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: Jul 7, 2026
The oil is low, went to get looked at by another mechanic besides Dealer cause they want to hit you over the head with prices. Was told car burning oil. Took to dealer for Oil Consumption Test. Had to pay for oil change. Came back a little before 1,000 miles and car failed. They charging me 900.00 for next step because I can’t find ALL the oil changes. I just don’t get it, if this is a known ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was driving abnormally rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Aug 9, 2026
The car suddenly stopped speeding up on the highway, and the check engine light began to flash. There were no warning signs before this occurred. I was driving with my kids when I had to think and move quickly off the highway because there were other cars behind us. The car would only roll because it wouldn’t speed up. Yesterday, on August 17, the car was towed to a Honda dealership, where they... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2025) - ENGINE
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
I have had several malfunctions in the past year with my brand new 2025 atlas. It started 6 months into my lease when it threw 7 different lights while driving down the street. I stopped at a light and put the car in park. After that it would not go back in drive. I had to get pushed out of the road with all my kids in the car. And have it towed to the dealership. They stated it just needed an upd... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2026
I am the owner of a 2020 Honda CR-V equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine. The vehicle is experiencing a severe and dangerous engine oil dilution manufacturing defect where unburnt gasoline enters the oil pan. This is an active driving hazard. After a fresh oil change meant to remediate the issue, the oil level rapidly rose back up past the top dipstick indicator within less than 200 miles of... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
When the engine is hot, the car hesitates to start for a couple seconds. Occurs on really hot days especially after stopping and starting the engine such as after getting gas or on idle stop at a redlight. The motor starter has been replaced by Honda to a new one but the issue can re-occur as the part being replaced is the same with the same build and will likely fail again in hot conditions.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2026
This vehicle has suffered two identical, catastrophic electrical failures causing an immediate and total loss of engine power while traveling at highway speeds. The first incident occurred after the engine was replaced under a Hyundai extended warranty. The dealership service department blamed that failure on a loose engine ground strap and released the vehicle back to me. On August 3, 2026, the e... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2021) - ENGINE
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
On XXX I had been driving my vehicle with no issues. I had drove from [XXX] to [XXX]. My vehicle had no warnings or issues prior and my vehicle has been properly cared for and all oil and maintenance has been done through the Cadillac dealership in [XXX]. On my way to [XXX] I stopped at the local gas station and filled my gas tank fully up, when I started my vehicle there was a horrible sound an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
July 31, 2026 driving on the Garden State Parkway in NJ in traffic at 65 mph in the far left lane, my engine seized without warning. The car started beeping and the dash lit up something like engine stopped low steering power. I had to maneuver across 2 lanes of high-speed traffic with no power, limited steering and brakes. Then coasted to a stop and tried to restart the engine. Only a click, not... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The car’s brakes hardened on the highway, posing a life-threatening danger, right before the engine died. Following a tow to the dealership’s service center, an initial inspection revealed a broken vacuum pump and broken camshaft. The dealership stated that there was evidence that camshaft debris may be scattered throughout the engine. No further inspection has been done at this time due to th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
I was driving at 70 mph on the highway when the car suddenly and without warning went into neutral, lost all functionality, and displayed the warning "Drivetrain Malfunction--Stop Driving Immediately--Call Roadside Assistance." I had to drift (barely) to side of a busy highway and exit the vehicle to get to safety. The dealer review of fault codes include: High-voltage system: No voltage establis... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
The engine was spewing oil into the air filter and also out of a hose near the turbo. It was also consuming high amounts of oil, yes its available for inspection. I was driving on a busy public highway and my car lost power and would not accelerate no the problem has not been confirmed as of yet vehicle has not received official inspection yet there was zero warning lamps, messages, or any ind... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2022) - ENGINE
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
2022 VW Tiguan SE had PCV (positive crankshaft ventilation) also known as air-oil separator failed just outside of warranty creating a pressure cooker like effect in the engine which caused several seals and hoses, (such as the upper/front timing cover gaskets, rear main seal, and valve stem seals) to fail. The oil pan gasket was also destroyed. Although I was fortunate enough to be able to drive ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
Starter issue both during idle start/stop mode and going from off to on. Owned for about 20mos and happened first maybe 6mos ago and has happened a dozen times since then. So dangerous! We have had idle start freeze at a green light and are worried we’ll get hit. Sister in law has the same problem with hers. This needs to be fixed immediately!
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
My 2020 Kia Sorento stalled and shut off while driving and eventually stopped working completely, requiring it to be towed to a Kia dealership. The dealership first replaced the starter and then the high-pressure fuel pump, but the vehicle still would not operate. After further diagnosis, I was informed that the timing chain had failed/broken and the engine needed to be replaced, with a new engine... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
-Our Toyota Tundra Hybrid suffered total catastrophic engine failure due to metal shavings found throughout the engine and oil system. This is the same issue that prompted NHTSA ID Number: 25V767000 recall of Toyota's V35A engines. The tundra is available for inspection. -Statement regarding safety put at risk by my husband: I felt a vibration from the engine compartment (seeming to come from the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
My 2022 Subaru Outback Premium has had repeated intermittent stall/no-start events. The exact failed component is UNKNOWN, but the issue appears related to the fuel system, engine control, electrical system, or heat-related sensor/relay failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The first event occurred while parked: the engine shut off/would not start, while the dashboard and... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
Tachometer is starting to surging idle. Getting a wave of errors lights and messages. It’s also a known problem on the 2019 of the same model and it has a recall. I received the same code from an auto repair shop. Service Bulletin 21-010
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
Loosing oil putting oil in every 3 to 4 days no leaks on ground or oil pan or drain plug.oil don't smell or looks burnt happened around did 2 oil changes in a week still the same. Car will sputer hesitation on acceleration every so often have all updateds and recalls.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
on 8/6/26 my wife was driving home when the Sedona Van began emitting white smoke and started making a whining noise. Little did we know the head bolts had pulled out of the engine causing the head gasket to blow and coolant to leak and total engine failure. Safety risk was engine could have seized in the middle of my wife driving home which could have caused a sudden crash. Vehicle was taken to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
I purchased this 2021 Kia Telluride new and have had it routinely serviced and maintained by authorized Kia dealerships. At approximately 60,000–80,000 miles, the engine began consuming excessive oil. I reported the condition to the Kia dealer at approximately 80,000 miles, while the vehicle was still within Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The dealer initially recommended a tune... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
Seems like due to the auto idle, it makes the engine idle so low that it dies- my car died in middle of the road- the first time, I had it jumped, and mechanic said it was a fluke, second time, despite the testing not showing any issue, he said we can try to replace the battery, so we did, but 6 weeks later my car died, and it took 5 attempts to get it to restart with the external battery pack! ea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
I sometimes get a reduced engine power shutter grill problems
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2021 Honda Pilot equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. The vehicle has approximately 77,000 miles. The vehicle developed an engine rattling noise followed by complete engine failure and loss of motive power. I had the vehicle transported to an authorized Honda dealership for diagnosis. Following inspection and engine teardown, the Honda deale... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2026
Vehicle went into “limp mode” while merging onto a busy road, nearly causing a collision with both oncoming traffic and other vehicles attempting to merge onto the road. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the following: “Checked system codes. Found P0324 knock sensor module performance code. Found the attached TSB by GM. Believed to be the issue: engine has piston sl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
While stopped at a red light or intersection, the vehicle's Auto Idle Stop feature engages and shuts off the engine as designed. However, on multiple occasions, the engine has failed to automatically restart when the brake pedal is released. The vehicle remains stalled and unresponsive in the middle of the intersection or traffic lane, creating a safety risk to myself and other drivers, particular... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I discovered an engine coolant leak from a crack near the end of the Plastic Coolant Bypass Pipe (part #31368673/32382362) after noticing coolant puddling on my garage floor. There are numerous comments with pictures on-line about how common this part fails on this model Volvo. What's also interesting is that the "pipe" fails in exactly the same location (on top and near the end). Seems to me ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
When driving it will randomly stall out/shut off in the middle of an intersection or just while driving in general. While also giving a message about the coolant temperature
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V766000 (ENGINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On XXX my engine light came on and the engine overheated excessively. I pulled over immediately. I towed the vehicle to the Jeep dealer ([XXX]) on XXX. Service took the vehicle in for service to review the issues and refused to ground my lease that is due on XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
The check engine light indicate P0016 crankshaft camshaft position. It has been diagnosed by a mechanic that the timing belt is stretched. Chevrolet has redesigned these parts due to the premature failure but has not issued a recall to install the redesigned parts.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The vehicle needs a complete engine replacement due to a coolant intrusion issue. The safety of myself and my family are of my utmost concern. Overheating of the system can cause sudden engine stalling, catastrophic power loss at highway speeds, a risk of collision, and toxic vapor exposure inside the vehicle. Furthermore, A leaking heater core vents sweet-smelling but toxic antifreeze vapors into... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
Sudden loss of motive power while driving due to a complete CVT failure (creating a dangerous traffic hazard), and Honda Corporate's refusal of assistance.
OLDSMOBILE
ALERO
(2002) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
2002 oldsmobile alero was driving on interstate and very low on fuel when i exited the interstate at the street light it turned green and as i was accelerating my car stalled out and since then ive pur 2 gallons of fuel in it and now it cranks but wont start up and now it back fires when trying to start it and my security light is off and I'm getting fuel pressure in the front rail and I got spar... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
when trying to accelerate car is yanking very bad seems like it is a very bad shutter or something with the transmission there is also a very bad squeak when you drive under the car
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2022) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
I am unsure, but I think it's the High Voltage Battery Junction Box. A week after buying the car used from Aaron Ford of Poway, I received a Safely Stop now warning, then the car broke down on the middle of the turning lane into my job a medical clinic putting myself, patients, other drivers, and my coworkers all on danger as it is a busy street. The hazard lights would not work, and the car woul... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RH1250S
(2023) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
Cam tensioner bolt that holds the tensioner in place, broke causing the tensioner to come loose, making the engine make a loud ticking noise and eventually making the engine inoperable.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
The car has failed to start on numerous occasions. The car has stalled due to the auto start/stop and the dealership told me that the battery needs to fail testing in order to replace under warranty. This is a major safety risk and the dealership said it’s a known issue but they can’t fix it. A recall needs to be put out immediately.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2025) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
The car was in neutral while in a drive through car wash. Then, when stopped and shifted to drive, the car bolted forward very suddenly and fast. Went through fence.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I have an appointment at Audi of Richmond on Wednesday 08/19/26 and was told to have the car there on Tuesday the day before the appointment to fix the recalls. I called Audi USA roadside assistance and also the actual dealership about a complimentary tow based of the fact the reason it stop driving was because of one of the recalls. They said they can’t cover it because they can’t confirm tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
2021 Toyota RAV4 (gas model) has experienced a sudden, unexpected engine stall/shutdown on a public road. The incident occurred while shifting into Drive after backing up in reverse. The engine immediately died without any prior dashboard warning lights or mechanical symptoms. The information screen displayed a message stating "Put Car in Park" or "Shift into Park." The vehicle safely restarted im... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
2018 WITH 118,000 MILES. Had to get a full block engine replacement due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. This was diagnosed and replaced at a Ford dealership.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - ENGINE
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
My 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 equipped with the 6.2L engine experienced an internal engine/lifter failure. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized GMC dealership. The dealership documented damaged lifters, including rough edges and visible signs of friction, and advised that the camshafts on these vehicles can also have issues. I was provided estimates for both a lifter repair and complete engine... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
The most recent recall on my vehicle has not been corrected by my local Ford dealer yet. The deadline was July 31, 2026 and it is now August 17, 2026.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The CRF1100 2020 DCT stalls when trying to take off form a complete stop. It happens most often at traffic lights and has already lead to dangerous situations with cars behind you expecting you to go but you stall. This bike is not supposed to stall and since it only happens on occasion (so far perhaps around 20 times), yesterday's ride it happened 3 times. It is hard to rely on the bike behaving ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2021 GMC Yukon. While driving on the highway during a long-distance trip from [XXX] to [XXX], my vehicle suddenly experienced a serious loss of power, drivability issues, and loss of propulsion. The vehicle began shaking violently, slowing down unexpectedly, and struggling to maintain speed while in active highway traffic at highway speeds. At the time... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
I was driving on hwy when I had to do a hard stop because traffic stopped suddenly in front of my vehicle, no physical contact was made to any cars in front or back of me, suddenly dark smoke started coming from under the hood of car, The car started stalling in middle of the hwy I got out safely opened hood and seen engine area was on fire another person in a vehicle pulled over came out with a f... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Caution - Pull Over Immediately - Turn off Engine and Wait to Restart Vehicle" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and followed the instructions, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact could not pull over in time, and the steering wheel sei... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the battery low and steering assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact's minor children were occupants in the vehicle during the failure. The tow truck assistant arrived. The tow truck driver assisted with res... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
On Monday XXX, I was on my way to the dealer for my first oil change. I was driving through a toll both, also under construction just outside [XXX], when the engine lost power without warning and just stopped. While scrambling to find a tow truck I finally got the vehicle started and limped it to the dealer, Patrick Cadillac in Schaumburg, IL,. Nearly a week later, a technician informed me that th... Read more