Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported Deaths

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.

The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.

How to interpret what you read

A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:

One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.

If you've experienced a defect

File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.

Read more from our blog

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

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Showing 169,480 complaints - component: ENGINE

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

Driving south on [XXX] and was hit on the front driver side by a vehicle that jumped lanes while traveling north bound on [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

The contact owned a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact then heard a hose burst, followed by white steam emitting from the engine. The contact then heard a second burst, and upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered a fire in the engine compartment. The contact ca... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and exiting the highway, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake pedal was stiff and stuck, requiring that the transmission be shifted to neutral(N), and to stand on the brake pedal with both feet. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal, but the vehicle slowly responded and almost crashed into other veh... Read more

Incident date: Feb 13, 2026

While I was driving my car wouldn’t go no higher than 60mph and kept dropping speed but I came to a stop and when I stopped the car was smoking. I heard knocking noise and rumbling noise on the passenger side. It wouldn’t start again

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

Engine failed, started making noise and was shutting off, engine was locking up.

Incident date: Mar 22, 2026

I am writing to formally report a safety concern regarding my 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle has experienced a failure of the heater hose/pipe, which appears to be made of plastic and connected to a metal component. This failure has resulted in a coolant leak, creating a serious risk of engine overheating. This issue is not only inconvenient but also dangerous. A sudden loss of coolant while d... Read more

Incident date: Feb 23, 2026

failing component: Transmission / Powertrain. The transmission is jerking aggressively when shifting into gear. yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. I currently have the vehicle in my possession. How was safety put at risk? The vehicle jerked violently into gear while accelerating from a stopped position at an intersection. The force was strong enough to physically jolt both the driver a... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2025

Im hearing ticking sounds when starting the engine and I reported it to my dealership service department and thay said thay don't see any issue

Incident date: Mar 22, 2026

Incident Description: On multiple occasions in January and February 2026, while operating a 2024 Mazda CX-5 in reverse on low-friction surfaces (snow/ice) with a slight incline, the vehicle suffered a total systemic failure. System Failures: While reversing at low speeds, the engine spontaneously shut off without warning. This resulted in an immediate loss of power braking and power steering. Si... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

I am writing to formally request reimbursement for a timing chain replacement performed on my vehicle, which was the subject of a specific safety recall issued by BMW. The timing chain defect in this vehicle represents a severe safety hazard, as a failure can cause an immediate and total engine stall while the vehicle is in motion. This loss of power in traffic creates an 100% avoidable risk of co... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

Vehicle struggling to accelerate and rolling back when brake is not being used. It stays at a few miles per hour even with full pressure on the gas pedal. A mechanic reviewed and stated the problem was due to low compression in the engine, causing the pistons to misfire. This issue has happened a total of 5 times and has almost caused other vehicles to crash into me due to sudden loss of speed a... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

My 2025 Honda Odyssey has failed multiple times in the middle of the road when coming to a complete stop. Auto idle engages and when I try to press the gas the car malfunctions. I have to turn off the car and turn it back on again for it to start. Also at times the interior of the car will start to smell like gas.

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

In June 2025 vehicle had no coolant in tank, refilled and monitored, July 2025 check engine light appeared and code for cylinder 3 misfire, Aug 2025 vehicle went to local certified automotive repair company who began running diagnostics, replaced spark plug and coil #3. After replacement was asked to drive, less than 10 miles check engine came back on with same code. Mechanic kept working on vehi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2026

Engine shut down in 2022 due to faulty lifters. Repairs were made. Same problem again in 2026.

Incident date: Mar 7, 2026

I am reporting a serious safety defect in my 2023 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew (EcoBoost engine. The oil pressure warning light suddenly illuminated, indicating a loss of oil pressure. Immediately after, the engine suffered catastrophic failure (it "blew the engine"). At the same moment, with no input from me, the gear shifter automatically shifted from Drive into Park. This caused the transmissi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 9, 2026

I’d like to report a serious, ongoing safety concern with my 2019 Chevrolet Silverado (5.3 V8 53,028 mi) since Dec 2025. Over the last 4 months, I have experienced at least 20 engine failures/loss of power, with no engine light illuminated after restarting truck. These failures result in a complete loss of power, including steering and braking, posing a significant risk of a crash. Chevy said i... Read more

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

I initially replaced the entire Y coolant hose to the coolant system. Six months later I had to replace a secondary coolant hose separate from the initial one. Initially, it cost me about $600 and then $300 for the second incident. Now March 22 I have to replace a coolant bypass valve because it has been failing and my car is overheating again. The HVAC system is not working properly and the car i... Read more

Incident date: Oct 8, 2025

Engine failure while driving at 60mph that started with a loud knocking sound to eventual engine failure where it wouldnt turn over. Vehicle has 9600 miles and has had issues since day one of leaving lot requiring fuel injector, intake manifold gasket, lifter and rod with last fix being new coil and spark plug that supposedly fixed issue. The most recent engine failure put my family and kids in da... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2025

The 6.2L motor in my GMC Yukon failed due to the camshaft and stalled me in an intersection on a highway. Had to shut the lanes down to get towed. Lost all power and couldn’t do anything but sit in the road. Just did a PICO test and it “passed” but failed 3k miles after the recall was done.

Incident date: Dec 18, 2025

I am filing a complaint regarding a catastrophic engine failure in my 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine. While driving under normal conditions, the engine suddenly failed without warning and threw a connecting rod, rendering the vehicle inoperable. There were no prior warning signs such as knocking, overheating, oil pressure issues or even a check engine light. The vehicle has... Read more

Incident date: Mar 22, 2026

Warning lights came on, dashboard goes dark, engine felt to shut off and then restart especially when driving on interstate highways. Possible cause of serious injury or death. Dealer has not found problem, been to dealership 4 times in 5 months, over 70 days. Car has been inspected and nothing has been found to cause the problem. No advance warnings at time of all occurrences. First occurrenc... Read more

Incident date: Mar 22, 2026

We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 1... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Mar 9, 2026

I am a 2nd owner of a kia telluride and the engine failed without warning at less than 90,000 miles. No check engine light, no temp gauge, no low oil level light. No warning at all. Just failure of the "push rod bearing" ny Kia was regularly maintained and when I took it to the dealership, they told me it was down about 3.5qts of oil! Again no low oil light? It holds 7qts...9,000$ later out of my... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

Lifter failure and camshaft failure twice

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

I went in to get a tune-up on car because a engine light came on which was a misfire. The mechanic had a hard time getting out one spark plug with a hard residue on it. I drove for a couple days after tune-up and engine light came on again. I then started the next day the garage filled with white smoke with a real weird smell. The car showed another engine light that said Engine fault service now.... Read more

Incident date: Mar 4, 2026

At 68000 miles I noticed the engine is burning through oil at a rapid pace. A quart of oil a week is bad. If this happens to someone who doesn't keep up with their vehicle, and check it regularly it could be a devastating outcome. It's time Ford fixes this issue.

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

Major head gasket failure with no warning while pulling out onto a busy road. There is a major design flaw with the head gasket, no recalls or preventative notices from Honda whatsoever! My wife was put into a dangerous situation once the car went to limp mode with no warning while getting onto a busy road. Multiple lights on the dash lit up when the car entered limp mode. The car was immediately ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 11, 2026

Vehicles coolant emptied out causing vehicle to overheat and smoke from under engine.

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

Transmission failure, unhealthy engine burning/consuming oil, emissions system/catalytic converter failure all before 100,000 miles.

Incident date: Feb 26, 2026

Car spontaneously caught on fire. Total loss. Drove car home from haircut appointment 5 to 10 minutes away. Parked car as normal and went inside. Within approximately 5 minutes loud knock on door “Your car is on fire!” I came out of my home and saw my car in driveway with fire erupting from engine area onto windshield, and through hole in middle of hood. Took a few seconds of video, then ran... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

Engine malfunction cause low oil pressure and cause a catastrophic failure and lock brakes up multiple people i know have had same issue as me and it due to a manufacturer error on oil gallery bolts backing out and causes rockers not to get proper oil and chews cams up

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

**Timeline Summary – Vehicle Safety Recall Case** **Owner:**XX **Vehicle:** 2022 Nissan Rogue (VIN: [XXX] ) **Dealer:** Pine Belt Nissan of Keyport **Recall:** NHTSA 25V-437 (engine bearing defect) **August 2025:** Owner received recall notice describing a potential engine bearing defect that could lead to engine damage, sudden power loss, or fire. Nissan indicated remedy was not yet availabl... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2026

Incident 1: Noticed hard starting one morning. After stopping for gas various engine warning lights illuminated (including EPC light). Took to VW dealer few days later, found trouble codes stored (P0148). Fuel pump replaced few days after diagnosis. Incident 2: Driving on highway for ~10 mins. Experienced total power loss, warning lights came on (including EPC). Had to pull over on left shoulder ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 12, 2026

The failure involved the engine (6.2L L87 V8), specifically suspected internal components such as the crankshaft and/or connecting rods, as identified in a current recall. The vehicle is currently located at Dennis GM in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and is available for inspection. On March 9, while driving the vehicle normally on a main highway, the engine suddenly lost all power without warning. ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

The head gasket failed on my 2017 Honda civic after 110,000 miles I had the Honda dealership of Decatur fix the head gasket and it failed again after 36,000 miles this appears to be a massive issue Honda is having with these cars. And mine and other’s safety were put into risk because the car went into limp mode while I was driving on the interstate and yes the dealership confirmed that the head... Read more

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

Intake manifold. A previously repaired recall that is still causing issue. Rough idle and check engine light.

Incident date: Mar 14, 2026

My car has been stalling at stops and I am unable to fill my car as it will not start so I have to put increments of 10-15.00 at a time they have told me now for over three months that parts were on back order and the recall that can catch my entire car on fire while driving cannot be fixed as their is no fix for it. Multiple issues continue to pile on when the vehicle isn’t even 5 years old

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

Engine tie rod bearing is worn on cylinder 3, engine is knocking. 119kmi.

Incident date: Mar 4, 2026

The vehicle developed a progressive engine failure beginning in early 2024, including loud knocking noises at cold start and visible white/gray/black exhaust smoke. The condition worsened over time. In February 2026, the failure escalated to active oil discharge from the exhaust pipe while the engine was running. Oil exiting through the exhaust indicates internal engine failure (such as piston ri... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

The vehicle experiences a transmission/drivetrain defect involving delayed gear engagement, hesitation, and apparent slipping. When accelerating from a complete stop (especially onto an incline) the engine RPM increases but the vehicle fails to accelerate as expected. The vehicle jerks and shakes violently and is unable to gain speed. This issue is intermittent but highly repeatable and occurs al... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

Engine failed, no check engine lights turned on. Needed to have the truck towed to a dealer

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

Vehicle caught fire while engine was running, vehicle idling. Vehicle is a total loss. Prior NHTSA complaints regarding these vehicles causing fire from electrical components under the hood. Unknown if fire was due to electrical or leaking fuel issues under the hood. Major safety risk to occupants, especially children in car seats. Fire became out of control and burned the interior of the vehicl... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

I bought a 2018 Hyundai Sonata a few years back. No warranty. Used. 110,000 miles. A few short months after I purchased it, it stopped working. I took it back to the same dealership where I purchased it and they said they had to replace the coil packs and spark plugs and clean something in the engine out because there's a defect in the engine. I paid $500. Fast forward a few months later. Same thi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

I am reporting a significant safety compliance issue involving a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle and the fraudulent reporting of a safety recall completion. On March 21, 2026, I attempted to purchase the vehicle listed above. This vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 22V753 (VW Campaign 13i4) regarding engine connecting rod failure. Before signing, I requested documentation proving the recall had... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

To the best of my knowledge… My 2020 GMC Sierra Denali with a 6.2L engine and 74,000 miles had a complete engine replacement. One lifter on bank 2 was stuck, and the push rod in the cylinder was bent. The engine made a popping noise when starting. I took it to a GM dealership, where they quoted $9,200 to repair the issue or $9,600 for a brand-new engine with a 3-year/100,000-mile warranty. I k... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

The vehicle has 82.000 miles on it, and the engine started to rattle as I entered the street to my house, and the motor quit running. I had the vehicle hauled to a repair garage for analysis, and they said the piston rings failed. The vehicle is in perfect shape except for the broken engine.

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

Internal engine damage was determined by a Folsom Honda Dealer in California. The damage is originating from the primary rod bearings; Replacement of the short block is necessary. Folsom Honda also stated the vehicle will need Cams and Heads of the engine replace. Needless to say, this a major engine failure. The vehicle only has 140K miles mainly freeway. Dealer estimated it will cost from 11K ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 21, 2026

Vehicle: 2023 Cadillac Escalade (VIN: [XXX] ) Dealer: Cadillac Pasadena Case Number (GM Corporate): XXX Refusal to perform a mandatory Federal Safety Recall remedy. Details: 1. My vehicle is currently under Safety Recall XXX(L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion). I experienced a loss of propulsion and brought the vehicle to Cadillac Pasadena. 2 The dealership technician confirmed the engine is exhibi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

So, the N20 2.0L motors are known to have prematurely failing plastic chain guides and a weak hydraulic tensioner, leading to whine, rattles, and potential engine failure. BMW improved the issue in the 2015 or newer models which have more robust timing chain guides and Tensioners. The fix involves replacing the entire timing chain assembly (guides, chain, tensioner) with updated, more durable pa... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a progressive engine defect. Beginning as early as 2019 (approximately 84,000 miles), I repeatedly reported excessive oil consumption and related engine concerns to authorized Audi dealerships. These complaints continued over several years. At no point was I informed that these symptoms could be associated with a known defect pattern or progressive engine ... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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