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: May 28, 2026

Started up vehicle, and (all the bashboard warning lights illuminated),tsa,check engine light,power steering, brake lights.....all of them. Doors won't lock, and the raido stays on, even when the vehicle is completely turned off. Vehicle purchased on:12/02/2024. 3 miles on the odometer. Currently 14,000 miles.. honda corporation attempting not honor the warranty. $8400 dollars, to fix,and to conta... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The Core Symptoms: "The high-pressure fuel pump is leaking internally. Raw gasoline is flooding into the engine oil crankcase, causing severe fuel dilution. The engine air filter is physically soaked in raw fuel and smells strongly of gasoline." My engine is always extremely hot after I have only went 15 mins away from home. Sometimes takes over two hours to cool down. The Safety Risk: "When att... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

DRIVING A 2024 MERCEDES C300 ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE IN THE LEFT LANE AT 70 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN. WHILE THE VEHICLE SLOWED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I WAS ABLE TO MERGE TO THE OUTSIDE LANE WHERE IT STOPPED. I CALLED MERCEDES EMERGENCY WHO SUGGESTED WAITING A WHILE AND TRY STARTING THE VEHICLE . AFTER A FEW MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALERS COMP... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

the coolant is leaking in the cylinder and white smoke coming from exaust

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

An authorized dealership performed a mandatory manufacturer safety recall repair on my vehicle for the Engine Oil Pump Belt and Tensioner (Ford Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Campaign 23V-905). While performing this specific recall, the initial facility negligently compromised the cooling system and created a severe leak, directly causing complete and total engine destruction. A subsequent independent diagn... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

Check engine light came on and car was out of oil even though an oil change was done about a month ago. Catalytic converter was replaced once already. Per mechanic excess heat caused out to leak catalytic converter needs replacing again and now engine is damaged as all engine oil leaks out where it cannot be detected on ground. Danger of fire according to recall sc176 and mechanic. Car was smoki... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

When stopped at a red light today, our minivan's Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system stopped the engine with the brakes depressed (as advertised). Once the light turned green, the driver released the brake to re-engage the motor, but the starter did no restart the minivan and a battery light flashed on. The start button had to be pressed several (~4) times to get the motor to restart and to turn the batte... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

On June 22, 2026, my Chevy Silverado was inoperable and had to be towed to the Chevy dealership. After a period of examination by the service staff, it was deemed to have experienced CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. My truck has the 6.2L engine, but was NOT included in the original recall. It had just been serviced on 6/19/2026 and was only driven approx. 20 miles to my home. I have a video of wha... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

Mild hybrid vehicle that was purchased 4/20/2026. Volvo service states incident on 06/10/2026 was caused by vehicle running overnight in enclosed garage. Volvo also states that cause was due to item inserted into drivers seatbelt buckle. No warnings posted regarding this would cause the vehicle to turn on once car was parked and driver door shut and run continuously throughout the night in an encl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2026

There is a recall associated with this model that causes catastrophic stoppage without any ability to drive. My vehicle VIN does not have a recall according to your site. Despite this, my vehicle catastrophically stopped multiple times. It was repaired at least three times and still stopped in the middle of the highway. My partner and I were stopped on I-85S with no ability to move, honk, put on h... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2026

Unable to accelerate, dangerous when getting on highway or driving up hills

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

Hybrid battery has a failed cell. It was confirmed by BMW diagnostics but BMW refused to repair/replace failed cell even though it was under full 8yr/80k mile warranty. BMW claimed it as wear and tear, even though 1 out of 5 cells completely failed. The failure caused the car to run at reduced speeds causing others cars around me on the freeway to be in danger as all of sudden I am unable to rea... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

2021 Volkswagen Atlas, VIN [XXX], approximately 116,000 miles. Vehicle developed a cylinder failure requiring full cylinder replacement. Following replacement, compression remains abnormally low, specifically on cylinders #4 and #6 (approximately 90 PSI). Mechanic diagnosed significant carbon buildup on the piston rings as the cause of the persistent low compression, and confirmed this diagnosis v... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

Oil low pressure,oil pump is not working

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

My daughter was driving my 2016 Honda Pilot EX when loud rattling noise came from engine compartment. The vehicle lost power and display warning lights came on. She pulled over and shut off the vehicle since the rattling noise was very loud. Vehicle was towed to an independent shop and the technician from the shop confirmed engine malfunction and found large metal bits in the oil. I had the vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The high pressure fuel pump seized, shattering the camshaft, dropping metal fragments into the cylinders causing total engine failure. GM issued a safety recall for certain 2021-2022 Chevy equinox due to a defective fuel pump modules but it was not accurate. GM is currently facing major class action lawsuits alleging that their equinox fuel pumps are fundamentally defective. The lawsuits highlight... Read more

Incident date: Nov 30, 2024

Reduced engine powers caused by turbo charger underboost, at 91200 miles.

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

This has been addressed by the dealer once before and the starter was replaced, however the problem is happening again. The auto start/idle feature will not start the car back up while stopped on occasion. For instance, yesterday while stopped at a red light the auto idle/start feature kicked in, as expected. When releasing the brake to drive when the light turned green the car beeped and would no... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I was driving down the road and the car turns off. Everything turns off, no lights, no nothing and it won't crank again. And then I had to call a wrecker truck and the oil was on top of the motor and back of the tailpipe. I couldn't even get it out of the road. I am so thankful my granddaughter was not in there And I'm glad I wasn't on the interstate cuz if I was that would have been bad

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

was stopped at a red light. When the traffic light turned green, I pressed the accelerator to proceed through the intersection, but my vehicle did not respond or accelerate immediately. After several seconds, the vehicle finally began to move. This unexpected delay created a safety concern because I was unable to accelerate when traffic began moving.Which caused built up traffic and an almost wrec... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

I was in an active car wash and the truck stalled and engaged Auto-park and I was nearly hit by the car behind me in the car wash.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I'm not sure if they've pulled it out yet. They said two weeks to get motor. Engine started shaking and then started knocking. Had wrecker take it to GMC dealer they said it needs an engine. It is a 2021 6.2 carbon pro 1500 Sierra AT4 it did not come up on recall list and I don't know why? it obviously the same problem.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

A.The engine is stalling while driving. This has happened four different times. Three times while towing, and one time while backing up a small hill. This is a scary situation because three of the four times almost caused an accident. 1.We were driving to Texas, pulling a pontoon boat. While exiting the highway, we were entering into an intersection at a speed of about 10 miles per hour, and the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

My 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe has been subject to four safety recalls in the ten months I have owned it, three involving vehicle fire risk: 56C/25V-527 (TPMS, completed), 68C/25V-741 (high-voltage battery cell separator damage/fire risk, completed), 78C/25V-766 (casting sand contamination of the engine), and 21D/26V-363 (electric hydraulic power steering pump overheating/fire risk). Recall 78C was an... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

Tried passing someone on the thruway, as I was about to the car jerked a bit then started decelerating. The check engine light started flashing and so did the oil light. Read the code as cylinder 3 misfire and a knock sensor. Changed the spark plugs and coil packs then checked the oil and saw there was no oil in the engine. Was told by my mechanic it’s a common problem with these Hyundai engines... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

The idle start stop system on my 2024 Honda Odyssey sometimes works, and then other times will leave me stranded at a stoplight, making it a grave safety concern. After the engine does not restart you have to turn the car completely off put it in park turn it all the way back on and then continue driving. This is not related to any of the climate controls being onto high or energy being consumed. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

Intermittent Misfire of cylinder 1, service engine light is on, coolant level goes low very fast and needs to be added often. white smoke from exhaust.

Incident date: Apr 14, 2024

The vehicle experiences dangerous, unexpected engine stalling immediately following an Auto Idle Stop event. Upon coming to a complete stop at intersections, the engine shuts off as designed, but fails to automatically restart when the brake pedal is released. The vehicle completely locks up, leaving my family stranded in live traffic and requiring a manual reset of the ignition, which takes time ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

The car was driving on the highway and out of nowhere the car just stopped in the middle of the highway. I brought it to my mechanic who said the car was rapidly consuming oil and my cars engine was seizing. and he safely brought me and the car to Atlantic Hyundai where I had bought the car to have them diagnose and fix the issue. After several days they diagnosed the issue as a simple oil pan iss... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding the positive battery terminal fuse block (battery terminal/fusible link assembly) on my 2022 Kia Sportage. The component is currently installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle in 2024, when it was only about two years old. Because of the vehicle's age, I did not expect to experience major electrical prob... Read more

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

I was driving down [XXX] from my house.My engine light started to flash.I tried to accelerate my car barely went 10 miles an hour.I got Home 2 minutes later.There was major knocking.I had the car towed to [XXX], Hyundai, the only code that is showing up on the diagnostics, is P1326 there is an open class action lawsuit for this exact code. For the rod bearing failure, Hyundai is denying the claim,... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

To start, I had to replace the engine in my 2024 Legacy that I purchased brand new in June 2024. Subaru of America handled the situation incredibly poorly, I was unable to use any warranty and I was out over 6,000 dollars. Second, my passenger airbag light has been on since September 2024. I was told to replace the sensor the whole seat rail would need replaced and would be over 1000 dollars. Appa... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

This vehicle’s windows dull out and side mirrors get brown and orange spots on them. Seat Belts won’t hold your seat belt and can sometimes pop out while going down the road. It sets off the seat belt alarm and you have to keep trying to get it back in. There’s a Recall for some 2017 models, but this one doesn’t fall under the recall but has the same issues for the Engine cooling fan. El... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

my 2023 cadillac escalade esv, was having issues when it had about 50-60 k miles, when it was in park hen shift to reverse it would jerk all the time, also my engine started to act up as well, I took it to the cadillac dealer and like always could not identify the problem, when the had the recall or engine put thicker oil, like that was going to resolve the problem well my engine started to misfir... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Our Edge has the Ford known coolant leak issue. When we talked with Ford, they flat out refused to help in any way. Buying a bottle of coolant about every month and a half now until funds are raised for the new engine/long block.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Engine self destructed while driving on the highway. Lot of smoke and the car came to a stop pretty quickly. Oil and coolant dumped out of the bottom.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

This is my 2nd Volvo xc90. Both models have turbo issues that is costly repairs. Volvo dealership also stated that turbo repairs usually are an issue in Volvo. My first Volvo was 2016 which had a turbo issue. Now my 2022 is now in shop due to turbo and oil spills on inside. There should be a recall.

Incident date: Oct 18, 2025

While driving my 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the front electric drive unit failed suddenly with no warning signs, warning lights, unusual noises, or any prior indication of a problem. During the failure, multiple fault messages appeared on the instrument cluster, including warnings that disabled adaptive cruise control and indicated the all-wheel-drive system was no longer functioning. The vehicle b... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

EGR needs to be replaced as this is a major engine issue

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SEL (1.6L EcoBoost) Approximate current Mileage: 134,646 miles System: Engine / Engine Cooling / Powertrain Incident Description: I am filing this complaint to report a severe and systemic safety defect regarding the 1.6L EcoBoost engine in my 2013 Ford Escape. The vehicle is experiencing catastrophic internal coolant intrusion, a known defect where coolant leaks past t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Four times in 18 months, with the most recent happening last month and today, I was at a stoplight and turned my manual idle off. The light changed and the car would not move despite me stepping on the gas. It told me to restart the car which I did but the first attempt didn’t work to restart. After a few minutes I tried restarting again and it struggled but did. I was very worried as there was ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

This is a third occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893 and 11750183. On July 15, 2026, at approximately 7:30-7:42 AM, while driving to a scheduled Ford service appointment, the vehicle exhibited hesitation and delayed acceleration at multiple intersections, not isolated to one location. Although the vehicle's auto start-stop feature has been manually disabled, the hesitation at each stop ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Engine blew up while my daughter was driving due to excessive oil consumption. Issue known by Volvo but we bought the car in 2023 and the 8year warranty recall was just about to expire and we knew nothing about it. Very dangerous

Incident date: May 16, 2026

The engine consumes a massive amount of oil to where I have to check my oil constantly and refill as often as weekly. This can pose a risk to myself and others due to the engine failing while I am driving. I am sure other issues can come from an engine running out of soil that I’m not aware of.

Incident date: Jun 23, 2026

My car went into limp mode on the high way due to a faulty knock sensor. my car decelerated rapidly, which could have put me and others around me at risk. I had to repair this problem on my own even though other cars similar to my make and model have had the same issue.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was idling abnormally rough. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine, steering. Purchased the car from a certified dealership in January 2026. After 3 months of driving, the car began exhibiting performance issues. During a normal acceleration pattern, the car would go into a ‘limp mode’ where all dashboard lights would turn on and the car’s performance ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

I am reporting a potential safety issue involving my 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited X. The vehicle developed a condition in which it would not stay running. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Jeep dealership, Valley Motor City in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for a scheduled service appointment on May 19, 2026. The dealership diagnosed and completed approximately $5,200 in repairs. On June 11, 2026,... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2022

I have replaced the GDI engine on the 2017 Hyundai Accent once. I have also had the catalytic converter replaced 3x. The car lunges as if there will be another catalytic converter issue soon. Hyuandi recommended a fuel induction completion to prevent the issue from occurring again, but it did. This is a safety issue because the car and stall out at any given time. The cause of this issue has yet... 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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