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: Jul 1, 2026

Engine has cut off while driving on several occasions. An accident nearly occurred as a result on at least 2 occasions.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

Engine shut off with no warning, all electronics disabled and couldn't shift out of park. Was driving down the road at approximately 50mph, Yukon shifted itself into neutral. Vehicle previously complied with the 25V-274 recall and passed, was operating on the new oil that GM recommended.

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke inside the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the contact's son noticed an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a hole in the rear of the engine. The contact was informed that the engin... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2026

This is a supplemental report to my original complaint (NHTSA ID XXX) regarding my 2024 GMC Yukon (VIN [XXX]). I am providing additional detail: prior to GM's recall being issued, I contacted Hatchett Buick GMC by phone and visited in person on multiple occasions reporting engine sputtering, stalling, hesitation, and total loss of power and electrical shutdown while driving. I was repeatedly told ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the electronic throttle control (ETC) warning light was illuminated while driving. The vehicle was forced to stop. While driving over a bump, the vehicle stopped and was restarted. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring harness needed to be replaced; however, the part had been... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

While driving down an isolated 2 lane road in West Texas, the engine in my 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 began making knocking sounds and vibrating badly. The truck's acceleration was extremely sluggish and the vibration worsened at slow speeds. I was able to slowly make my way back towards a dealership, where the diagnostic teardown revealed a bent pushrod and camshaft damage.

Incident date: Nov 25, 2025

My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (3.8L GDI Lambda II V6) consumes engine oil at a rate that empties the crankcase between scheduled oil changes, with no warning lamp illuminating before the oil is gone. This creates a risk of engine seizure and sudden loss of motive power in traffic. The vehicle has repeatedly run rough and felt as though it would stall when slowing or stopping. On 3/10/2025 at 57,026 mi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

rocker arms replacement at 5,000 miles on my truck. Palm Harbor Tasca GMC

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

Diagnosed by CMA Honda dealership - need piston ring replacement due to the ongoing issue and Service Bulletin SB-10099310-9340. This was under 8 year warranty from date of purchase, but this just started happening at 155k miles and in 2026. I purchased this in 2016. Although it is out of the extended warranty timeframe, it is still an ongoing issue with these models and should be covered. Cost es... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2025

Transmission control module went out of the blue, caused limp mode on the highway and barely got off. Damaged the Transmission, had to replace by cadillac. 2 weeks later after i got the car back, blew 3 fuses and the starter while driving. Had to get towed back over 100 miles. 3 days later the engine completely blew and they had to replace it. this was the second time this happened, first since ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Second engine sized at 87,834 miles. Third engine installed three weeks later.

Incident date: Oct 20, 2023

Had my engine spin a bearing in 2023 and was told to report what had happened. The car was used in track days prior to this but while driving down the highway afterwards it lost oil pressure and spun a nearing. Had it towed Twin City Toyota, a dealer and had them give me the run around with it. Saying it had hit the limiter 60 miles before the issue accrued and that it “over revved 13 rpms” a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

My 2025 Acura MDX suffers from a severe safety defect regarding the Auto Idle Stop (auto start-stop) system. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop at intersections or traffic lights, the engine shuts off as intended. However, upon releasing the brake pedal to accelerate, the engine completely fails to auto-restart.Instead of restarting, the vehicle drops out of the auto-restart sequence entire... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and an oil message was displayed. The vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred appro... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

Engine had a catastrophic failure and completely shut off while driving down the highway. The engine has completely seized and requires replacement. The vehicle was towed to an independent service shop and the technician diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced.

Incident date: Mar 8, 2026

1.) When traveling down a (4) lane back road (without a median or adequite shoulder) the engine of the vehicle suddenly stalled. I pulled over to the side of the road and went to restart the vehilcle and that is when I noticed a burning electrical smell. After that the vehicle was not responsive to any request. 2.) Sudden uncontrol failure of drive train/ vehicle propultion. Unable to move car to... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2024

Vehicle was sent the dealership 4 times since 2024 for leaking oil. Was told it was a rear main seal each time. Dealership said they replaced it and 2 weeks later the vehicle leaks again. It is now at the dealership and they tell us the crankshaft failed.

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

While driving in the evening around 9:00 pm with AC on crash detection lights came on along with other emergency dashboard lights . Speed was limited to 23 miles per hour .

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

While driving the vehicle at a low rate of speed it presenter a Critical Error message which appeared across the drivers screen for approximately 5-10 seconds. The message then immediately disappeared and the vehicle shut down mid operation and came to an abrupt stop on its own. From there it was unable to be moved, switched into neutral/drive or park. Luckily this happened on a neighborhood stree... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The check-engine light comes on immediately before the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate. While driving, including at highway speeds, pressing the accelerator does not produce normal propulsion and the vehicle loses motive power. If I pull over, turn the vehicle completely off and restart it, the check-engine light clears and normal acceleration returns. The problem is intermittent and has o... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

It appears the engine has gone bad. Water leaking into cylinders. Car is in shop now. Friendly Ford in Arkansas City, Ks. They may have contacted you.

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

The transmission had to be replaced in 2024 and now the engine needs to be replaced in 2026. Ford customer service will not help with any of the repairs.

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

2022 Kia Niro EX Premium Hybrid was sold as Kia Certified Pre-Owned on August 12 2026 with an active check engine light present at time of purchase. Dealer Calavan Kia West in Lithia Springs GA represented the vehicle as passing a 165-point CPO inspection. Dealer attributed the light to a gas cap issue and cleared the code to complete the sale. Six days later approximately August 18 2026 the check... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

Total circus I’m dealing with over this Recall 23V-707 nightmare. The timeline is wild. Buckle up: Here is how the madness has gone down: On XXX I drop the car off at [XXX] under its own power under RO #XXX. On XXX I pick it up, drive 46 miles, and it instantly turns into a blender full of marbles, backfiring and throwing a check engine light. On XXX it gets towed to [XXX] under RO #436050, and ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Noticed the check engine oil light started coming on periodically between oil changes 3-4 years ago, but no external or noticeable oil leaks. Was told by VW multiple times it’s standard for VWs to burn oil. I started having to top off oil much more frequently over the last year, 1 quart per 1000 miles. The check engine oil light would turn on every month at random times while driving. Took my ca... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

I bought the vehicle brand new in april 2026. On May 3rd, approximately 2 weeks after I bought it, I experienced a lifter failure that caused metal to get into the oil pan/engine and the engine needed to be replaced. About a month later after repairs were complete, I picked up my vehicle on a Friday night, and the very next morning, had issues again. Took it back to the dealer and a fuel injector ... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

Bought the vehicle brand new at the end of april. 2 weeks later and at 557 miles, the engine had a lifter failure and needed to be replaced. One day after picking it up after the engine replacement, a fuel injector went bad and needed to be replaced. About 2 days ago, the check engine light lit up, and the GMC app said it was a code for the transmission system (popped on after attempting to remote... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

On XXX, I was driving a 2025 Cadillac Escalade equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine westbound on [XXX] in [XXX] at approximately 35 mph in normal traffic. Without any warning, noise, or dashboard indication, the engine shut down and the vehicle lost all motive power while in a travel lane. I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop, but the loss of power occurred in moving traffic and created a ser... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2016

The 5.3L Engine active fuel management failure problem. This known problem with the GMC motors was not disclosed by any dealerships or the manufacturer. While driving down the roadway, the truck had an engine malfunction and I was fortunate enough to be able to safely pull over. The check engine light activated and I took it to the dealer the next day. I was informed by the dealer that this was... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

The Jeep was giving me a warning sign. It said stop slowly. Your jeep will shut off so I replaced the two batteries. As my Mechanic told me I replaced the alternator. I also replaced the ground wires. Nothing is making my jeep start. We ran the codes on the jeep and it came back as a U0100 code with the PCM system. No connection error. we looked up the recall information and a recall popped up for... Read more

Incident date: Aug 16, 2026

I have 19,000 miles. After each oil change, the engine begins to idol rough, the vehicle violently shakes and the traction control and ABS turn off. The first time this happened it was determined that there was a cylinder (4) failure causing a missfire. This was corrected under warranty. A few months later immediately after receiving an oil change again, the same actions occurred. This time the co... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

While coming to a stop on a highway, the engine started running very rough, shaking the vehicle constantly, and the check engine light came on and the ESC failure notice came on. We brought it to an independent repair shop that ran diagnostics and recommended the vehicle needed a new engine and should not be driven for risk of it seizing. They introduced us to the fact that there was a GM recall ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

While driving down [XXX] in [XXX] engine had a major failure causing the loss of power and control of the vehicle going interstate speed. Luckily no accidents and no injuries or fatalities. All the these vehicles using the 6.2L engines made by GM should be bought back by GM at full purchase price. A few months ago my vehicle underwent the recall procedure and passed. So the recall process is incom... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2024

The car dashboard Is lit up and loose power out of nowhere when driving .

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

Engine blew at 8,762 miles in the middle of the night with 3 small kids in the car. Currently 41 days waiting for a new engine. We were driving and it started making a clapping sound like something was caught underneath. We had to drive a could miles to find a safe place to pull over. If we increased speed, the clapping increased and it slowed when we slowed. Hauled it to the local dealership and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 16, 2026

The engine in our escalade is starting to fail. Our cadillac dealer did their voluntary recall on our escalade at around 15,000 miles. This included a "Pico" listening forgot knock, and once it passed that test they drained the previously factory recommended 0w-20, and re filled with the now recommended 0w-40 with a filter change, and oil fill cap replacement that has 0w-40 printed in it. At aroun... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

operating vehicle as usual, in drive, when engine spontaneously turned off. Alerted by system to "push button to start again" and put me in neutral. Extremely dangerous while the vehicle was in motion. This is the exact same thing I read about in a 2025 recall of 2021-2024 model year Suburbans and other vehicles. Mine is a 2022 Suburban.

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 with 18,675 miles and the 6.2 gas engine failed during a road trip. I was on my way from [XXX] to [XXX] on the Interstate when about 7 hours in, just outside [XXX]. I was noticing a lack in power when I pulled out of a rest area. The truck would not accelerate over 60mph. I slowed down and as I was pulling off the side of the interstate, the truck died. There was knocking ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

Piston 5 dropped compression to 120 the rest were 190-200. The engine failed therefore none of my parking assist sensors were working and I backed into a car because the truck was misfiring.

Crash

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

My vehicle experienced a total, premature radiator failure at 43,500 miles, after the manufacturer's factory warranty expired. The vehicle began leaking engine coolant rapidly. This creates a severe safety hazard, as a sudden loss of coolant leads to immediate engine overheating, potential engine stall, and catastrophic failure while driving at highway speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.A cert... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact ass... Read more

Incident date: Dec 15, 2022

Our 2020 GMC SIERRA 1500 has suffered catastrophic systems and engine failure including the brakes multiple times for almost 4 years. It has happened in high traffic and on the interstate each time having to be coasted off of the road to come to a rolling stop. There have been nine repair attempts with GM dealers repeatedly stating the issues were repaired and returning our vehicle to us. We be... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

The vehicle suffers from recurring, sudden loss of motive power and transitions into engine "limp mode" while driving in active, heavy traffic. This severe drivability defect has occurred on four separate occasions under Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P00AF00 (Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Control "A" Module Performance) and related boost/MAP faults (P0234). During these episodes, the vehicle abr... Read more

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

The van has trouble restarting. This can appear as both a sluggish restart and a complete failure to restart. The van has failed to restart both during quick stops like refueling and during the auto-stop feature at a stop light. When this happens, the driver must completely shut off the van and restart, which is a safety issue when stuck while blocking traffic. The van is having the starter repl... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Per the quote from the dealership where the issue was diagnosed: Looks like you are going to need a new engine due (to a) bad cylinder 5 misfire and the main bearing spun causing internal failure. It is available... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

I was driving down the highway and all at once a bunch of different lights and emergency warnings started flashing on my dashboard and my car was almost like sputtering like it wasn’t getting the gas it needed or something. You could feel lots of movement right up front and I was forced to pull over and get towed. They said the engine would need to be completely replaced.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V468000 (Engine, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experien... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

I have a 2017 Hyundai Tucson with a 1.6 turbo engine, and I have been experiencing massive oil consumption. Oil is coming out of the tail pipe with occasional big puff of smoke out of the tailpipe. Skipping and hesitation during acceleration, rough cold start, I have previously had the check engine light on with a multiple misfire code. I changed the plugs and the coils, and it did not resolve the... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel soon after the vehicle was purchased. An independent mechanic replaced the EVAP purge valve, but after the repair, the power steering assist failed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. A mobile mechanic attempted to clear the codes, but the power ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

I purchased this vehicle brand new and have experienced a recurring issue when coming to a stop. The forward sensors activate indicating I am too close to an object (even though nothing is in front of the vehicle), and the engine stalls. Everything shuts off except the driver information screen, which displays the prompt "Shift to Neutral and Press Start Again." Following this prompt does nothing;... 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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