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
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - ENGINE
Sep 10, 2026
Incident date: Sep 2, 2026
I am writing to formally log a safety concern regarding my vehicle’s 6.2L L87 engine, specifically in relation to the known defects under NHTSA’s ongoing Engineering Analysis EA25007. The engine seized up while driving in traffic which has a safety impact on the occupants and other drivers. The vehicle was towed to GM and the they noted the the engine has catastrophic internal failure with l... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The vehicle had a transmission shutter and shakes the car. It also had a hard shift at 38mph. It happens daily, was not a one time Incentent
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
Engine locked up, need engine replaced. We already satisfied the recall with the 0w-40 oil update.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
Shortly after driving away, before reaching a highway on-ramp, I noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. I turned around and returned to the location. By the time I arrived, the vehicle was emitting black smoke, and shortly after, it was fully engulfed in fire before I could retrieve a fire extinguisher. Vehicle has a documented history of a known manufacturer recall related to an electrical/HECU c... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
Ever since I have purchased the vehicle it has consumed alot of engine oil. I have to add engine oil every two months. I have reached out to Audi regarding the issue with no response or help.
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
Ever since I have purchased the vehicle it has consumed alot of engine oil. I have to add engine oil every two months. I have reached out to Audi regarding the issue with no response or help.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
- The exact component that failed has not yet been determined. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of acceleration while driving, followed by a popping noise, smoke, and a fire that severely damaged the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2022 Kia K5 GT-Line, VIN [XXX]. The vehicle has an open Safety Recall SC356 / NHTSA Recall 25V794 involving the purge control system check valve and fuel tank, which may... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
xDrive all-wheel-drive has made the car slow down unexpectedly and produce a shudder, especially in slow corners and under gentle acceleration. The vehicle has also rapidly accelerated upon entering or exiting a freeway on ramp.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
Vehicle Fuel Injector code P053F84 Reading on 9/9/26, this is the second time vehicle was taken to the dealership for the exact same problem, the idle button in orange, and displayed, first visit while vehicle within warranty limits technician stated couldn't find anything wrong, now vehicle is out of warranty and dealership wants $1300 to fix the same issue.also the Engine was hesitating at e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
My 2021 Kia Seltos is experiencing engine sputtering/hesitation at approximately 3,000 RPM and the low oil pressure warning light illuminates while the vehicle is stopped or idling. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Kia dealership for diagnosis. The dealership opened a Kia Techline case and advised us that the vehicle passed Kia's piston-related test, but the symptoms remain. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
One year ago (114k miles) I started having some rough idle, stumbling, etc. Then a cylinder 5 misfire code appeared. I swapped around coils and injectors, replaced the PCV valve, replaced lower intake manifold, coolant flush. Still no improvement. So I then replaced all the coils, plugs, and bench cleaned and tested all of the fuel injectors and reinstalled them with new o-rings. Misfire code kept... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
My 2021 GMC Yukon XL Denali with the 6.2L L87 V8 has experienced two significant lifter/valvetrain failures. The first occurred at approximately 6,500 miles and was repaired by a GMC dealer. That failure involved cylinder #4, including a collapsed/stuck lifter and bent pushrod. The current failure occurred at approximately 110,269 miles. The vehicle initially operated normally. While traveling a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Severe Safety Hazard, Corporate Negligence, and Delayed Repair: * After picking the vehicle up following the secondary service, a heavy, toxic smell of raw gasoline began pouring directly through the cabin’s HVAC vents while driving. * I immediately called the dealership. A representative consulted a technician and dismissively told me that the "engine just needed to be broken in." * Acting on t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
Unknown of actual issue. Experiencing persistent hard excessive jerking when accelerating. Extended warranty was placed for most Hondas due to head gasket issue but not for 2.0T
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
Engine coolant leak inside the cylinder Local mechanic inspected and confirmed engine head gasket blown off. Car driven only 66k miles.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
The vehicle had come to a stop at a 4-way intersection. It started to drive into the intersection and shut off for no reason. The first thought was this was auto start/stop but it was not. The ignition button needed to be pressed to restart the vehicle to proceed. The vehicle is available for inspection. The vehicle came to a stop for no reason in the middle of the intersection making it a ha... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
When starting the car a warning ⚠️ light comes on. Engine malfunction Power Reduction Service now So the car will not gain speed. I can turn the car off and restart an the light goes off. But will come back on in a couple of days.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
structural failure of the engine block. confirmed the coolant leak into the cylinders, you are dealing a TSB 19-2346 engine block defect.
Incident date: Aug 23, 2026
My coolant mixing with the oil cause a severe overage. This is what I understood my recall to be about but the FORD dealership refused to fix it on June 1st. Now I’m subject to a very expensive car repair.
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
The vehicle had approximately 113,000 miles on the odometer when the initial engine problems began. It began intermittently shaking violently for several seconds immediately after startup. This occurred periodically for approximately one week. During this time, the check engine warning lamp illuminated, and diagnostic trouble codes P0300, P0302, and P0304 were recorded, indicating multiple-cylinde... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
My 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST with the 6.2L engine experienced an engine seizure. The engine was replaced by a Chevrolet dealership under a GM safety recall. Immediately after picking up the vehicle following the recall engine replacement, the truck stalled while still in the Chevrolet dealership parking lot. There was no warning before this first stall. We continued our trip because we did... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
Engine has oil consumption, Honda has a recall for this defect told us in August 2026 should have a remedy and is September 2026 and no remedy available yet in their recall can be dangerously drive this motorcycle they supposed repair or replace the whole engine component it’s dangerous can be fatality to drive it
Incident date: Sep 6, 2026
The auto idle system shuts off the vehicle completely at a stoplight or intersection and fails to restart when you release the brake. The vehicle is stuck in traffic and doesn’t restart for a few minutes mine had to be jumped started this THIRD time it happened. This created a hazardous safety condition for my family in which kids are always traveling. The dealer has not provided solution. Conce... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2025) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
When updating the vehicle as prompted by the entrainment system the next day when attempting to start the vehicle it did not start. Vehicle had to be jumped then 6 warning lights came on and disappeared shortly after driving.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
Failed engine rod bearing, And a full engine replacement is needed. As I was driving it completely lost acceleration power and became difficult to manage. The dealer verified the issue. All the warning lights including engine flashed on and off as the vehicle lost acceleration power.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly caught on fire. The contact's wife became aware that the radio was inoperable before the failure. Additionally, the contact’s wife’s eyes were irritated, and there was a hot, harsh odor which grew stronger very quickly. The odor was inside the vehicle. The contact sta... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
The vehicle unexpectedly entered 'Limp Mode' due to engine tracking code P1326. The vehicle severely restricts engine power and RPMs while driving on public roads, preventing normal acceleration. This creates a severe safety hazard as the vehicle cannot safely merge into oncoming traffic, accelerate away from intersections, or maintain basic road speeds, putting me at a high risk of being rear-end... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
accelerated from a stop sign and engine cut out, leaving me stopped dead in the middle of the street, the engine would not restart after 4 tries, I let it sit, I googled the incident, and was told to let car sit for a minute and try to restart. I let it sit for a minute and it restarted like nothing happened. Google said there was a sensor fault because of an error temperature reading in the crank... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On July 7, 2026, at approximately 113,080 miles, my 2016 Ford Escape displayed a “Transmission Fault – Service Now” warning. The exact failed component is currently UNKNOWN, but the issue appears to involve the transmission/powertrain and possibly an electrical fault. While driving, I experienced abnormal symptoms including a rotational/squeaking noise from the front-right area and an air-le... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
The coolant is getting consumed by the engine. I need to add coolant every so often and there is no visible leaks in the hoses. It cause the check engine light to come on, a rough idle at start, and a cylinder to misfire.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
Vehicle was brought to an authorized dealership for service, and while there Campaign 9C2 (ECU Software Update for Theta II Emissions Improvement) was performed. Immediately following this software update, the vehicle developed drivability degradation, specifically engine stutter/hesitation and rough transmission shifting during cold starts. When attempting to accelerate in the first few minutes o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
Coolant intrusion caused full engine to need to be replaced. Started with white smoke and engine overheating.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
Coolant Control Valve is malfunctioning. Check engine code P1098, Running Fans Loud cooling fans running at full blast shortly after turning off the engine. General Motors issued special coverages N252508341 extending coolant control valve warranty protection up to 15 years or 150,000 miles for select 3.0L Duramax vehicles. Unfortunately, GM says my VIN isn’t covered by the extended warranty eve... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
While travelling on [XXX] in [XXX], and exiting on to I-80 [XXX] the vehicle failed to accelerate past 60mph almost causing a major accident during high traffic. The vehicle failed to respond above 60 in Hybrid and E-Save mode and I had to exit immediately. This incident is following 12 recalls with the vehicle (2024 Jeep GC Plug-in Hybrid 4xe). The vehicle is currently at Salt Lake Valley under m... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complain To whom it may concern, My Name is [XXX] I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty equipped with the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engine (VIN: [XXX]). At approximately 137,900 miles, my vehicle suddenly lost engine power while driving and stalled without warning, creating a serious safety hazard. After stalling, the truck would not restart and... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
Coolant reservoir is disappearing and I have a check engine light on with a misfire code
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
The engine is having issues. There is coolant leaking into the engine. Causing for the engine to shake upon starting the car. Issues that can come from operating the vehicle are overheating, fire and explosion of engine. I took the car for diagnostics at a Ford dealership and they confirmed that it is a fault with the engine that Ford is aware about but issued no recall. The check engine light fir... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2026) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact had received an undisclosed recall; however, the recall repair was not performed while the contact was out of town. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, it was indicated tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
The Auto Idle Stop feature failed to restart the car after sitting at a stoplight twice this past week. The dealer (Frank Leta Hoda) diagnosed the problem as a "bad starter". I believe this falls under the active investigation EA22005 - No Start After Auto Start/Stop Engages. The vehicle is two years old with 40,378 miles at the time of reporting the problem to the dealer. I reported this to H... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2026
IN 2022 THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED (DUE TO A FORD DEFEC CALLED COOLANT INTRUTION) THE MILAGE WAS 49000. THE MILAGE IS NOW 78825 AND THAT ENGINE IS FAILING DUE TO COOLANT INTRUCTION. AS A SINGLE GRANDPARENT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FORK OUT $11000 DOLLARS FOR A NEW ENGINE IF ITS STILL A FORD DEFECT
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
Knock sensor has detected a failure. Check engine light is flashing and the car is in limp mode.
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2019) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
The vehicle has a documented, severe manufacturing defect involving a cylinder head gasket leak under Honda Service Bulletin 26-006. A certified technician at Honda East Cincinnati confirmed the head gasket leak in writing on September 9, 2026. Prior to this, an independent facility pulled code P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and used a digital borescope to capture video proof of liquid coolant pooling... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2025) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: May 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was losing power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights and the engine warning light were flashing, and the message “Reduced Acceleration - Drive with Care” was displayed. The vehicle was operated at reduced power and driven to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicl... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Sep 9, 2026
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
Catastrophic engine failure at 77357 miles. I went to the local GM dealer and my VIN is not in the L87 engine recall. Not sure how to repair my truck , but feel like the engine should not have locked up with such low miles, and I done constant engine maintenance , meaning oil changes every 5K miles.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
2019 Honda CR-V, VIN [XXX], approximately 82,000 miles. Since new, the vehicle has intermittently displayed a "Christmas tree" warning — most or all dashboard warning lights illuminate simultaneously — with no consistent trigger (not tied to weather, cold starts, road type, or time of day). Over approximately the last two months this has escalated from occasional to daily, sometimes twice dail... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
It all started with a cylinder 3 misfire warning code, spark plugs replaced, coils replaced. Then a coolant leak. No obvious signs of a leak no cracked tubing no puddles. Just coolant leaking. Was informed I have a coolant leak intrusion and need a new engine block. I still owe $14k on this vehicle and am past my warranty. This repair is going to cost $12k. Researched and found out this is a probl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
2024 Yukon XL 6.2L V8 following a complete engine failure at 37,446 miles and the significant safety incident that resulted. On XXX, while traveling from [XXX] to [XXX] on [XXX], the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration while traveling at 65mph on a 2 lane HWY, displayed a Low Oil Pressure warning, developed loud knocking and ticking noises, and became inoperable. We were forced to drift to a stop i... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2026
September 9, 2026: The vehicle had the same malfunction as in February 2024. The vehicle was in drive and was stopped in a parking lot. When the driver pressed the accelerator there was no response from the engine/powertrain and the vehicle did not move. The ignition was cycled and the vehicle could be moved.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
This issue has occurred on several occasions. I successfully reverse but when I switch back to "drive" the vehicle enters a neutral state. When driving on the highway, the vehicle has slowed itself to 40mph and continues to slow itself until it becomes disabled. I currently see there has been a recall for this vehicle in 2019 (19V447000) which did not include my VIN. However, my vehicle is experie... Read more