Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 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 2,215,138 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 164,804 complaints — component: ENGINE

Incident date: May 8, 2026

My Vehicle is having an issue with the idle stop feature. Multiple times when stopped at a red light or when idle the car stops and will not turn back on. I have to turn the car off completely open the door to simulate leaving the car, wait a minute then start the car again to be able to move.

Incident date: Apr 20, 2026

Toyota made a defective coolant valve in their 2019-2021 cars that leaked spontaneously in these vehicles. Over 950,000 cars have been affected to date, including my 2020 Rav4. They are aware of the issue and made a customer support program for this issue which led to engines overheating/electrical code problems, which can cause a severe safety issue if left unrepaired. The program however has a l... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Vehicle was driving at 50-55 MPH on [XXX] . The vehicle immediately gave multiple warning systems such as "Dream Drive Unavailable" "Regenerative Braking unavailable, use brake pedal" "Hold unavailable" "Dynamic handling unavailable" "Car will Power off in 5 minutes" and the car started applying the breaks and went into a "turtle" mode. It went from 50 miles per hour down to 35 miles per hour in ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 19, 2026

The car shook and lights came on at a stop light and began violently knocking. Since it was at a stop light the safety was a risk had the hazard lights weren't engaged immediately. The dealer confirmed it was a catastrophic engine failure. An inspector for the warranty company was deployed two times. The lights only appeared at the time of engine failure.

Incident date: May 22, 2026

Following a recent $9,000 engine replacement performed by an authorized Kia dealership, my vehicle suffered a catastrophic, simultaneous mechanical and electronic systems failure while in operation. Without warning, the vehicle triggered the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) and entered "Limp Home Mode," severely restricting vehicle power. Immediately following this, the vehicle experienced a t... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

I have had the car in twice to the mechanic within the last 6 months for check engine light. He said I keep loosing oil, but there is no leak and it's something with the Engine. Hyundai will not recall the engine, but I see so many people are having the same issue. On a 2020 vehicle, you should not have engine issues. At what point do they have a recall on this issue, as so many are reporting ... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Incident date: May 11, 2026

NHTSA Safety Complaint – 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 Vehicle: 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 | Mileage: 74,662 miles What Happened I’m filing this complaint because my 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 suffered a sudden, complete engine failure at 74,662 miles, and I believe it’s a safety risk that deserves investigation. I’ve owned this car since 2016 and followed every recommended service interval. All a... Read more

Incident date: May 22, 2026

After having to have my vehicle towed to & held by the dealership for a total of 3 months altogether over the course of two separate engine rebuilds due to a national recall on faulty oil pump parts, my vehicle's check engine light came on & gave a message that there was an issue with the emissions system. I am now experiencing multiple engine system faults EVERY SINGLE TIME I refuel my vehicle wh... Read more

Incident date: Nov 22, 2025

The oil filter housing failed and needed to be replaced due to be leaking coolant.. after changed that the failure of the water pump started to failed and engine started to spike high temperatures..

Incident date: May 13, 2026

On May 13. 2026 traveling southbound on I15 Utah at 75 MPH the engine Stop and put the tranmisson in N and I move the truck to a stop. then the Truck shut Down. I had the Truck tow to the nearest GMC and was informed that the Engine had sezed. I had recalled done to pervent engine failure.

Incident date: May 20, 2026

On may 20 2026 car died out multiple times when driving but would start back up. Today may 21 2026 car was lacking power and engine making noise while driving. Then the check engine light came on also the oil light flashed then turned off. Checked the code it said p00114. Then checked oil it was about 1 1/2 quart low after we did complete oil change a month ago. I then found this engine has the sa... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

While driving on the highway in my 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan (approximately 70,068 miles), the EPC warning light and oil warning light illuminated and the vehicle began to stall/lose power. I exited the highway immediately and shut the vehicle down safely. A substantial amount of engine oil leaked from underneath the vehicle after stopping. The vehicle was towed to a Volkswagen dealership. Dealer d... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Formal Complaint – 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost – Engine Block Defect Statement of Issue:I am writing to report a premature engine failure on my 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L. The vehicle is exhibiting all symptoms of the well-documented "coolant intrusion" defect described in Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2222. Despite following all recommended maintenance intervals, the engine block h... Read more

Incident date: May 7, 2026

After the vehicle was purchased in October 2023, it immediately had an issue shifting very hard. After numerous trips to the servicing dealership in attempts for error codes to be discovered with no success, the dealership gave the recommendation to flush the transmission as this was a fix for this type of engine in November 2024. The transmission was completely flushed in November 2024. The vehic... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

My 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit EcoDiesel (VIN: [XXX] ) experienced a catastrophic engine failure at approximately 116,000 miles while driving. The vehicle suddenly displayed an oil pressure warning, and I immediately shut the engine down to avoid further damage and potential safety risks. At the time I shut the engine off, the engine was not making catastrophic knocking noises and was not lea... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2026

I am writing to formally log a safety defect complaint regarding a severe mechanical failure in my 2014 Hyundai Elantra, equipped with the Nu 1.8L engine. The vehicle has been professionally diagnosed with severe internal engine knocking stemming from catastrophic piston slap, a manufacturing defect inherent to this engine family block that causes premature cylinder wall scuffing, piston ring degr... Read more

Incident date: May 17, 2026

Engine failure after passing PICO test. Engine completely locked up on a busy highway without the ability to even put it in neutral. Yes, confirmed by dealer that there were metal shavings in the fluid. Inspected by authorized dealer. No lights came on in the vehicle prior to the engine failure.

Incident date: May 15, 2026

My 2019 BMW X3 equipped with a B46 engine developed a significant coolant leak at approximately 80,000 miles. The vehicle displayed a low coolant warning, and coolant was visibly leaking underneath the vehicle. Around the same time, I began noticing excessive white exhaust/steam during cold starts and, for the first time since owning the vehicle, had to add engine oil between scheduled oil changes... Read more

Incident date: Apr 24, 2026

The vehicle was brought to an authorized GM dealership for a scheduled appointment to address a check engine condition related to a purge valve and an open safety recall for the lower control arm. The VIN was provided and confirmed at the time the appointment was made; however, the recall was not completed during the visit. The dealership replaced the purge valve without documenting diagnostic te... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2026

On Saturday, April 25, 2026, I experienced engine failure on my 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe 6.2L V8. This was a very dangerous situation, and could of been potentially dangerous to others around me on the highway. There was no warning just complete loss of engine propulsion at highway speeds. It was towed to the dealership on this same date. On Monday, April 27, 2026, it was confirmed by the Chevrolet De... Read more

Incident date: Jun 19, 2023

I was driving doing errands when suddenly a warning popped up that my engine needed to shut down for cooling. I pulled over and shut down. After about 30 minutes, I started up again and the engine ran very rough and after a short distance, warned again. I took the vehicle to the shop and was told there was an engine defect known to ford causing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Because ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 HYUNDAI Kona. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, he noticed he had an engine knock, and noticed that the engine was consuming a good amount of oil with no warning lights or oil leaks. The contact pulled over to the side when the knock started and noticed the vehicle was starving of oil although a recent oil change shows it was recent. The ... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was sputtering while driving after 20 minutes of driving. Their vehicle failed to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was... Read more

Incident date: May 5, 2026

I have owned this vehicle since 2019 and the auto start has ALWAYS stalled out when I stop at a light or stop sign. The vehicle needs to be put in park and restart the car. It is very dangerous

Incident date: Mar 30, 2026

Apparent coolant leak identified in my 2014 Ford Escape 1.6L (Ecoboost). The car loses approx. 500mL of coolant each time I drive it, and I need to refill the coolant tank before every time I need to use it. I traced the coolant leak back to the blockheater, which has a failed seal. There is currently a recall for leaking block heaters on the 2.0L Escape motors, but this problem appears to extend ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2023

The fan kept running with the vehicle turned off, the engine caught fire. The vehicle was totaled

Fire

Incident date: May 12, 2026

Engine Failure at 35,000 miles due to well known and documented engine design flaw between cylinder 2 and 3. The gasket fails and leaks coolant into the cylinders causing engine failure. An upgraded 2020 engine that has fixed the issue is required.

Incident date: May 14, 2026

our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [XXX] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. ... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

This vehicle has experienced repeated catastrophic engine and drivability failures since purchase and has now undergone four engine replacements under warranty. Despite these major repairs, the vehicle continues to experience dangerous shutdown/stalling conditions. The primary safety issue occurs while braking or coming to a stop. The engine will suddenly shut off unexpectedly, creating a serious... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

purchased a vehicle that has experienced ongoing mechanical and safety-related defects, including excessive oil consumption, seat belt malfunctions, and unresolved injector recall issues. Despite multiple repair attempts by the dealership, the problems continue to persist and have not been permanently corrected. These defects substantially affect the vehicle’s safety, reliability, value, and eve... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

While operating the vehicle on the highway at speeds around 55 to 60 mph, without warning, the engine suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal mechanical engine failure that resulted in an immediate and complete loss of motive power, rendering the vehicle entirely undriveable. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership for a formal tear-down and diagnosis. They Hyundai dealership ... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Bought the car 8 months ago from a Kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled Kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different Kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I’m sure records ref... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving, the engine revved lightly. Over time the vehicle began to lunge forward, and the revving had become more intense. The RPM increased and revved. While reversing, the vehicle lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the m... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

I am submitting a vehicle safety and certification concern regarding a 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid that was marketed and offered for sale as a Kia Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle by Shawnee Mission Kia, 7951 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Mission, KS 66202. On [XXX], during an in-person inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase, I observed conditions inconsistent with expected Certified Pre-Owned inspecti... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

My RDX A-Spec experienced premature head gasket failure and suspected turbocharger related issues at low moderate mileage. Vehicle shows coolant loss and overheating/midfire symptons, rough idle. Im concerned this May be related to known Honda/Acura 2.0 turbo engine defects causing unsafe and costly engine damage.

Incident date: May 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 RAM 1500 The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, occupied with her husband in the vehicle they could hear a knocking and shatter noise coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure, and they informed her... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2025

Both of the turbos on my truck failed with a code description of "waste gate actuator stuck closed". This resulted in a significant drop in power while on the interstate. This code appeared several months before this incident when it was at the dealer for service and Toyota cleared the code and sent me on my way without mentioning it. I only saw it later when I was looking through the history in... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2026

On the highway, not reaching speed at expected RPM, try increasing power and RPM stops climbing at 3500, and speed decreases suddenly, car starts bucking, check engine light flashing. I pull over, stop, and keep going after several minutes idling with no apparent issue continuing. I take the car to get a computer check of the engine light code, P0420 for catalytic converter efficiency. Take car to... Read more

Incident date: Mar 9, 2026

Engine component failure. If not identified early could have caused catastrophic failure being disabled in traffic. This problem has been diagnosed and confirmed by a certified GM dealership. Initial warning sign was a knock in the engine, no warning lamps. First identified on 9/2/25 at 80,345 miles. Dealership changed oil to a higher viscosity. Problem gradually got worse, diagnosed #3 cam lobe... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Engine MalFunction while drive and car went into a limp

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

Car randomly turning off/on. Key stuck in ignition, cannot turn off or on. Bouncing from on to accessory mode without user control. Vehicle was taken to dealership, VW North America has not been very helpful. Could have gotten into an accident as this occured in the road turning into a restaurant. No lights came on about this. Dealership has had car for 3+ weeks "waiting for parts". VW North Ameri... Read more

Incident date: May 5, 2026

Bought the vehicle used and two months later engine and transmission needed replacement after several transmission faults and check engine light stayed on due to coolant intrusion in the cylinders and the known transmission defects in this model.

Incident date: May 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 FORD F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he had a loss of motive power and check engine warning light was illuminated when driving, almost causing an accident due to not being able to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed to have metal shavings in the combustion system. The contact received notification of NHTSA Ca... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2026

car goes into park while driving

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Coolant Intrusion into the cylinders

Incident date: May 13, 2026

I am the only owner of this vehicle and it has 114,000 miles At 90,000 miles i had to replace the transmission and now, its at the dealer due to turbo leaking oil internally and externally AND coolant intrusion. These issues are commonly known and the coolant intrusion is from a design flaw. Why is this engine not included with the recall for the very same issue on other ford ecoboost engines

Incident date: May 21, 2026

The vehicle has an oil leak in the crankshaft with 70 K miles, dealership states not covered by VW

Incident date: May 15, 2026

The internal water pump failed, dumping a half gallon of antifreeze into the engine oil. This caused the engine to suddenly stall and lose all power while driving in the middle of active traffic, creating a severe crash hazard .

Incident date: May 4, 2012

These are the Dealers notes: ~INSPECTION ONLY HAS NEW PART NUMBER. This is the current SKU installed in my vehicle: 28113693 89661-02K41 Does this Part ECM require remedy?

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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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