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 20, 2026
Anti theft ignition protector and another recall that makes the car have engine compartment fires. My car is at risk of being stolen as well as catching fire. Yes the problem has been confirmed from by Kia dealer. Yes the check engine light keeps coming on. It first appeared 02/10/2026. I purchased the car from b&g auto sales located at 3922 W Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85019 and they installed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
My vehicle completely shut off while I was driving with my children in the car. The dealership replaced the battery but never identified the root cause. Since then my car has been experiencing RPM surging while in Park — the engine revs up and down repeatedly on its own. The vehicle also feels sluggish and does not want to accelerate properly while driving. Additionally since taking ownership of... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
On 3/19/2026, the vehicle ignition was turned on. Immediately, we received a variety of warnings, including: "charging system malfunction", "i-ACTIVESENSE Partially Disabled", "Hybrid System Malfunction", "i-stop Malfunction", "Charging System Malfunction", and "Critical Systems Failure". Vehicle has only 20,040 miles. On 3/20/2026 8:30 AM, we contacted the Mazda dealer where vehicle was purcha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
A strong smell of burning oil is coming from the engine compartment after truck warms up. Checked fluid levels, monitoring temperature. Went to dealer, dealer claims nothing found. Went back to dealer on 031626 for concern, dealer states no problem found, all fluid levels ok. No troubleshooting performed. Dealer said again that no smells detected. As of today, there is still smell coming from the ... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 20, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
When driving the car, the engine temperature light came on, pulled the car over to let it cool down, when cooled, drove home and looked in the engine compartment, found the coolant reservoir empty, filled it with proper coolant, next day the engine light came on, took to O'Reilly auto parts to scan code, problem was Cylinder #3 misfire, changed out spark plug, noticed that coolant reservoir was lo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
Consumes more than 1 liter of oil per 1000 miles
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? High pressure fuel pump, lifter, and cam shaft failure. - How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Potential crash w/ kids in truck, loss of power, surging, engine damage, etc.. (fuel pump) Potential crash w/ kids in truck, engine seizure, severe engine damaged, metal fragments, l... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
Since my car had about 45000 miles on the odometer, it has been producing a thick white smoke, not only upon starting the car from a cold start, but also after longer distance trips over 30 miles. After having taken it to the dealership multiple times, their response has been that they cannot recreate the problem and most likely it is from engine sludge due to not maintaining the regular oil chan... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 PRIME
(2023) - ENGINE
Mar 20, 2026
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was shaking and continued decelerating. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. A certified mechanic was contacted and advised the contact to drive ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
My Oil Pressure Switch is diagnosed as faulty by independent service center as well as Kia. Kia is denying coverage. I have found information that it should be covered. My check engine light shows an oil can light.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Vehicle has stalled multiple times at stop lights after the automatic engine stop engaged. Vehicle will not restart when accelerator is pressed and has to be placed in park before the engine can be started again. This happened (4) times on the most recent trip yesterday 3/19/2026.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
We were driving from the [XXX] Area to [XXX] in June 2024. We noticed a "Transmission Too Hot" indicator on our dash while we were driving on [XXX] in [XXX] . It was not a hot day. We pulled over because we did not want to damage our car. We were towed to Ciocca Honda in [XXX] . They ran diagnostics and determined the problem was a known issue "A23-073" and our car needed a software update... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The engine in my 2017 Lincoln MKC (2.0L EcoBoost) has a documented manufacturing defect where the cylinder block design allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers. This has caused persistent, unexplained coolant loss and rough engine performance on cold starts since February 2025, matching the diagnostic criteria in Ford TSB 19-2346. The defective engine assembly is available for inspecti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
I’ve had the transmission replaced along with the torque converter when both failed less than a year ago. The transmission AND the torque converter are now doing the same thing it was doing prior to the replacement. The transmission slips in 4th, 7th and 8th gears. The torque converter whines loudly. Ford will not fix the issues with these transmissions without a hefty out of pocket fee. It’s ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Auto-Restart is failing, causing car to stall or shut down entirely. When we pull up to a red light and the engine turns off, the car does not restart. Sometimes, it needs to be manually turned back on — sometimes, it shuts down entirely and requires a jump. Most recently, it required a jump and blocked traffic for 15 minutes on a busy street.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2022 Kia Soul LX with approximately 97,500 miles. The vehicle has experienced sudden and excessive oil consumption despite regular maintenance and a recent oil change about 1,500 miles prior to failure. While driving in normal traffic conditions, the vehicle suddenly began running rough, lost power, and entered limp mode. Shortly after, the engine stall... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
EV motor and drive train have a clattering noise, much like a playing card attached to a bicycle clattering against the wheel spokes. it speeds up and slows down with the acceleration of the motor.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Vehicle experiences repeated engine malfunction with power reduced condition while driving. Vehicle loses acceleration and may not exceed approximately 30 to 40 mph despite full throttle input. Condition occurs intermittently and is worsening. Vehicle has also developed oil odor after operation. Dealer has performed multiple diagnostics and repairs but condition persists. Root cause has not been... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The oil is mixing with the gas and their was smoke coming from the engine after that the engine has seized and the car stopped working. Also at the body shop i was told some wires were cut.
Fire
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
I have a recall for my vehicle that was sent out as an advanced notice back in July 2025. There is still no remedy available. This recall states my car could ignite in an engine fire if not repaired. This could cause serious danger or bodily harm to me and others while I'm driving.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding Kia America's arbitrary denial of coverage for a suspected connecting-rod-bearing failure in my 2014 Kia Rio (85,000 miles). The vehicle exhibits classic symptoms of the Gamma 1.6L GDI defect: excessive oil consumption (bone-dry after ~1,200 miles post-January 2026 shop oil change), flashing CEL, and loud rod knock after oil starvation. Kia corporate denied al... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
Engine rattles noise when starting the car after sitting for more than an hour it makes that sound another issue is that when i turn the headlights on all interior lights shuts off including the instrument cluster radio and ac climate control buttons
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
After performing regular oil changes, and even a new fuel pump sensor, I experienced an issue. Last oil change was within the past two weeks. Driving home from the mountains, I heard a knocking sound from the engine bay. I narrowed it down to all gears above 2500RPM, increasing knocking with RPM speed. I took it easy on the engine, mostly coasting down the mountain. Suddenly during acceleration on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The vehicle is a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with ongoing and unresolved safety-related defects. The vehicle has been taken in for multiple repair attempts, including a total of five diagnostic inspections, but the issue remains unresolved. The vehicle experiences sudden hesitation, loss of acceleration, and failure to respond properly while driving. Warning lights appear on the dashboard, and in some ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
GOING INTO A TURN OIL LIGHT FLASHED BRIEFLY AND CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN MID TURN THIS HAPPEND 2 TIMES IN A MONTH I HAVE PREVIOUSLY LOGGED A COMPLAINT WHERE THE START STOP DID A SIMILAR SHUTDOWN IN MIDDLE OF DRIVING THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THE ISSUE IS ALL OVER THE FORUMS ON JEEP SOMEONE WILL DIE AS A RESULT OF THIS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ITS A REAL LIFE SAFTEY ISSUE!!!
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Vehicle Symptom: The vehicle exhibits a persistent rough idle and engine hesitation specifically when at operating temperature. This issue is most prevalent during "Auto Start/Stop" transitions and while idling in heavy traffic. The engine feels as though it may stall, creating a significant safety concern regarding predictable acceleration and vehicle control in live traffic. Safety Risk: The ins... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
My 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe has a recurring pattern of excessive oil consumption, smoke from the exhaust, repeated check engine light events, P0420 catalyst-efficiency faults, and repeated catalytic-converter-related repairs. At approximately 75,000 miles, the vehicle shut down on the freeway. At approximately 121,000 miles, the first catalytic converter failed. Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel documented P... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
There is a delay in acceleration. When at stop light, stop sign, or moving forward after backing out of driveway, we are experiencing a 2-4 second delay in acceleration after putting pressure on the gas pedal. This has caused scary incidents when trying to turn left at stop lights or stop signs. When talking to Honda dealers, they have not been helpful in determining the cause of this.
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2014) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2019
The vehicle has 2 permanent codes. One is a communication blackout, the other code means the hardware is melting. GM is doing a formal inspection in April. The Ucode meant that the engine stopped talking to the transmission or visa versa. The vehicle “ran my daughter and I” off the highway into the dirt, on 2 different occasions. They are described as “catastrophic engine failures”. The la... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owned a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while he was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine sounded rough and ran rough. While driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and started losing power. The contact pulled over and there was one more loud bang before the engine was blown. Additionally, there was an abnormal failure with the transmission. The con... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
I was driving in the rain 3 nights ago when my Chevy Silverado unexpectedly started shaking very bad , jerking while trying to brake, surging forward and total loss of acceleration. My dash lights were blinking and I was scared ,I had no idea what was going on. Since our family are loyal Jba customers( we own 2 silverados) and payed for the extended warranty and certified warranty I drove straight... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
I was driving the truck on my way to work in [XXX] , last March 12, 2026, at around 6:50 am. It was raining when I entered the exit ramp to work going west; the truck died, and the steering wheel locked. I tried to start it, but it wouldn't. The dashboard displayed: 'Trailer Park Brake Failed,' 'Power Steering Pump Needs Service,' and 'Axle Repair Error.' I was on the exit ramp for a highway that ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
We purchased our 2024 Acadia in June 2025. Since we have had the vehicle, it has been in the shop going on 6 times. First the sunroof seal came off, then the antenna cover fell off, the driver side rear panel had to be replaced because it was coming off. Once all this was done then the vehicle started leaking transmission fluid, took it to the dealer to get fixed, once we get it back the coolant s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
Hello, so I have had my vehicle in the shop for over 2 weeks due to a failure toner wheel and even though there is a extention recall for my vehicle there not covering it even after telling fca and the dealer about the issues. There saying they won't be able to reimburse me even though I just bought the truck through carvana about 5 months ago and haven't even driven it over 4k miles.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving unintended acceleration in my 2024 Mazda plug-in hybrid vehicle. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly accelerated without input from me, creating dangerous situations where I nearly lost control and risked a collision. This issue has occurred at least four times since January 2026. I previously brought the vehicle to an authorized Mazda d... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2022) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden failure of the 12V battery while on the road. The car stopped completely and became inoperable. At the time of failure, there were no tail lights or proper warning indicators working, which created a very dangerous situation, especially in traffic. I was stuck on the road for about one hour waiting for a tow truck. During that time, other vehicles were honking and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
I drove 2.5 hours north to a Marine brother's father's funeral, who unexpectedly passed. I started my drive home and made it to Yorktown in about 15 minutes, and the engine light came on, started flashing, and went into limp mode. I pulled over on I-69 to shut it off, pulled the dipstick, and the oil level was full. I pushed the Bluelink button on my rearview mirror, and HMA sent a tow truck to to... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
While driving at highway speed, the engine suddenly stalled without warning, resulting in a complete loss of power. This created a dangerous situation as I was unable to maintain speed or safely maneuver with surrounding traffic. At the time of the incident, all electrical warning lights illuminated on the dashboard simultaneously. Prior to this event, there were no clear warnings indicating immin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The car had a recall repair to the steering system done due to it being sticky. But the issue has coma back again while driving on ramps and curvy roads. The steering requires significantly more effort and also has a feel of a ratchet. It also feels like a ratchet, when moving very slow and making tight turns. The car also had a recall battery replacement done for the MHEV battery and now the prob... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting, and the message “Service Engine Soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The independent mechanic determined that the vehicle needed to be taken to a transmission ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On Oct 14,2025 Dealer did a GM safety recall under N252494000 On March 14th 2026 the motor with out, the dealership is now going to replace the motor under the Recall
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
I took my car in to diagnose low coolant and white exhaust smoke on cold start. The technician said he "observed the presence of coolant inside the cylinder walls which can lead to "serious damage...corrosion...failure and wear and could seize up and told me to get a new engine or car. The vehicle component was inspected by an independent service center. No warning lights prior to failure. Other s... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
I am reporting a safety concern involving BMW and Toyota vehicles equipped with the B58 Technical Update (B58TU) engine, commonly found in 2019–2021 models. These engines use a variable displacement oil pump with an internal thermoplastic adjusting component that regulates oil pressure. Field reports show this component can fracture, causing sudden loss or instability of oil pressure—most ofte... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Exhaust gas smell from the engine compartment when parked after driving. Garage smells like exhaust gases when left in enclosed garage - ongoing problem. Smell dissipates overnight. It has been inspected by Subaru dealers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe New Mexico. They report no error codes and so no problem. Have not had this issue on any other vehicle we've ever owned. There are no warning lamps or... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
I was driving on the highway going around a ramp when I went to press on the brakes to slow down the pedal just went to the floor and the car would not slow down, causing me to go off the road. My insurance company did an inspection and said the accident was caused by engine failure and won’t cover damage. GM did inspection said it wasn’t their fault but won’t release their inspection repo... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The 10L80 transmission had a catastrophic failure just outside of the GM warranty. At under 70K miles the pump gears came apart and sent metallic debris throughout the entire transmission and exhaust gaskets converter next to the transmission. These will need to be replaced. I have found multiple cases online with this 10L80 transmission where there has been significant problems with these trans... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
NHTSA 25V-767 indicates potential issue with manufacturing debris in the engine potentially resulting in engine failure. Recall Status indicates "remedy not yet available". It has been over 4 months (11/6/25 to 3/19/26) since this safety recall was filed. This has been an unreasonably long time and Toyota should be compelled to initiate the remedy immediately and provide a detailed explanation as ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
Odometer Fraud: The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that the vehicle jolted while driving. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been tampered with. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 172,480. It was later discovered that the mileage was 143,521 after taking the ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Driving on the highway when all the lights on the dashboard came on and heard a loud sound. Pulled over and noticed flames coming out. The front part of the car 911 was called. An incident report was made. The flames were out quickly. The car was towed and is at the dealership.
Fire
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
I am reporting an ongoing and worsening defect condition involving a Volvo vehicle that has displayed repeated power steering / steering failure warnings and is now also showing additional symptoms consistent with a possible turbo / emissions-related failure. The steering-related warnings have remained active and unresolved over an extended period. The vehicle has displayed dashboard warnings for... Read more