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
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2018) - ENGINE
Jul 16, 2026
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
While I was driving my Theta engine got seized and Hyundai denied extended warranty of power train.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Premier Ford, Service Advisor: Harry). Ford Motor Company’s Consumer Affairs Department subsequently reviewed the case under Complaint ID: XXX. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaus... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
My vehicle over the last 3-4 years has been showing P0101 code errors, resulting in issues with idle, performance, and fuel economy. Cleaning the MAF sensor does nothing. This causes all sensors to turn off and stay off until the car is subsequently turned off again. I have taken it in to Nissan to be inspected and refuse to pay over $500 just for them to diagnose the issue. Have seen this also be... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Engine experienced mass, sudden oil consumption with no warning of any sort, resulting in significant engine damage. Oil had been changed apx 800 miles prior to incident, and vehicle showed no signs of leaks or oil consumption following the oil change. No oil leaks or wetness were found around oil filter or drain plug. Vehicle drove perfectly fine one day, and when started to leave a store it bega... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, parts to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The vehicle was n... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop at a stop sign, the vehicle started shaking violently, with an unknown flashing warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with a lifter failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was covered under warran... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
I was driving my 2021 Nissan Rogue on the highway, returning from the airport after picking up a friend, when the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began jerking on acceleration. The vehicle lost power and would only move very slowly, leaving me traveling well below highway speed in active traffic. This created an extremely dangerous situation, as surrounding vehicles were approaching... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The primary failure is in the Engine/Powertrain system and Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), causing 6 identical sudden engine stalls (OBD-II code P1326) from 09/2000 to 06/2026. Additionally, severe excessive oil consumption was documented during 2 of these diagnostic visits, showing deep-seated engine issues. The vehicle and all records are available for inspection at the Hyundai dealer. Sa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
The warming lights for different items come on at random. Examples :Low washer fluid, gas cap open, speedometer digital speed not showing.
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it was started, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was turned off to stop the smoking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
My vehicle experienced severe stalling, rough idling, and a strong burning smell, which match the exact defect characteristics outlined in NHTSA Campaign 26V080 for Nissan main bearing failure (The year 2026 campaign is active). The vehicle was towed to a Nissan dealership, where technicians confirmed the engine requires complete replacement. However, the dealership is currently attempting to attr... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2024) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
On XXX I was driving from [XXX] to my sister's house in [XXX]. I was relocating to [XXX] for a job. I was pulling a U-haul trailer (6x12) that contained significantly less weight than the truck can handle. About halfway there, on back roads, the truck suddenly slowed significantly and the gas pedal was unresponsive. The light in the dashboard read Reduced Acceleration - Drive with caution. Pulled... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
SYSTEMIC POWERTRAIN SAFETY DEFECT: Catastrophic Loss of Propulsion & Failure of Dual-Motor Redundancy. 1. Incident & Safety Risk: While traveling in the far-left HOV lane of a 6-lane interstate highway, the vehicle experienced an uncommanded, unwarranted Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) intervention during a controlled lane change. This sudden deceleration instantly triggered a complete powertra... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was covered under an unknown recall repai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
My 2024 Wrangler 4xe has 27,000 miles on it. On Friday, 7/10/2026 around 7:00 in the morning the check engine light came on. I immediately called the dealer to set up an appointment and they could not get me in until 7/15/2026. At about 9:30am that day when I was pulling a small trailer the battery light also came as I was driving on the interstate. As soon as I exited and slowed down, the car... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My 2015 AcuraMDX engine seized while driving creating an unsafe condition as it occurred on a busy roadway. I suspect a rod bearing failure. It has been reported to Honda. The same parts listed in the 2015 RDX recall are used in my MDX but the 2015 is not part of the recall. My engine had a knock and had taken it for inspection at an independent Honda specialist. I had learned that the recall cove... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
An engine lifter broke in my 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 (6.2 liter) and it bent a push rod. The truck was towed to the dealership where it was purchased. They replace all the lifters on the failed side and the bent push rod. The reason I am reporting this is because it happened at a very unfortunate time and could have resulted in a major accident if the engine would have seized. I was turning ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
9/25/25 My truck accelerated on its own, in drive, while turning and a downhill situation. It revved high, about 2000 RPM but I was able to pull over to get it in park to stop revving, and turned it off. It restarted and when I arrived to work that trip, it did the same in reverse while trying to park. Had to hold brake hard to get truck to stop. Took to dealer did who did SW update to transmissi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
I have an engine failure at 99k miles. The car is in pristine condition inside out. Oil changes are done every 5k miles. Without any warning, check engine light or any indication from the car's computer, the engine just failed while driving. It sounded like there was something grinding inside the engine. The truck was towed to Honda dealer and they said I need a new engine replacement. They found ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
am filing a formal complaint regarding my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali, which experienced a catastrophic engine failure while I was driving on the highway with my family. The sudden failure created a dangerous situation, placing both my family and me at significant risk. As a result of the breakdown, I was forced to pay $260 out of pocket to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. After inspecting the... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
Multiple times when stopped at a stop light, the vehicle will stall and die. Car requires restarting ignition to run. A mechanic believes it is the fuel injector system (either defective or worn) that is causing these stall issues. This is a safety problem as I was almost hit several times by other cars on the road.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
When the vehicle is at a stoplight or stop sign, the engine regularly shuts off. The engine does not automatically restart and sometimes it takes several minutes to restart the engine, leaving the car blocking traffic at a light. This happens REPEATEDLY and often.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
While driving we noticed the engine light came on so we took it to our local mechanic. He said we were leaking coolant and it was too extensive fro him to fix so he suggested we put coolant in every few days. We researched the problem and found that these cars had a recall for this exact issue yet our VIN does not show it. We went to Ford Dealership and they confirmed we need a new engine as the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over safely. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode after a while. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
There is coolant intrusion into the cyl. It is a known concern and many complaints on line. Lincoln refuses to assist in the engine repair or replacement. Going down the road the engine misses and looses power causing difficulty controlling vehicle causing unsafe conditions for all traffic.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Engine failure at random while operating. Dealership stated vehicle blew engine block fuse and crankshaft is now seized.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2008) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
For several months now, car has been misfiring, skipping and going into limp mode. Spark plugs replaced and issue went away for about 2 months. Issue has resurfaced and took it to Honda dealership where I purchased vehicle to run a diagnostic test. Informed to resolve the issue need fuel injectors replacement, spark plug replacements, coolant reservoir is empty and to top it off, need a head gaske... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2026
On Monday, June 29, 2026, I was getting off the New Jersey Garden State Parkway. I was halfway down the exit ramp and the engine and the engine just stopped. I coasted to the bottom of the exit ramp and luckily had just enough shoulder to pull over to get out of traffic. Once stopped, I attempted to start my 2026 Chevy Silverado, but all attempts at starting the engine were fruitless, as the engin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
This vehicle has just over 18,000 miles on it and is 14 months old. It has a manufacturer design defect that allows small stones or birds to hit and puncture the air conditioning condenser. It is a known defect and Toyota refuses to warranty their product, forcing the consumer to pay out of pocket $1,500-$1,700 for repairs. Oddly, the sister Lexus vehicle has a screen over the condenser to prev... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2026) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jun 29, 2026
My vehicle was inspected as part of the 6.2 engine recall and passed. 3 months later the engine stopped. Had to get towed and get a new engine
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
I had my cylinder heads, valves and head gasket replaced over a year ago and drove 15k miles and i am having the same issues again. The Dealer is trying there very best not to honor my valid powertrain parts warranty like saying the head gasket is only covered for 12 months and denying my claim but my cylinder heads and top end have a 3 year 100k mile warranty since they were installed not to long... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
I own a 2026 Honda Odyssey Elite. On multiple occasions, the Auto Idle Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a traffic light. When I released the brake pedal to proceed, the engine failed to restart, leaving the vehicle disabled in traffic. I was forced to shift the vehicle into Park and manually restart the engine using the Start/Stop button. This defect has occurred multiple times. I... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
My 2017 Acura TLX stalled dangerously on the highway due to an unexpected fuel delivery failure, creating an immediate traffic hazard. Hiley Acura of Fort Worth diagnosed the vehicle with code P0087 (Low Fuel Rail Pressure) and confirmed it needs a new low-pressure fuel pump assembly for $1,540.62. They also pulled code P0430 (Catalyst System Efficiency) showing my front catalytic converter has fa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
I own a 2016 Honda Pilot with 75k miles on it. The engine has started knocking and i have taken it to an official Honda dealership and i have been told there is a problem with the rod bearing in the engine. I know there have been a mass recall on Honda Pilots due to this very issue but apparently mine is not included in the recall even though the issue is the exact same as the ones stated in the r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
My vehicle overheated due to a cracked rear engine coolant pipe. The vehicle is out of warranty and has been inoperable since August 2025 due to repair cost.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I was driving on US Hwy 89 in Arizona when the engine lost power at 60mph and was unable to restart after pulling over to the shoulder of the highway. There were no warning lights or indicators whatsoever. When the vehicle came to a stop, the entire dashboard lit up and the engine cut out while the vehicle was still on. Mechanic diagnostic found a thrown bearing and total engine failure due to low... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
My engine recently overheated due to cracked front coolant crossover pipe. The dealership indicated that this is a common problem with Range Rover vehicles.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor inside and outside vehicle. The check engine, TPMS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Fit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Check Charging System" warning light illuminated. Additionally, the engine start button intermittently failed to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was initially diagnosed with battery failure. However, the failure persisted after the battery was replaced. A d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The cylinder head on this 2018 Mazda CX-9 (Skyactiv-G 2.5T engine) cracked, allowing engine coolant to leak and intermix with engine oil, causing loss of coolant and catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle became undriveable in the first week of November 2025 at approximately 125,019 miles and has remained inoperable since; it was not in a crash and had to be towed. This matches a known, documen... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
6/4/26 Took to dealer and stated that the check engine light was on and car was running sluggish. Had stopped at Autozone and their scan showed the code P0102. The dealer charged me 259.00 to do a diagnostic showing the same thing. 6/26/26 Back to the dealer with the same problem and now they stated they replaced the Compressor Air Intake Turbocharger and Install Vacuum Tank Kit. I had the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
After coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or stop light, then trying to go, the vehicle will stall. It will not go when given gas. The first time it happened, I was at a busy intersection with oncoming traffic coming towards me with the pedal to the floor, nothing would happen for 5-10 seconds. It was terrifying. Thank god the car coming towards us went around in time. It then happened again ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The vehicle experienced an internal engine failure involving the engine block/long block. The engine had a multi-cylinder misfire, and an independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and found coolant traces in multiple cylinders. The repair facility referenced Ford TSB 22-2133 and recommended replacement of the engine long block to correct the issue. The failed engine is not currently availa... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The car entered a failed ICCU state (not confirmed until the car was looked at by Hyundai at the dealership) while I was driving down to Ano Nuevo regional park. Received a warning on the dash that said that electrical system has failed and to pull over. It restricted me from going over 10 mph on Highway 1 and I eventually pulled over the side of the road and got towed to the dealership. The ca... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
Jeff Smith Kia in Perry was doing the maintenance they went out of business Kia Hutchinson I told several employees more than once that I was having problems the car would slowly shut down and cut off start then stop on the hey I had to call tow trucks have rentals there was a chainsaw sound underneath had to constantly place oil in the car Kia Never contacted me about a recall the dealerships ne... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
Oil consumption is extremely high this vehicle burns way to much oil in short amount of time. Oil has to be added every 300 to 400 miles and there are no leaks present
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Piston ring went bad causing catastrophic engine failure. Now needs new motor. Only had 62k miles. It had been burning oil but was taken to the dealership for maintenance and they didn’t report anything.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The vehicle experienced a catastrophic engine compartment fire while safely parked inside an employment parking garage in [XXX] on XXX, at approximately 3:04 PM. I was physically sitting inside the vehicle cabin when heavy smoke suddenly began pouring out from the engine bay. I immediately evacuated the vehicle for my safety. Within moments, the smoke escalated into an active, un-contained fire th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the message "Severe Damage Alert" was displayed on the instrument panel. The accelerator pedal was depressed and the auto idle stop feature engaged, and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
My car is consuming too much oil. I am going through almost 2 qts per 1,000 miles. Combustion cleaning and consumption test have been completed with no fix to the problem.