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 12, 2026
Glendale Dodge (CA) is actively using Federal Fire Risk Recall 68C to fraudulently conceal a separate, critical High-Voltage hardware failure on my 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. Upon intake, my vehicle’s internal VIP diagnostic scan showed an active P0E15 code (Electric Coolant Heater Failure). Per Stellantis Technical Service Bulletins, this code indicates a severe failure requiring a physical hardwa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an engine harness failure. The contact was informed that the engine harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were ordered and would be d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on the Interstate, the vehicle started shaking and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine with smoke and a burning oil odor. The engine, ABS, and traction control warning lights simultaneously illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road to cool down. The vehicle was able to ... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 12, 2026
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 4 MPH and slowing to park, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact stated that the vehicle drove out of the parking lot and crashed into a wall. The contact stated that the air bags deployed and that the vehicle had then shifted into reverse (R) and driven out away from the wall and crashed int... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6 engine suffered catastrophic failure at approximately 102,000 miles. The root cause is excessive oil consumption documented by an independent repair shop well before the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty expired. At 81,207 miles, during a routine oil change, the mechanic checked oil level before draining and found nothing on the dipstick. Only about 3 quarts drained from a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
Problem: Engine rod knock that could be related to open investigation NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: PE25008 The vehicle is available for inspection. Risks: Engine stall, loss of power, fire, or total engine failure. The rod knock is reproduced every time the engine is started. It has not been confirmed by a dealership or independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
On December 21, 2025, my vehicle experienced abnormal knocking/ticking sounds coming from the engine while driving on the interstate (60 mph), and it was difficult going up hills. The check engine light was intermittingly blinking, and there was a strong burning smell. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone and the code displayed P0304 indicating a cylinder 4 misfire. The spark plugs were replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Vehicle shut-off while driving on the expressway, around 70-75mph. Upon vehicle turning off, I had no option but to "coast" off to the left side, which thankfully, freed me from traffic for the most part. If anyone who have been a foot over, they would've hit me. I have had numerous electrical issues with this vehicle and have taken it to the dealership but they have been "unable" to duplicate the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Hi, I have a 2020 Honda Pilot that showed signs of stalling. AutoNation Honda Thornton Road checked (03/07/2026) and reported I need an INJECTOR KIT replaced and SDC GDI -INTAKE THROTTLE BODY FURL INJECTOR SERVICE. All warning lights were on intermittently (on all day then nothing for 2-3 days then on all day the following day.) The vehicle vibrates and feels like it's loosing power. Honda's webs... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
Engine with leas than 40,000 miles is consuming one (1) quat of oil every 2,000 miles. GM dealership showed me the internal GM service update stating the accepted rate of oil consumption for engines uses in the vehicles referenced is 1qt per 2,000 miles. That may seem acceptable because GM put it in a notice to dealerships but I assure you the end consumer would never buy this engine if this was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
I am writing to file a complaint on the service that was provided at Vann York Honda. On February 17, 2026, I was returning home from work and my car had a hard idle at start up. I was able to drive it home without issue. The next day, February 18, I got in my car and I had another hard idle start with many check engine codes appearing on the dashboard. I drove it to Vann York Honda in High Po... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
I was driving down the highway with heater on and defrost. All of a sudden I hear a pop and my car started bogging down. I exited the highway to get out of danger, it then had a wrench light ( transmission) pop up and when I parked the car on the access road it started smoking a lot. I turned the vehicle off immediately and when I seen smoke coming from under the hood and into the cab of the car. ... Read more
Fire
NEWMAR
DUTCH STAR
(2016) - ENGINE
Mar 12, 2026
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
At 70k miles cam phaser is starting to go bad and ford will not honor prior recall or TSB tn2103 and recall 21B10. Ford has issues a 40% repair coverage and does acknowledge the issue but does not think it's their fault now. Would like ford to issue a full recall on this issue.
Incident date: Oct 12, 2025
Our 2019 Toyota Highlander currently has 54,605 miles. In August 2025, when the vehicle had 50,236 miles, we brought it to the Toyota dealership to address a whining noise coming from the transmission. At that time, the vehicle was still under the manufacturer’s warranty. The dealership performed a transmission service during that visit. Within the following weeks, however, the whining noise re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Driving down the Interstate 35 in Tarrant County, Texas. Engine locked up. Towed to dealership. Dealership determined that engine is locked up. Had dealership verify oil level was okay and they confirmed that it was. Oil had been services two weeks ago. Engine is a 6.2 L but not the L87 block. Milage on the vehicle is 149,752.
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 12, 2026
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
My car was just fine, then I noticed white smoke coming from the exahust pipe. It started to smell like antifreeze. Then the next day my antifreeze level got really low fast and over heated. I put antifreeze in it, to get it to a mechanic right away. I was then told it has an internal leak and the head gasket is blown or it may need a whole new engine to fix. Estimated from $6,000 to fix for head ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
While driving on the highway at 65 miles per hour, my Atlas shut itself off. I had to put it into park and restart the ignition. It turned on after 2 attempts but just barely. It turned on and gave enough power to move forward very slowly but virtually no propulsion. It turned on briefly, I pressed the gas and then it shut off but had enough to cruise to get to the shoulder across the highway. T... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
ICS malfunction error light and check engine light came on. I received a recall notice that this was being looked into but now the water pump has went out. The car is overheating.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
See attached document for complaint. Sir: You are aware that this vehicle has two active Recall Notices attached to it; either of which can result in a vehicle fire, sudden loss of power, and loss of life or injury. Which means that I own an expensive vehicle which cannot be safely driven. Nor can it be traded in for another vehicle in its current condition. The manufacturer does not have an avai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2003 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that while in drive(D), the vehicle shut off and then restarted. The message “Service Engine Soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
The engine is stalling, knocking and the check engine light will occasionally come on. You can smell carbon monoxide and hot oil. We are having to add a quart of oil weekly.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
2018 eco sport , 1 L engine . Bought this car 2 years ago(April 2024) used (58xxx) miles from Corwin Honda in Fargo nd and test drove and asked about the car . Asked if safe for my family , recalls ,history ..they said no issues ,recalls or crashes . All were untrue we are just finding out . I was driving imin the dark and suddenly,no warning etc my car says low engine oil pressure . I had kids... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG ML63
(2013) - ENGINE
Mar 12, 2026
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
Oil pressure pump failure. MANY MODELS AFFECTED. MAINLY B58 ENGINES
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
On December 6, 2025 I purchased a used 2013 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG from Jaguar Land Rover Willow Grove (Piazza Auto Group) in Pennsylvania. The delivery documentation for the vehicle included a written service commitment stating: “Replace air compressor for suspension system.” On January 23, 2026 at approximately 6:30 PM, while operating the vehicle at highway speed on the [XXX] in [XXX] , ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2026) - ENGINE
Mar 12, 2026
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
My 2018 LT Chevy suburban with 110000 miles has been giving me transmission and motor problems. I took it to chevy vannuys and they took 3 days and did nothing. I saw a recall on line for the same year. Explaining about transmission problems. Where can I go to have it fixed.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
2026 chevy 1500 high country 6.2L with 6032 miles, engine stalled twice 3/11/2026 in one day, no check engine light no signs of anything catastrophic just simply stalled early morning commuting from work at a street light then later on same day driving with my 3 kids engine knocking/binding noise coming from engine while driving on highway stalled again leaving us stranded with engine blown on a b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
2019 Kia with approximately 64,000 miles. Engine failed without warning. Prior to failure, vehicle had been experiencing intermittent stalling on multiple prior occasions and had been brought to a mechanic for inspection before the final failure occurred. Vehicle stalled while being driven on a highway at night on [XXX] between mile markers 67-71 in Maryland, creating a dangerous situation for th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
On February 27th, 2026, around 2:00 PM, while driving my 2024 Infinity QX60 on Hwy. 459 in Birmingham, AL, at approximately 70 mph in heavy traffic, the engine suddenly shut down completely and shifted into neutral without any prior warning lights, noises, or symptoms. I had great difficulty figuring out what had happened, and struggled to avoid being hit while crossing over three lanes to coast ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The upper radiator hose on some huge percentage of these trucks fail (mine has failed at just over 20K miles). You can check the Colorado Chevy forum, youtube, etc., et al, and find plenty of instances where this has failed. As this is the cooling system, it can cause the engine to overheat and potentially ruin the engine. The flaw seems to be an engineering issue with the rubber seal they use (in... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2025) - ENGINE
Mar 11, 2026
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
While driving home from Phoenix on Hwy 95, 30 Miles out of Tonopah on the way to Reno engine propulsion and the complete engine failure occurred while driving at 75 mph. No warning at all. No cell service, had to use Onstar to be our savior. Thank God they sent a tow truck, although my wife and I with 2 dogs had to wait 4 hours for the tow truck, while semi’s rolled by us going 80 mph. Dealer p... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
RE: FORMAL COMPLAINT–RECALL FRAUD & VIN TAMPERING SUBJECT: Falsified Recall N252494000 & 18 U.S.C. § 511 Violations VEHICLE: 2023 Chevy Silverado (VIN: [XXX] ) INCIDENT: March 7, 2026 FROM: [XXX] | [XXX] I am reporting severe Federal Recall Fraud and VIN tampering by Kunes Auto Group (WI). GM records and physical evidence prove Kunes falsified Safety Recall N252494000 (L87 Loss of Propulsion)... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Car burns oil to the point it requires 1 qt/500 mile. Had oil consumption test when issue first started in 2024 by kia, was told there was no problem. Car has continued to have this issue and has now broke connecting rod due to engine starvation even through the oil is to the full mark. I lost all power while driving with no warning before hand. Kia has admitted these engines have oil consumption ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLA 250
(2019) - ENGINE
Mar 11, 2026
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
As I was entering [XXX] between [XXX] and [XXX] the check engine light came on and a warning about finding a service charging station. The accelerator then stopped working, the car stalled out and I was unable to drive the vehicle. Thankfully, I was able to navigate the car to the breakdown lane as it decelerated. I then had to get a tow to the dealership. The engine light came on severa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
2017 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0 Eco boost, 86,000 miles coolant in engine block [Intrusion] = blown motor. = Me who still owes $9.300 on a loan= me angry, not knowing how to fix. Shame on Ford for not building Ford motors to last over 150,000 miles or the duration of a 5-7 year loan. I had ignition coils and plugs replaced twice over $600,00 cost each time. Then an engine block test confirmed I nee... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
JEEP Wrangler 2024 Issues PLATE NUMBER [XXX] BIN # [XXX] To whom it may concern, I would like to request a courtesy incentive or compensation due to the repeated recalls and repair situations with my Jeep Wrangler. There have been three lengthy recall repairs this winter. The extended repair times, especially when parts are back-ordered, have resulted in wasted time and additional mileage on... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Engine lifter failure while traveling at highway speeds, loss of power in traffic during rush hour on a multi lane interstate nearly got rear ended and side swiped.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
February 28th 2026, I was driving on the highway with my children and suddenly without any prior warning my cars check engine light came on. It immediately starting losing power, made a knocking noise, and sounded like it was misfiring. Fortunately I was able to make it safely off the highway and have my car towed to the dealership. This was most definitely a life threatening situation which no on... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
2018 430i x drive gran coupe oil filter housing failed. Car started to overheat while driving and the infotainment system indicated that the car is overheating and started to decelerate.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I own a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 with the 6.4L engine (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle has a dangerous condition where the engine stalls unexpectedly when the fuel level is approximately 1/4 tank or lower and the vehicle is traveling downhill. When the vehicle is positioned on a decline or downhill slope, the engine suddenly shuts off without warning. This appears to be fuel starvation on decline... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
2017 Ford fusion with the 1.5 L eco-boost engine with a coolant intrusion. Coolant links into the cylinders due to a flaw engine block design.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
Related to previous recall [XXX] I had the recall repair done. But my car with only 86,744 miles now has coolant in cylinder 3 and it's misfiring so badly the car shouldn't/can't be driven. Dealership says the entire engine needs to be replaced. I have NEVER had a car this low of mileage that an entire engine needed replacement. This is a design flaw in the 2.0 ecoboost and I now have a probably... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Battery failure upon diagnostic at dealer per recall 68c. I had no issues with the car prior to bringing it into the dealer for the recall. The car has now been at dealer for over 11weeks. Neither dealership nor Stellantis is providing update on ETA for when battery will be ready and recall addressed.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - ENGINE
Mar 11, 2026
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
October 2025 check engine light came on, took to mechanic showed misfire in cylinder two and three. Replaced all plugs and coil packs, engine light went off. Engine light came back, hard start on November 26,2025 showed misfire in cylinder 2 and 3. Replaced those coil packs again, engine light off. February 2, 2026 engine light back on, hard start with vibration. Took vehicle to Mtn View Ford in C... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - ENGINE
Mar 11, 2026
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
My engine smells like fire and fuel my can will not start or do anything. There was smoke coming out of it. The van has had several issues since buying it. Now it’s completely disabled I heard a popping noise as I was driving and then it died and has not started since.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
Check engine was flashing in front of my house in Brookhaven Pa. Took to mechanic around the corner, diagnosed with a blown head gasket & oil in my anti freeze over flow. Internal engine failure. Had towed to Kia dealership in NJ
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
While stopped at a stop light engine quit running and after three attempts to restart MIL appeared and stated low oil pressure. Safety hazards included; being stuck at an intersection blocking traffic and putting myself at risk of being rear ended. was below freezing temperatures and stranded for an hour before tow arrived GM dealership found engine to be bad and needs replaced.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The vehicle will shut down while in gear and driving at lower speeds. Happens at least 2-3 times per day for last 3 weeks
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, and while the vehicle was parked, the running boards unexpectedly lowered. Additionally, there was oil leaking from the vehicle, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The contact was informed ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The transmission began slipping and hesitating within days of purchase. The vehicle intermittently fails to accelerate when pressing the gas pedal, especially when pulling into traffic or crossing intersections. This creates a serious safety risk because the vehicle does not respond when needed, leaving me exposed to oncoming traffic. The issue is intermittent and does not always trigger warning l... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
You can smell something getting hot the gauges jump everywhere and the 12 volt outlet constantly flashes red or orange. The screen goes out for long periods of time and the transmission shifts down so hard and then misses gears shifting up causing the person driving to lose momentum. I can not believe this truck has not been recalled yet. It’s been at the dealers shop 20 times for electrical iss... Read more