was not told about the fuel pump relay issue associated and connected with this r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
About every 500 miles I have to add about a quart of oil. I brought my car to McDaniels Subaru for maintenance on my car. My son is a master tech there and I know he is very thorough. My contract lets me go there also. So he checked the dipstick and it was below a quart of oil. He did change the oil change. I cannot drive a long distance without carry a large container of oil. He has warned me not... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
My engine is a class action lawsuit and Hyundai refuses to honor their extended warranty because my title has a brand on it. (Odometer issues) My car has been a the dealer for a month and Hyundai refuses even though it's a safety issue and a defect in their design. I want a new engine. The car is perfect otherwise.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
My ABS has been sticking and finally the pad broke off. my car made a squealing noise everytime I drove it. I had parked in my driveway and there was a piece of metal on the ground. I showed it to my son, he took the tire off and said it held my ABS Brake pad on to my Driver side rear. He is a master tech for Subaru. I just haven't had time to take it into Hyundai. It has stopped squealing, but m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
I am reporting a dangerous failure of the fuel supply control module in my vehicle, which caused the engine to stall and cut off during acceleration while driving in heavy, 45-60 mph traffic. While I was able to have the issue diagnosed and repaired by Newman’s Auto—with an invoice available—I believe this 44,000-mile vehicle experienced a premature failure. Given that this component is curr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the vision of the driver, preventing the driver... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
On March 21, 2026 while traveling at approximately 70 mph on a public highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of propulsion. The vehicle stalled in active traffic, creating an immediate and life-threatening hazard. Following the stall, the vehicle’s system failed, and the vehicle would not engage any gear, including “Park” or “Neutral.” Consequently, the vehicle could no... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The end of February was driving and I noticed white smoke blowing from my exaust, then my car lost power.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the low oil warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Based on the critical recall and safety concerns for this known issue for the 6.2 L87 Engine failure I am highly concerned that it takes over 171 days to just get an appointment to look at this issue. This is further compounded by the fact I put approx 800-1000 miles a week on my truck and now am worried about having an accident or blowing my truck up.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
For the HYUNDAI Ioniq 5 XRT, the ICCU, fuse and perhaps hybrid battery malfunctioned. We were in a disabled car on a 4 lane highway with traffic: On February 10, 2026, as we drove out of our home we heard a loud pop. As we got out onto a large 4 lane road near our house, the notice “Check Electrical System” came on and the car’s power was drastically reduced. We made a U turn and drove (20 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
I own a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe that I purchased in September of 2024 from Charlie's Jeep in Augusta as a used car with just under 5,000 miles. Now it has about 11,888 miles and has been un-driveable since December 1 due to unresolved safety recalls. The car is a certified used Jeep and is under warranty and has two current major safety recalls, one of which does not have a solution and a fix. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
This is ongoing from the purchase of the car. 1) Infotainment computer screen daytime illumination is so dark as to be a major safety issue as it causes too much time looking away from the road to operate the system. If you wear sunglasses you cannot see the screen at all. The dealer says nothing can be done to improve the problem. 2) Right rear tail light stopped working after 500 miles. Replace... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 300 4MATIC
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
When accelerating, the car feels stuck to gear up. After 2 seconds of loud revving, it would switch and have a prominent jerk motion that it finally switched gears. There have been times the car wouldn't go past 30 mph, stuck at the gear making a loud noise. This is dangerous! There's absolutely no way I can get on the freeway never getting past 30ish mph. I checked recalls for this vehicle and th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Engine Seized at 79,000 miles on Kia Niro Hybrid on 3/8/2025. Oil was changed at 78,225 miles on 12/16/2025. No issues with vehicle until approx. 1,000 miles later and just a month and a half later when car suddenly lost power on a highway forcing me to try to safely and quickly navigate off the road. This could have caused risk to my life and other lives. The car could not be restarted. Kia... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2016) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Vehicle has gone into LIMP mode multiple times. Was driving the vehicle and the check engine light went on and the vehicle reduced its speed to 25 mph. This is very dangerous because the traffic was moving at 70 mph and could have rear ended me. The F350 has been at the dealership since March 18. The dealer has diagnosed it but claim they cannot get the part they need to fix it. They insist I... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
While driving the vehicle at approximately at 55 MPH on a the 826, the engine suffered a sudden and catastrophic mechanical failure without warning. The vehicle lost all motive power in active traffic, creating an immediate safety hazard and nearly resulting in a rear-end collision. Upon inspection, it was determined that the engine assembly, which is a replacement unit provided by Hyundai under ... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I am writing regarding the diagnosis provided for my vehicle [XXX] . I was informed today that the engine failure is being attributed to a "water hose failure" rather than the engine defects covered under the active safety recall/settlement regarding Connecting Rod Bearing failure. As there were no coolant leaks before or after the vehicle was towed to your dealership. I am formally requesting a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
This is a Post-Remedy Failure of Recall 25V-274 (GMC 6.2L L87 Engine). Following a full engine replacement performed by the dealer under this safety recall, the vehicle has suffered a catastrophic electrical compromise. The vehicle is currently throwing codes P2534 (Low Ignition Voltage) and U3018 (BCM Communication). Safety Hazards: The vehicle experiences sudden loss of power, engine stalling a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
Excessive Oil Consumption/Burning Catalytic Converter Clogging Check Engine Light/Misfires My engine has all of these issues. It has been determined as known KIA issues not driver/owner related. My car has 94,000 miles but none of what's going on is any cause other than KIA issues/problems. I work a full time job and have missed work due to car not being able to be driven at random times.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal sound while idling. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the engine was disassembled, and the dealer determined that the crankshaft and the thrust bearings had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA25007 (E... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Catastrophic engine failure. We were left stranded in [XXX] while on a trip. No warning lamps. Vehicle was towed and inspected by the Buick dealership service department. Took 3 months to get our vehicle back which had to be transported back to the state in which we live. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
L87 engine failure 4 months after it passed the recall test. Experienced shuddering and rpm fluctuation with the cruise control set. Was thinking torque converter. Got it replaced under warranty and the the issues were still there. A week after new TC the truck was running very rough driving down the road. Check engine light along with a low oil Pressure warning and Lost all engine power going 60m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
On Friday March 20, 2026, we traded in a Chevy Equinox to get a newer model which is the VIN number we listed in this complaint. Driving home from the dealership the vehicle went from drive to park on its own (driving at 65 miles/hr) and my husband had to immediately put the car physically back into drive. Once we finally got the vehicle to our house, I went out to check it, and the vehicle woul... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
I filled up my gas tank and a couple minutes later experienced shuddering while parked so I decided to turn the vehicle off and turn it back on but it struggles to turn back on. I then drove back home and as I was driving the acceleration was going up and down and then to 0. As i stopped on a red light the car completely shut down while the light then turned green and the check engine light, batte... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Enterprise car sales sold me this vehicle when it had 3 open recalls on it. The vehicle itself was a problem from the beginning. When I took it in for it's first oil change the mechanic told me it had no oil in it. He said they sold me a car that is notorious for consuming oil and or seizing or blowing up. I had the engine replaced on this car already and I just took it in for it's first oil chang... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure while driving. Prior to failure, a flashing check engine light appeared along with severe engine misfire, sputtering, and loss of power. The vehicle became unsafe to operate and required towing. The vehicle had recently undergone recall service (PTU recall 01C) at an authorized dealership. Shortly after that service, the engine failure occurred. It ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
No warning whatsoever. Car drove like a dream. All maintenance up to date. Oil changes done exactly on time. All recalls completed. Then all of a sudden while on the interstate, car started knocking extremely hard, lights on dash came on and car died. Almost caused several wrecks as I was going 70mph. This happened March 2026. Vehicle is a 2013 with 105,000 miles on it. 1-owner vehicle with clean ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2015) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Transmission Fluid Leak/Fire Risk (Recall 20S49): Certain 2020 Edge models have missing or loose bolts on the start/stop accumulator endcap, which can cause a leak and increase the risk of fire. Rearview Camera Failure (Recall 20V572000): A common issue where the rear camera may display a blank or distorted image, failing to comply with safety standards. Driveshaft Seizure (Recall 21S43): A potent... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Engine failed suddenly while driving on a highway. While driving at highway speed, warning lights and messages appeared indicating oil pressure is low and to turn off the engine immediately. The vehicle was towed to the shop where it was discovered that the oil pump, which was made out of plastic, had suffered a catastrophic failure. Was told if the engine continued running any longer it would hav... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
In mid-2024, I was notified of a recall (23S64 / 23V905) involving the engine oil pump belt. When I attempted to schedule repairs, I was told parts were not available. I was instructed to watch for loss of oil pressure and speed and to pull over immediately if it occurred. In January 2025, my vehicle lost oil pressure and speed while driving. I pulled over and had it towed. Ford directed me to a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Juke. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light unexpectedly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the failure could be related to a turbo charger failure. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Loss of steering assist code P0128 due to stuck thermostat.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The check e... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I was driving on March 20, 2026 at about 12:00 PM when I suddenly noticed smoke, a strong gasoline smell, an oil smell, and a burning odor coming from the vehicle. I pulled over immediately because I believed the vehicle was unsafe and at risk of fire. The vehicle had to be towed. An independent repair shop later found a fuel leak at the high-pressure fuel line / fuel pump area, a loose ground wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle is exhibiting abnormal engine noise consistent with Recall 26V080 (Engine Bearings). There is a high pitched/white noise sound that consistently increases as the car's speed increases. I have turned off the speaker sound item, and all electronics and it is still there. How was your safet... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
Car runs rough. Safe driveability issue.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
With only 122,000 miles on the vehicle, the Escape is generating an error associated with a misfire in cylinder 1. New plugs were installed for the entire engine and the coil in cylinder 1 was replaced. A few days later, the error was generated again with an added warning to Server now. The service station that did the previous repair, stated that this was a known issue with this Ford engine an... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) - ENGINE
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
On February 12th, the check engine light came on in my 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the L87 6.2 L engine. The following morning, I took it to the shop and had it checked. It was diagnosed with crank shaft bearing coming apart. I contacted the dealership and they told me that my VIN was not associated with the L87 recall, but that they would see if GM would be willing to help with the costst a... Read more