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: Feb 3, 2026

This is a follow-up to my complaint 11754947, filed 8/5/2026 on the same vehicle. The defect has now been confirmed in writing by an authorized Mazda dealer. On 8/6/2026, San Francisco Mazda (repair order 1085786) diagnosed the cylinder head as the source of the engine oil leak on my 2019 CX-5 with the 2.5L naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engine with cylinder deactivation, engine code PYUD. The de... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Honda Ridgeline with approximately 23,995 miles. My primary concern is an intermittent transmission/powertrain malfunction. While driving on the highway, the vehicle unexpectedly entered limp/fail-safe mode and experienced a significant loss of power and acceleration. This created a potentially dangerous situation because I was unable to accele... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

The vehicle has experienced multiple intermittent electrical and safety-related malfunctions that have become more frequent over time. The most serious issue involves the Automatic Emergency Braking system activating unexpectedly while the vehicle is slowly reversing out of a residential driveway. The brakes suddenly apply with significant force even when there is no visible obstacle behind the v... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

The starter motor on my 2022 Honda Passport failed, causing a complete 'no-restart' condition after entering Auto Idle-Stop mode. The vehicle previously received the mandatory PGM-FI idle-stop software update under Honda Service Bulletin 23-008, proving that the software fix does not protect the hardware from failing. The dealership diagnosed a failed starter but stated that my 2022 model is exclu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2024

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2016 Honda Pilot. In July 2025, I began noticing a knocking sound when starting the engine, along with difficulty accelerating. I promptly scheduled an appointment with the service department at Findlay Honda of Spokane, where I purchased the vehicle and where it has exclusively been serviced since purchase. I have alway... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2024

SAFETY DEFECT REPORT & RECALL NON-COMPLIANCE: 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 (VIN: [XXX]) This complaint involves an uncorrected emissions system defect that causes a sudden, dangerous engine shutdown and low-speed countdown limp mode on live roadways, combined with manufacturer recall non-compliance by Mercedes-Benz USA and its authorized franchise dealer, Euro Motorcars Bethesda. The vehicle... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

Description: The vehicle suffers from an intermittent and dangerous "no-restart" defect involving the Auto-Idle Stop (AIS) system. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop and the automated stop-start system shuts off the engine to conserve fuel, the engine frequently fails to automatically restart upon release of the brake pedal. This results in a sudden, unexpected loss of engine power and comp... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

Twice now my engine has shut off while driving at low speeds under 25mph. When this happens my electric emergency brake engages. Dash tells me to shift to park. The first time this happened my truck was stuck in the middle of an intersection and I almost got hit several times because the truck wasn’t restarting or releasing the electric brake. Took about 7-8 try’s of getting it to start before... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

2026-08-06 ~7:50AM check engine light came on/flashed while entering freeway, car generally ran as normal though felt as if cylinder was not firing (two weeks prior had regular maintanance and all spark plugs were replaced, assumed this was related to that). Dropped daughter off at camp turned off vehicle. 2026-08-06 ~8:05AM restarted vehicle, check engine light did not come on. Engine ran as n... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

When driving, I get a prompt on my dash to switch to park and then desired gear. I get no response from my accelerator until I do so. This particularly happens when I’m slowing down and accelerating after a stop signs or traffic lights. Happens while in the middle of intersections. This happened about 7 times in the past month. Dealership said they couldn’t find a problem when I took it in. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

On August 22, 2025 the malfunction indicator lamp (code: P146B Evap. purge pump) illuminated with no noticeable change. Ran codes at auto zone which stated engine failed and emissions not ready. August 25, 2025 drove to certified Chevy dealer dropped off vehicle and showed the service advisor the fix finder test results from auto zone as well as the illuminated indicator lamp (check engine light).... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid, confirming the exact symptom “the gasoline engine continues running after the vehicle is switched off.” the vehicle is on and your burn fuel and if the fuel tank is full then some major issue may occur.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

At 92,156 miles, my 2018 Honda Accord Touring (1.5L Turbo) suffered a catastrophic structural head gasket failure that caused dangerous engine instability while driving. The failure first manifested with a sudden eruption of multiple warning lights across the dashboard while the vehicle was in motion. Following a subsequent startup after a doctor's appointment, the vehicle began shaking violently ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

AC not working, recall SA512 is needed, Kia wont cover the cost of replacing electrical components. Thermal Runaway / Fire Risk: The broken compressor prevents the battery thermal management system from cooling the main high-voltage lithium-ion battery package, creating an overheating hazard during driving or DC fast-charging. Sudden Loss of Power (Motive Power): Battery overheating can trigger a... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off and failed to restart. After approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle restarted, and the contact drove into a parking lot before driving to the residence. No warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure the following day, and a service appoint... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

My 2016 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX]) has a serious safety issue involving excessive engine oil consumption. The vehicle loses oil rapidly between changes and requires frequent top‑offs to avoid engine damage. This creates a risk of sudden engine failure while driving. The dealership, South Charlotte Hyundai (10518 Cadillac Street, Pineville, NC 28134), refused to perform Hyundai’s official oil... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

The HVBJB ($3500 + Tax) went on my car. It is out of battery system warranty by 25,000 miles (ended at 100,000 miles, I have 125,000 miles). I called Ford Corporate and they said they "have no current programs" to give me any good will discount on the repair. This is a big, known issue with Mustang Mach-e's There was a recall for this HVBJB part / system on many of the 2021 models, but somehow... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

2013 Lexus IS 350C with approximately 56,000 miles experienced engine smoking on startup. The vehicle has been regularly maintained according to the manufacturer's recommended service schedule. The Lexus dealership diagnosed oil entering the combustion chamber and documented that the cylinder walls are scratched, allowing oil to pass the oil-control piston rings. Based on the internal engine dama... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

Head Gasket failure at 105,000 in 1.5L Turbo engine like all the other CRVs.

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

The contact’s son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start whenever the outside temperature was hot. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The vehicle started and then shut down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) were on backord... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

The vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine failure due to an inherent manufacturing defect involving internal engine coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Prior to the failure, the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard, accompanied by engine misfires and rough idling. A certified service technician inspected the vehicle and confirmed that coolant is actively leaking into the engine cyli... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

I purchased a used 2025 Kia Soul with approximately 12,930 miles on the odometer in July 2026. Prior to Friday, August 1, 2026, I had not experienced any warning lights, warning messages, drivability issues, or other symptoms. The vehicle appeared to operate normally. On August 1, 2026, as I pulled out of the parking lot, the car surged or lurched forward while pushing on the gas. I pulled over, a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified w... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine head bolts had failed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced. The contact stated that later while driving at an undi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

Driving uphill and the power dropped. Even flooring it the car could not get to 35 mph. We were on a windy mountain road with no safe place to pull over. Eventually found a spot and turns out there is a known design flaw that causes coolant intrusion and we have to pay $14,000 for a new engine and new turbo. The car has only 48,000 miles on it!

Incident date: Jun 19, 2026

"While driving, the vehicle suddenly experienced a flashing check engine light, an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light, and violent steering wheel vibrations. The vehicle suffered a severe loss of power and misfired, creating an immediate traffic hazard. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a catastrophic mechanical lifter failure on the 5.3L V8 Ecotec engine with Dynamic Fuel Manage... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

I purchased this new 2026 Kia Seltos with approximately 32 miles. The vehicle now has fewer than 600 miles and has experienced two incidents of sudden, intermittent, complete loss of accelerator response. During one incident in highway traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly began decelerating and pressing the accelerator pedal produced no acceleration or meaningful propulsion. I could not maintain spe... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed variable compression ratio (VCR) actuator. The contact was informed that the VCR ratio actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

In August 2025, my Kia dealership serviced my 2021 Kia Telluride and billed me for 7 quarts of oil as part of the repair. Approximately four months later, in December 2025, the vehicle developed severe engine problems and became inoperable. The dealership diagnosed the failure as a collapsed timing tensioner and stated the engine required complete replacement. Kia Techline agreed with that diagno... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

My name is [XXX], and I am writing today to express my complete frustration mentally and financially with a CPO 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan (VIN [XXX]) I purchased XXX. To date my vehicle has been in for service multiple times – countless times for an issue with the infotainment system and driver warning indicators that is still unresolved and again for months waiting on a new engine due to an oil co... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

While operating the vehicle, the engine suffered a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, resulting in an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power on the road. A subsequent physical diagnostic scan at an authorized Kia dealership revealed manufacturer trouble code P008800 (Fuel Rail System Pressure-Too High) along with universal engine misfire codes P030100, P030200, P030300, P030400, P0305... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

Part is the coolant bypass valve. Toyota has been taken to court but dealership claims now that I’m over 100k miles I can’t do it. There was also a second part about 10 years but I wasn’t clear on the details of the outcome. Toyota has acknowledged this issue in court but failed to do so at the customer level in my case. engine light came on at 97k and now I’m at 104k which is over that ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond, requiring the driver to pull over to the side of the road. The message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The v... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact waited before restarting the vehicle and continued driving. The ABS warning light was intermittently flashing. The failure became more persistent, causing the vehicle to lose power steering functionality. The power steering and traction control warning l... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle” or “Starter system faulty” Error was shown on a hot day. The vehicle turned off

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I was driving home late at night with my family in the car. The car suddenly loss power and the check engine light came on and began flashing. I pulled over and turned the car off and back on. The light went away. I began driving again and after a short while, a bunch of lights popped up on the dashboard and the car began to loose power again and started making weird rattling noises from the engin... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Oct 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and decelerated to 20 MPH. After parking and restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected, and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

My 2023 Kia Telluride (VIN [XXX]) has an intermittent no-start/no-crank defect that has occurred on four separate occasions between [XXX] and [XXX] (mileage range 49,850–51,180). In each occurrence, the dashboard and infotainment system power on normally, but the engine will not crank when the start button is pressed, with both key fobs. The fault clears itself with no consistent trigger, making... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2026

Coolent intrusion into engine

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

My 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe High Altitude received FCA Recall 68C. Since the recall was completed, the vehicle has experienced repeated and unpredictable reductions in available propulsion during normal driving. The problem is most noticeable when accelerating to merge onto highways, enter traffic, or pass slower vehicles. During these situations, I depress the accelerator expecting normal accelerat... Read more

Incident date: Feb 6, 2026

While driving my 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, the vehicle suddenly lost power, began shaking, and all warning lights illuminated at once. The car would not accelerate properly and became unsafe to operate in traffic. After pulling over and restarting the vehicle, the warnings cleared, but the issue has occurred more than once. It first occurred 3/25/26. The dealer was not able to reproduce the issu... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The engine experienced a catastrophic lower-end bearing failure at approximately 63,000 miles. The vehicle had been maintained according to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule at the dealership service department. There were no missed oil changes. The failure occurred without any prior indication that a major internal engine problem was developing. The vehicle was taken to a Honda... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

Since the 9C2 update on June 24, 2026, my vehicle has not driven the same. I'm experiencing clunky or harsh gear changes at low speeds, especially during stop-and-go driving. When I slow down and then accelerate again, the vehicle sputters or hesitates before responding. While driving at lower speeds, I also feel intermittent skips or small surges, almost like bubbles or brief misfires. These symp... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

vehicle lost eng power would not restart had to be towed to dealership they conformed problem

Incident date: Jan 16, 2026

A young teenage driver faced a terrifying highway emergency when her vehicle suffered an abrupt, dangerous loss of motive power at 70+ MPH on the interstate due to sudden turbocharger failure. Moving at high speeds in heavy traffic, the sudden drop in acceleration left the driver vulnerable to rear-end collisions from oncoming semi-trucks. The vehicle was driven into the shop with a failed turboc... Read more

Incident date: Mar 22, 2025

My wife’s 2017 Honda cr-v lost power while on the highway. Which could’ve been a safety issue had she not known what to do. We limped it to Honda dealership. They say it was a blown head gasket. The blown head gasket caused the turbo to fail. This is a known issue on the 2017-2022 Honda 1.5 turbocharged engine. Top all that off we already replaced the turbo 4 months prior to the head gasket go... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

6.2 V8 while operating threw multiple error codes, went into crawl mode unexpectedly.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

The coolant leaked into the engine specifically regarding cylinder 3. Not available due to being at the Ford Dealership. I was driving and my engine started giving out. My car was shaking while driving and when pressing the gas peddle it was giving not. It then refused to move and I had to pull over. It was confirmed by my local ford dealership and inspected at the dealership. The check engine lig... 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

Read more from our blog