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: Aug 12, 2026

The entire car shut down while on the highway with no prior notifications on/from the system. The entire safety of myself and family was put at risk because there where several cars behind us on the highway that could have hit us. I am not sure the dealer has been able to reproduce the issue - Unknown. There was no warning lamps, messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure or the car... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

While driving, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and lost power. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for diagnosis, where the same stalling condition was reproduced and confirmed during a dealer road test. The vehicle had to be towed back to the dealership, where the engine was found to be seized. The sudden loss of power while driving created a serious safety concern because the veh... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that the vehicle was running rough while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an unknown recall inspection was performed, and the contact was informed that there was no debris found inside the oil pan. However, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle made abnormally loud sounds while driving. The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

The contact rented a 2025 Jeep Compass. While the contact’s husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a burning odor and an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, and the contact and her husband observed whitish gray smoke that eventually turned black coming from the engine compartment. The hood was opened and immediately t... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

Engine failure, known issue per Nissan service employees, second and third combustion cylinders fill with anti-freeze coolant with no errors or warning lights in vehicle. This was noticed by the temperature gauge climbing during acceleration and falling while at speed. I am told it is a manufacturing defect by the service department but due to the 76,000 miles on the 2022 vehicle it is not covered... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

Failed head gasket that put vehicle in compromised working condition on the roadway - check engine light flash, poor and inconsistent engine running. First indications were 5-10 seconds of rough idle after startup when sitting overnight, then p0303 check engine code for cylinder three misfire as well as loss of coolant. Independent shop confirmed issue and replaced head gasket. Problem appears to ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

After coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle does not automatically restart. I am presented with a message that says "system problem detected. shift to park". After shifting to park, I am presented with another message that says ""to continue to drive, depress the brake pedal and push switch." I then have to completely shut off the engine by pushing the "stop button". T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2026

We have been involved with an Oil Consumption problem since 2025 maybe earlier. No leaks just an over use of oil. I have had to fill it myself or take it to the dealer. They did testing and di some kind of cleaning that took 8 hours. We still have the problem and while driving the whole car shut down. No power in the middle of a highway. This has now happened twice and the first time we had to ca... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2026

Check engine light would come on vehicle was not running well, seemed to stall. When I turned off the car I could hear liquid moving around from inside the vehicle. I am a Mom so I am driving with my 2 small children constantly and worried about their safety. The problem was confirmed by the dealership as well as an independent service center.

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

Was to be paid off in September and give our family some financial relief ,but the very end of July the transmission went in this car is what ford told me. They forgot to mention that the motor was about to go as well. We paid 60,000 in payments. To get screwed over by my local Ford! We had just left Canada wonderland on the 400 series in Canada. My car completely died. We were able to coast to si... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

Loses oil between oil changes. No visible signs of leaks or odor of burning oil.

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The cooling fan clutch control wire is supported by a "wire support hose" between the engine block and the fan clutch. the cooling fan clutch control freely rotates on a raceway on the drive shaft. The purpose of the support hose is to prevent the fan clutch control from freely rotating, but allows the control a limited range of movement as the drive shaft changes speed with engine RPM. The ide... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

There is something wrong with this jeep. I keep getting collision messages four-wheel-drive pops on and off on its own and randomly states that it needs to be serviced. The Jeep is hard to accelerate randomly on highway speeds going over 45. The Jeep also drives like a boat despite your front end or back in issues, new tires, etc.. The oil light comes on even when all light is changed it goes in l... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated, causing the engine to overheat. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and turned off the vehicle to allow the engine to cool down while waiting on a mechanic to arrive on the scene. An independent mechanic was contacted, and the vehicle was... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

My 2016 Jeep Patriot is cutting off while I’m driving on the highway at 65 mph. The lights on the dashboard are on and for no apparent reason. Now my radio system is cutting on and off sporadically.Rendering my satellite radio and hands free use of my phone useless. I’ve been told that my car has no recalls. Although this recall "S89 / NHTSA 16V-907, seems like the exact problems I’m experie... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2025

I own a 2019 Honda Accord Sport 1.5T that has an ongoing, unresolved engine/powertrain problem causing severe loss of acceleration, jerking, and a flashing check-engine light. The exact component causing the failure is UNKNOWN. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I initially took the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership and paid over $300 for diagnosis. Honda diagnosed the ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

During first oil change at 1200 miles, found a lot of metal flex in the oil filter element after cutting the oil filter open.

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

Vehicle flashes Auto Start Stop icon on the dashboard, which is not commonplace. When this occurs, the vehicle can not accelerate when the accelerator is actuated. The vehicle can not accelerate past 40mph and the RPM is sporadic. This happens randomly and can not be diagnosed by the dealership. Multiple dealerships have tried and none can duplicate this issue. This is a severe safety concern and ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

I am hoping you can help me. I have a 2015 Ford Escape. It has 107,000 miles on it. I do the regular maintenance items as needed. Last Friday I was driving my car and my temperature gauge went to Hot and my Check Engine Light came on. It said to pull over and stop engine. I pulled over and let it cool down. I drove it home. My neighbor looked at it and said, that it needed coolant. There was not ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost drive power. The vehicle decelerated and was coasted over to the side of the road. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel while the vehicle was decelerating. While on the side of the road, the check engine warning light remained illuminat... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid with approximately 91,000 miles. Vehicle is less than two years old, has received all required maintenance and mileage is predominantly highway driving. I experienced intermittent chugging/rough engine operation, particularly when the gasoline engine engaged at light throttle. There was no check-engine light. The vehicle subsequently displayed: “POWER REDUCED - Shutter gr... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

I am filing an official safety recall non-compliance and documentation fraud complaint against the franchise dealership, BMW of [XXX], regarding their handling of active safety campaigns B110724 (Electric Water Pump) and B120921 (DME Control Unit).Following a severe engine overheating failure related to the water pump recall, both BMW Roadside and the dealership denied my request for a safety tow,... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

Vehicle is very jerky while transmission is downshifting. With no pressure applied to gas pedal vehicle lurches forward on own forcing me to step on brakes to correct lunging forward. At parking lot speeds and while in reverse vehicle is very sluggish and feels like stalling will occur if pressure is not applied to gas pedal. Vehicle is also sluggish and does not respond right away while enteri... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

The vehicle suffered a severe engine overheating failure that created an immediate fire risk and electrical safety signaling failure. A brand-new replacement engine was installed by an authorized dealership in April 2026 under a goodwill warranty and had only been driven ~ 3,100 miles since installation. While operating the vehicle, the air conditioning suddenly stopped functioning. Upon restarti... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

This is a formal vehicle safety complaint regarding a manufacturer's active refusal to remedy a known safety defect under an active recall campaign guidelines.My 2015 Kia Optima Turbo experienced an active internal mechanical engine knock, violent sputtering, and a complete engine seizure. The vehicle is currently sitting un-driveable at an authorized Kia dealership.The required Knock Sensor Detec... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

This has now happened 3 separate times. Once 1 month ago, my husband and I were on the connecting road from [XXX] toward [XXX] by the water plants stopped in traffic and the truck completely powered off at a red light. It took 30 seconds for the truck to power back on, and be restarted. It showed a check engine light the rest of the drive. The next time it turned on from being off there was no che... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

While driving on the expressway posted speed 65 was doing 70, left lane driving, suddenly my check engine light started flashing, my oil light came on and my vehicle started slowing down. Acceleration was not an option, causing hazardous conditions to have to put my hazards on and cross two lanes of heavy traffic. Vehicle went into limp mode. Vehicle was caught up on an oil change, and was regular... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2026

While my vehicle was in transit, it experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine power. Simultaneously, multiple malfunction indicator lights (MILs) illuminated on the dashboard, and my vehicle abruptly engaged "limp mode." This drastic restriction of speed and maneuverability while in active traffic created an immediate and severe safety hazard, which nearly resulted in a catastrophic collision... Read more

Incident date: Nov 21, 2025

The systems affected appear to be engine, powertrain, and vehicle speed control. My 2014 Kia Forte, VIN [XXX] has approximately 118,000 miles. Since purchase in November2025 from Wondries Toyota, the vehicle has had repeated high RPM, poor acceleration, and loss of power when entering freeway on-ramps and driving uphill. It struggles to accelerate while merging into faster traffic, creating a saf... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

On August 6 2026, my RAV4 just cut off at the traffic light. The car was completely dead. I was unable to unlock the trunk but the doors did open. The vehicle was towed to the local dealership. The tow truck man hooked up his portable car charger and the car started. On August 8, 2026 the car cut off after parking in a parking space and would not start so I had to get a jump off. After driving fo... Read more

Incident date: Nov 20, 2023

At approximately 85,000 miles, the engine in my 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 seized. The vehicle was parked when it occurred. Inability to start. This created a safety risk because an engine seizure can cause sudden loss of propulsion in traffic. Before the failure, I did not notice any red flags. The problem was inspected and confirmed by a GMC dealer, which diagnosed the condition as an engine seizure. ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 20, 2023

At approximately 85,000 miles, the engine in my 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 seized. The vehicle was parked when it occurred. This created a safety risk because an engine seizure can cause sudden loss of propulsion in traffic. Before the failure, I didn't notice anything that would raise any alarms. The problem was inspected and confirmed by a GMC dealer, which diagnosed the condition as an engine seizure... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

Before the recall repairs, I did not experience any loss of acceleration, hesitation, jerking, or flashing warning lights. These symptoms began only after the recall service was completed. 1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle experienced a loss of acceleration while driving. The vehicle also began to jerk or stumble, an... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

My car blew an engine while I was inside the car. The car was in park and running in a parking lot when the parking brake automatically engaged unexpectedly. Then, the gauge cluster instructed me to press the brake and push the start/stop button. I then got a warning on my gauge cluster, this time notifying my car entered starter protection mode. Repeating the process three times, me, my four year... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Dec 11, 2025

The intermediate shaft has gone bad on my 5 year old car. Noticed it on 12/11/25 after owning for 1 year. I’m slowing losing oil which then can cause my engine to go out. I have read many things stating other peoples frustration with this $3.59 part going bad in the 2021 ford explorers but to get it fixed you have to drop the entire engine resulting in it costing $1,800. I think ford should be r... Read more

Incident date: Mar 19, 2025

steering rack failed once already and was replaced in entirety thru dealership now it is making creaking sound whenever turning wheel left or right at slow speeds engine issues two years into ownership- white smoke coming from exhaust and required two new spark plugs the blind spot warning has never worked and there is heavy documentation online from other owners stating it simply does not work ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 6, 2026

In the past 6 months my steering and suspension components failed causing me to wreck and also somehow my engine bay deteriorated in turn having started a fire

Crash Fire

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

On [XXX], while driving my 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV from the Salt Lake City area toward Las Vegas, the vehicle developed a serious loss-of-power condition in Utah. I contacted OnStar, exited the highway, and waited at a gas station. OnStar arranged towing to a Cadillac dealership. GM records document the tow at approximately 56,644 miles. At the dealership, I reported the loss of power. After i... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2025

I am reporting a safety issue with my 2025 Acura MDX involving the Auto Idle Stop/Start system. When the vehicle comes to a stop and the Auto Idle Stop system shuts the engine off, the engine does not always restart as it is supposed to. When this occurs, pressing the START/STOP button does not immediately restart the vehicle. This has left me unable to move the vehicle normally after the engine ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

The front driveshaft universal joint failed causing the drive shaft to bust a hole in the engine and crack the transmission. There was no knocking noise prior to failure. It suddenly failed, disengaged and caused damage. I was told by service manager the u-bolt must have been defective to have failed without warning.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

Vehicle Information: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel 4x4Component Affected: Fuel/Propulsion System (High-Pressure Fuel Pump) Safety Incident Narrative: The vehicle previously underwent a mandatory manufacturer safety recall replacement for the Bosch CP4 High-Pressure Fuel Pump under FCA Safety Recall Z46 (NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V-406). At 111,948 miles, while operating the ve... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

I am reporting a safety concern involving my 2018 Honda Accord. I purchased my vehicle used in January 2024 at approximately 90,000 miles and have kept up with the recommended maintenance during my ownership. At approximately 120,000 miles, a Honda dealership diagnosed head-gasket failure with coolant intrusion involving cylinders 3 and 4. Before diagnosis, the vehicle experienced rising engine te... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The vehicle is currently experiencing steady coolant loss with no external puddles.My vehicle is at 65,000 miles, placing it just 5,000 miles outside of the 60,000-mile factory powertrain warranty. This specific issue matches the exact symptoms of Volkswagen Technical Service Bulletin #2071245 (Service Action 15-23-01) regarding the premature failure of the factory head gasket.Because this is a we... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2025

The vehicle was driving down the highway when the oil pressure instantly dropped. 2021 Yukon’s safety system advised pulling over immediately, engine warning light appeared, and vehicle turned off. No prior indications of an issue. It would not restart and was towed to mechanic. Independent service center diagnosed issue as a broken crank shaft. It now needs the engine replaced and does not fall... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The vehicle has a 1.5L Ecoboost system which has a design flaw allowing coolant to leak into the engine. I was driving and the temperature went eradically high for no known reason and then instantly dropped. It began repeating this over and over. My mechanic told me it was a cracked head gasket and the coolant was below minimum levels because it was leaking into the engine. He told me it is a know... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

While driving at highway speed, the factory-installed serpentine belt on my 2023 Chevrolet Express 3500 (6.6L V8, approximately 24,000 miles, purchased new, factory-maintained per schedule) failed suddenly and without warning. The belt on this engine drives the water pump and other critical accessories, so the failure caused immediate loss of engine cooling and rapid, severe overheating while the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

My 2019 HR-V transmission is suffering from the premature CVT belt deterioration outlined in Honda's internal service bulletins TSB 21-047. My car has 99,000 miles and Honda refuses to replace the faulty transmission. The intermittent loss of acceleration poses an immediate safety hazard when merging onto highways or navigating heavy traffic.

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Engine block had been replaced due to recall and excessive oil consumption, but vehicle is doing this again. Local dealership refuses to give appt for oil check and is sending us 55 miles away. We’re told it will be about 1k to test it for fuel combustion and oil change before they can even test it. Replacement engine block failed to fix the issue and local Kia is not helpful.

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

See attached file

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

On the evening of [XXX], I started my vehicle while it was parked in my garage. Within approximately five minutes, the vehicle suddenly produced a violent and unusually loud mechanical noise, followed by visible smoke billowing from beneath the hood. Recognizing the immediate potential fire and safety hazard to both myself and my property, I immediately shut the vehicle down. The following morning... 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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