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: Apr 30, 2026

The engine began making a metallic knocking noise while at idle and very soon after began to make the same noise under acceleration. This noise sounded very much like the onset of rod bearing failure. The vehicle was driven straight home and parked. We called the dealership the next day and made a service appointment. As I drove the vehicle to the dealership, the engine noise became worse and was ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

Vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while traveling approximately 70 mph on a highway. I heard a loud popping noise and immediately lost power. The vehicle would no longer accelerate normally and I was forced to pull over. White smoke was visible from the engine compartment, and a large amount of engine oil leaked from the vehicle. This failure created a safety risk because it occurre... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

Premature Head Gasket Failure at 75,000 miles

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

vehicle battery failure

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

On June 3, 2026, my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss, which has a 6.2L L87 V8 engine, stalled and shut off unexpectedly while I was stopped at a traffic light on a public highway. The engine died without warning, leaving me stranded in traffic and creating a serious safety risk for me and other drivers because of the chance of a collision. I had to call the police to come and sit behind... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2026

Riding on a highway at about 70 mph, the bike sputtered so I got into the right lane, pulled in the clutch and the bike lost power so I coasted onto the shoulder. The bike has not started up since--I was towed home. I saw no warning lights in advance. The bike was serviced after 600 miles and now has 5200 miles. Had I been in the far left lane, I may not have been able to safely get off the road i... Read more

Incident date: Jan 6, 2026

The vehicle shudders and loses power when accelerating fast. My wife almost got hit when she pulled out in traffic the car stalled out. It is due to the cylinder deactivation (afm).

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

Both exhaust manifold cracked causing exhaust fumes to leak in to cab

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

2016 Hyundai Veloster with 1.6L Gamma engine experienced repeat catastrophic engine failure consistent with NHTSA Recall 20V746000 / Hyundai Recall 198 for connecting rod bearing failure. Failure #1: At 124,036 miles, engine developed loud knocking noise increasing with RPM, check engine light, and DTCs P0300 (random misfire) + P0303 (cylinder 3 misfire). Dealer repair order documented "broken int... Read more

Incident date: Apr 2, 2026

Our mechanic, Buttons Auto in [XXX], diagnosed the loss of power, misfiring engine and anti freeze in the head cylnder # 3 with code P0304 and his conclusion was a blown head gasket. We took our car to the dealer, Mansfield Motor Group. Buttons also mentioned there was a pending class action suit against Honda for head gasket failure on our model with the1.5 liter motor. Mansfield Motor Group mis... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

Misfire at 51000 miles and told it was 2 cracked spark plugs

Incident date: May 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle later, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where the contact was informed that the diagnostic trouble code was associated with a... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

- THE GROUND STRAP CORRODED AND BROKE APART. YES, I HAVE THE GROUND CABLE THAT FAILED, IF NEEDED FOR INSPECTION. - YES!!! THE TRUCK'S STEERING KEPT GOING IN AND OUT OF MANUAL STEERING AND THE ENGINE REDUCED IN SPEED ALLOWED, AND THEN THE ENGINE CUT OUT ON ME COMPLETELY - WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD TRYING TO TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET. THEN THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. - I HAD THE T... Read more

Incident date: Mar 25, 2025

While driving home, the engine began to run very rough with decreased acceleration, obvious overall loss of power and a significant amount of white smoke being emitted from exhausts. Several alarm indicators and codes started flashing on instrument panel including Check Engine, Service ESC, Steering Assist Reduced, and Service Parking Brake. Had truck towed to dealership. From Dealership Repair In... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2025

P1326 code flashing engine light knock sensor went out 3 times in 6 months and just replaced it again and this time engine light didn't go off I was reading that there was a recall on this but apparently mine doesn't state it. Car cannot pass emissions if engine light is on and the 15th of June is approaching. The car doesn't make any sounds or nothing.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

The vehicle is a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta (VIN [XXX]). The primary malfunction appears to involve the vehicle's electrical and starting system. The vehicle intermittently displays a "Starter System Faulty" warning message and has shut off unexpectedly while driving, particularly during periods of hot weather. The exact failed component has not been definitively identified, but the symptoms are consis... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

I am requesting that Volkswagen open a formal case regarding a fire involving my 2021 Volkswagen Passat. On May 6, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, after driving about seven miles, I came to a complete stop and the vehicle began smoking before catching fire. The vehicle has been declared a total loss and is currently being stored at a salvage yard pending investigation. I am requesting that Volkswa... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

Coolant seeps into the engine cylinders. This leads to misfiring, white smoke from the exhaust, rough idling, and catastrophic engine failure.

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while checking the engine oil level, the contact noticed that the vehicle was consuming excessive oil. Upon inspecting underneath the vehicle, the contact's husband did not find any leaks. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the piston oil rings needed to be replaced,... Read more

Incident date: May 26, 2026

I have owned my Honda Accord for under a year, puchased around 100k miles. My head gasket blew at 118k miles. There was no overheating of the engine or warning lights before hand, my car was idling after work and I turned it on and then I had about 5 different warning lights on. I find out that it was a cylinder 2 misfire and took it to Joyce Koons Honda for them to inform me of a head gasket fail... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

UNKNOWN. Car has been making a humming noise for the last 4 years. I have taken it to multiple shops, and repair companies for inspection. Wheel bearings have been repaired 2x, ball joints, as well as sway bars. Tires have been replaced, breaks and rotors have been replaced. Noise still persisted. Noise has recently become louder, creating question when driving the car. Mechanic has determined tha... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2026

Purchased vehicle 1/18/2025; first and only owner. Occurrence = Engine Shut off, alarm sounded and warning lights flashed; Error: "Engine off, shift to N or P, Then start engine." Had to shift to Neutral and Push Start to restart engine. -During March: occurred 2 times, both times worked after shifting to Neutral. -4/1-4/3: occurred 1 time, worked after shifting to Neutral. -4/16: occurred 1 ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2026

At just 30,000 miles — less than half the mileage at which these failures are typically reported — my GLC 43 was found to have active oil leaks in multiple locations: 1. Front engine covers — oil is seeping from both the front cover gasket area and migrating downward along the engine block. The dealer recommends a full reseal of the front covers at a quoted cost of $1,944. 2. Radial shaft ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2026

On June 7, 2026, I was driving my 2020 GMC Terrain. I was going at about 40MPH along a very busy main road. While slowing for a red light the Check Engine Light turned on and the car displayed a notice about reduced engine power. Seconds later, the brake pedal became stuck and would not press down all the way and I lost braking ability. The car rattled/shook violently, made a grinding noise, and t... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

Vehicle lost power and shut down while driving at 60 mph, would not restart

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

Cylinder Coolant Intrusion I took my vehicle to Warren/ Sheldon auto repair shop in canton, MI They did a diagnostic test on it, they told me they found coolant in the engine, and I would need a brand new engine. If I would of not taken the vehicle to the auto shop, the vehicle may have caught on fire vector the condition it is in, because it would of overheated because of no coolant or was ve... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

The car returned P1326 and had multiple misfires and audible knocking, the dealers will indeed fight the already existing class action warranties. Was sent home and told to “drive the fuck out of it”, to which the car did not make it home and blew gasoline into my cabin while driving on the highway. Almost passed out, and am still fighting Kia to actually address the defective rod bearings. I ... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2026

At approximately 24,000 miles the engine had catastrophic failure under normal street/highway driving conditions. The engine is the 6.2L V8. The issue began with a high pitch squeal or chirping sound and noticeable power loss. I parked the truck over night and then drove it to the dealer first thing the next morning. While on the way to the dealership, which was less than 20 miles away, the engine... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

Coolant Intrusion due to a design flaw leading to coolant entering the combustion chamber causing spark plugs to prematurely fail and in extreme cases cause the engine to hydrolock and bend piston rods. Symptoms are a rough idle, MIL illumination and DTC for Misfires P0300-P0304, Coolant loss and overheating

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

States having problems with oil lost, but only inside the motor as if the rings are faulty

Incident date: May 30, 2026

On Saturday May 30th my vehicle did a safety shut down and told me to pull over, it appeared to be overheating. Checked my coolant and my reserve tank was empty. I took it to my Ford dealer, their diagnosis was that my engine block was defective/porice and leaking coolant. They stated this is a known issue with Ford. There is a Ford recall 26S01 dated 1/15/26 for this exact issue that my vehicle h... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2026

I was traveling at highway speeds in active, high-velocity traffic when my vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic mechanical failure that nearly resulted in a severe multi-car accident. Without any warning, the vehicle completely lost its ability to accelerate, flatly refusing to pick up speed or maintain momentum despite pressing the gas pedal. This unexpected, immediate drop in propulsion ma... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

On June 1, 2026, software update 68C was performed at the dealership on my 2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. On June 6, 2026, at approximately 9:00 a.m., after driving the vehicle for about 25 minutes, I experienced a serious malfunction. While making a turn at a speed of less than 10 mph, the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost throttle and propulsion. It appeared to hesitate as though shifting betw... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Nov 24, 2024

On XXX My car was stopped at a light, the vehicle shot down, and would not restart. I had the car towed to Galeana Kia, [XXX]. Upon isnpection at Kia it was found that the engine oil was three quarts low. I was shocked. There had been no warning lights on the dashboard. I had a synthetic oil change 9,000 miles previously. Galeana Kia charged me $315.96. There was a subsequent recall 25V099. "The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2025

When i first purchased the vehicle off the lot a few years back (its a 21, so probably in 22?) Brand new off the lot minimal miles. Within the first few months we started having issues with the power wanting to shift down. We took it in, the dealership found nothing wrong with it and cleared the codes. This happened a few more times. The last 2 times I took it in. They mentioned that there were re... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

On May 6, 2026 while driving on the interstate, the vehicle automatically shifted into Neutral, and lost all engine power. The vehicle would not shift back into drive or even 4x4 neutral to be towed. The vehicle was towed to Sam Boswell GMC in Mt Dora, FL. The engine had seized up, and there were metal shavings in the oil filter which indicated a catastrophic mechanical engine failure.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I am writing to report a severe safety defect regarding my 2018 Jeep Renegade. The vehicle suffers from an extreme internal oil consumption defect, burning 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. According to certified automotive diagnostics, this is five times the normal operating rate. This rapid oil depletion causes the vehicle to abruptly lose power, stall, and completely shut down while driving in ... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

My 2019 Nissan Maxima (approximately 70,000 miles) displayed a hazard warning indicating a vehicle failure and began stalling without warning. The vehicle was brought to Mossy Nissan on May 28, 2025, where it has remained for over 11 days. The dealership has been unable to identify or repair the root cause of the electrical failure. The vehicle has been observed stalling while in the dealership's ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

2024 Toyota Tundra experienced a serious safety event. While travelling on the highway at 60mph speeds in traffic when the truck suddenly blinked a loss of steering warning light then immediately blinked engine failure warning light. The truck lost power and the engine completely shut down in traffic going down a long, steep hill. I was able to reach the bottom and pull over but the truck would no... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2026

I was driving my 2026 Hyundai Palisade on a busy road when the vehicle suddenly stopped without warning. A message appeared on the dashboard stating that the engine was off. I did not turn off the vehicle. This created a dangerous situation in traffic.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I experienced a sudden coolant leak on my 2017 Ford F‑150 equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The Ford dealership diagnosed the issue as leaking turbocharger coolant lines. The coolant was leaking in the turbo area and dripping onto extremely hot exhaust components. This creates a risk of rapid coolant loss, overheating, loss of power while driving, and potential engine compartment fire. Th... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

Bad starter. When utilizing auto start/stop, the engine would fail to restart at stop. The car would need to be shifted back to park, turned all the way off, and then back on to restart, resulting in a delay - an unsafe practice at an intersection.

Incident date: Apr 18, 2025

The following are issues; -Adas disables mid drive (no warning lights) at highway speeds -steering angle sensors shows not calibrated in live data feed of bscm -air ride stuck in aero mode -select terrain drive modes not functioning as intended -loses all power engine dies at stoplight and eps warning light on -

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

When I started the car at 10pm , a loud pop was heard and warning lights on the dashboard indicated an electrical problem. I turned off the radio and anything extra that could use up power; during the next 45 minutes I took surface streets instead of the freeway to drive 22 miles back home and speed was limited to 40 mph. The next day the same warning lights were on the dashboard and speed was l... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

A message came on the screen saying “engine maintenance required” and it’s not going away. Upon doing a google search, there is a common failure in the cooling system for these cars reported by a lot of owners.

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle displays a "Drive Train Malfunction" warning message and the traction control warning light illuminates. Shortly after the warning appears, the vehicle loses power and may enter a reduced-power mode or stall, creating a serious safety hazard in traffic. This has occurred while traveling on the highway, forcing sudden deceleration and creating the risk o... Read more

Incident date: Feb 19, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2022 Hyundai Tucson equipped with the 2.5L engine. The vehicle has experienced multiple incidents of severe engine misfiring while driving. During these events, the engine begins to shake violently, the entire vehicle vibrates, and engine power is significantly reduced. The vehicle becomes unable to accelerate normally, creating a serious safety hazard,... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2026

We had the engine serviced for recall on stop start issue on 12/4/25. On May 15, 2026 the engine failed. The dashboard came on with every warning light and a mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced. Honda denied any issue and said the timing belt had to be broken. The mechanic confirmed no issue with timing belt and said you can’t start the engine if the timing belt was brok... Read more

Incident date: Nov 10, 2025

My vehicle was brought to an authorized Hyundai dealership In November 2025 to complete safety recall campaign KSDS (Campaign 966). Soon after picking up the vehicle after the dealer flashed the ECU, the vehicle went into a permanent, dangerous "limp mode" that severely limits the engine's RPMs, making it impossible to accelerate to highway speeds. The vehicle's computer displays zero OBD-II diag... Read more

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

NHTSA Defect Report (Initial Portal Filing) Manufacturer Target: General Motors (GM) Filer: [XXX] Classification: Mechanical Defect & Administrative Evasion Narrative for Submission I am filing this formal defect report regarding a catastrophic, systemic safety failure present in the 2025 Chevrolet Traverse architecture (VIN: [XXX]), manufactured by General Motors. The vehicle was originally purc... 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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