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
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On 06/26/26, while traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power in active traffic due to a blown out/melted Cylinder 4 ignition coil. This unexpected engine failure forced raw fuel into the exhaust system, causing an immediate internal thermal meltdown of the catalytic converter, rendering the vehicle entirely undriveable and creating a severe highw... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
I believe I had a lifter failure as I was traveling up SR 393. Safety issue as vehicle lost power. Vehicle is at dealership now and confirmed possible lifter collapse. No dashboard lights were on or any power issues prior.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
Engine misfiring and low compression
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
While driving, my vehicle's check engine light came on and the vehicle entered limp mode without warning. It would not exceed 25 MPH and was stuck in 2WD, displaying the message "reduced engine power – take vehicle to nearest dealer." This created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle could not maintain safe speed in traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The Lexus dealer diag... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE PHEV
(2022) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
(Transmission and motor) I had taken my car to the dealership on XXX for recalls and all the signal were fine before going there. They took my car back to do the recalls and my son and I waited . Once they were done we left closer to closing time is noticed there was a burn mark on my dash board that wasn’t there before the recalls. Going forward on the way home. We were waved down by a man stat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
Pcv failed causing rough idle, etc light and squeezing sound
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Add oil to engine" message was displayed. The vehicle was driven to an AutoZone within two minutes and turned off. Upon inspection of the engine oil level, the contact observed that the dipstick was completely dry. The dealer was notified of the issue, and an appointment was scheduled for ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2026
I own a 2018 Honda Odyssey EX-L (VIN [XXX]). The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and entered limp mode, with multiple safety and driver-assistance systems shutting down at once (adaptive cruise, braking assist, lane/road departure mitigation, EPS, etc.). A Honda dealer (Allen Honda, College Station, TX) retrieved DTC P0369 and documented that the front camshaft is worn and has thrust fo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
I own a 2021 GMC Sierra AT4 3.0L Duramax (VIN [XXX]). The vehicle has codes P1098 (Coolant Control Valve Performance) and P129F which coincides with the first code. My dealer believes this is consistent with an Engine Coolant Control Valve failure. I understand Special Coverage XXX exists for this issue, but I've been told my VIN is not included. My truck has the exact engine, symptoms, and diagno... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I had a recall serviced on a Friday which was completed by the dealership. My car sat all weekend and was not driven until Monday AM which was fine. After work, there were several warning lights that popped up and it was making a terrible noise. I was unable to drive home and had to have my car towed to the dealership. Following there inspection, my engine had to be replaced due to a known issu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Engine oil pressure light came on and then the driver train malfunction light. Car at 113k miles and upon checking the timing chain was damage and now engine locked
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The affected component is the powertrain system in my 2020 Ford EcoSport. The vehicle has experienced repeated powertrain-related failures and is available for inspection upon request. In May 2025, the vehicle required a full engine replacement, yet I am continuing to experience serious powertrain-related issues. The vehicle has displayed powertrain malfunction warnings and has experienced improp... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe structural head gasket failure causing coolant to flood the combustion chambers. This results in violent engine stalling, limp mode, and complete loss of propulsion while driving at highway speeds, creating a severe traffic hazard. The manufacturer is actively tracking this conjoined cylinder failure but refusing to issue a safety recall for the defective engi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
Exhaust bolts broken. Exhaust leak and loud ticking noise and smell
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Hyundai Campaign 9C2 recall update: Took my vehicle in to have the Hyundai Campaign 9C2 recall update performed on the vehicle on June 9th, 2026. Since the update the vehicle is hesitant/jerky upon first drive of the day or anytime it sits more than a few hours. Occasionally it will do this while I am driving. I feel it is a saftey risk because this could cause my vehicle to abruptly hesitate wit... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2026) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I was driving at normal highway speed. I exited the highway and started to deceleration for an upcoming traffic light. The engine started making a lot of noise. The 6.2L engine has 31k miles on it. Oil changes have been completed at the dealership where I purchased the sierra Denali. I called the dealership and the service writer could hear the engine noise. He asked if I could get it to the deale... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the engine shut off without warning. The vehicle failed to restart as intended, leaving the driver stranded in the middle of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. A police officer noticed that the contact was in distress and assisted in pushing the vehicle into the nearby parking lot. The veh... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Acura Integra. The contact stated that after pulling into a self-service car wash vacuum bay, the contact started drying the vehicle. The contact dried both the passenger-side front and rear doors, the trunk and the driver-side rear door. While drying the driver-side front door, the vehicle suddenly moved unintendedly about 15 ft. The contact grabbed the door frame and was ... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
While driving the vehicle it lost power and all the check lights came on. Had to have it towed to a dealership where they stated it needed a new motor and new high voltage battery. The car has only 116000 miles on it. There should be a total recall for this type of vehicle if I would have been at a higher speed I would have injured myself or others. This car is riddled with problems and has over 1... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
On July 2nd, I was actively driving my 2015 Ram 1500 equipped with the 5.7L Hemi V8 gas engine. The vehicle is completely factory-stock with zero aftermarket electronics, wiring modifications, or accessories. While operating the truck, the dashboard instrument cluster suddenly began flickering wildly, indicating a severe voltage drop or electrical system failure. Immediately following the flickeri... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine/powertrain failed. The vehicle is a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine. The engine developed a severe knocking noise and loss of power at approximately 5,545 miles. The vehicle was taken to the GM dealership, where an engine replacement was approved. The failed engine/c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
A month or so ago my car had a rough idle and the mechanic couldn't figure out why. Then last week my car lost power on the interstate, during rush hour. I'm lucky I didn't cause an accident as the loss of power was so sudden and all the traffic around me. Somehow I was able to safely pull over on the shoulder. I had my car towed and the mechanic found that the flex plate had failed and is cracked... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
I was stopped at a red stop light waiting to turn left when my 2025 Acura MDX engine auto-stopped per the auto-stop feature. When the light turned green, I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas. The engine did not auto-start and displayed a message on the dash telling me to depress the brake and press the ignition button to continue driving. I did this several times, each time the das... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
The engine lifters and camshaft started to fail at 114,000 miles. I had to have it repaired at a dealership and it cost over $10,000. I had completed all recommended maintenance prior to the failure. 500 miles after that repair was completed, my transmission overheated and completely left me stranded on the side of the road. I had to have it repaired at a dealership which cost $$8,000
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
Knocking noise coming from engine. Only 1900 miles
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The Auto Idle Stop system in the truck has become an issue with the vehicle stalling out (sometimes) when I hold the brake pedal. I have to then put the car into Park to restart the engine. This has been a safety issue when I'm driving in heavy traffic and the truck stalls and I can't move forward with the other vehicles. I have taken my truck to the Honda dealer and they could not reproduce the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
This is from dealership “found customers concern of engine light is on and ticking noise found cylinder 4 lifters to be collapsed causing the exhaust gasses to be trapped in the cylinder causing the cylinder wall to dry out and leaving scratches on the cylinder wall recommend replacing motor due to this problem at this time”
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
The vehicle had been throwing different Electrical Codes for several months around August through December 2025. The last code it through was an engine management system error. On December 22nd 2025 the car caught fire in the engine and exploded while parked in the driveway. Fire investigators are leaning towards in electrical issue in the engine. I currently have an additional 2025 Kia Telluride... Read more
Fire
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle made an abnormal chugging sound and was losing motive power. The contact had received four recall notification letters for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2025
transmission, skipping and shuttering and according to dealership not catching gear occurs during slow speeds. When in drive car will roll backwards and when in reverse car will roll forward. Transmission runs high until gear catches. Engine will then go in to neutral until clutch catches.in according to dealership repair will cost $7000-$11,000. i was told this is unusual. And none of it is c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
Subject: Urgent Drivability Concern – 2024 Hyundai Tucson (6/22 Incident) Vehicle: 2024 Hyundai Tucson Date of Incident: XXX Trip Details: [XXX] to [XXX] (~160+ miles) Summary of Issue: During a long-distance drive on XXX, the vehicle experienced severe and consistent drivability issues that created unsafe driving conditions. Symptoms Observed: •Severe loss of acceleration / stalling behavior ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2026) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
After 95000 miles engine service light came on, dealer service team says it is being caused by coolant intrusion into cylinder 1, The repair is to replace the engine block at a cost of approx. $10,000. The is a lot of information available the indicates the issue is related to a well documented design flaw in the open-deck block design used in the 2017 engine making it prone to stress fractures,... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
I was driving my family on the highway and my truck completely shut down. The screen flashed a warning and it slowly started decelerating. Thankfully I was able to make it to the shoulder of the road safely. Engine failure was a known safety issue with my model of truck, but I completed the L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion safety recall testing on 9/18/2025 and was assured my engine passed the tes... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2023) - ENGINE
Jul 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
My 2020 Lincoln Nautilus has an intermittent jerk during light acceleration with no diagnostic codes. This was confirmed when I had a professional mechanic drive it.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Unknown. There were a multitude of codes that appeared on the diagnostics causing problems with engine. The temperature, brake, tire sensor lights are all on. The cruise control is not working. White smoke emitting from tail pipe and engine. Main engine coolant leaking. Car overheating rapidly.
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 350 4MATIC
(2022) - ENGINE
Jul 6, 2026
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
I bought my 2019 BMW X3 late 2025 before Christmas. The Carfax was fine and there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had been serviced regularly at BMW facilities. Our family mechanic looked at the vehicle before I bought it and performed some basic diagnostics. The vehicle appeared fine. There were no error codes and all of the fluids were topped off. I don't know if the issues with... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
"While attempting to merge onto a high-speed freeway on-ramp, the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic loss of engine power, rendering it unable to accelerate and creating an immediate life-threatening safety hazard. The vehicle was restarte and driven home, where an onboard diagnostic check revealed an emissions system failure. The dealership later confirmed that BOTH close-coupled catalyti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
I own a 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV equipped with GM's 6.2L L87 V8 engine. The recall remedy for GM Safety Recall N252494000 (NHTSA Campaign No. 25V-274) was completed on April 17, 2026, at approximately 48,905 miles. Only approximately 2,347 miles later, on June 15, 2026, at approximately 51,252 miles, the engine experienced a severe malfunction while I was driving with passengers. Without warn... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
While driving vehicle on a highway exit ramp, the engine suddenly failed. There were no warning lights, messages, noises, or other signs before it happened. The vehicle lost power and became undrivable, which was scary and dangerous because I was still on the road near highway traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership inspected it and said the engine had failed. I was... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
While driving, the brakes became hard and the vehicle was difficult to stop. The brake pedal required excessive force, brake assist was reduced, and the stopping distance increased, creating a serious safety hazard. The check engine light had been illuminated for approximately two years before the brake failure occurred. In January 2024, I reported brake-related concerns to a Chevrolet dealership ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
My engine seemed to be consuming oil way to much I had to do a oil change at 61,000 recommend by tire plus but at 58,000 is when I had to change my oil I also noticed there is a buring smell and its also been leaking oil at times I went to get it checked out by a mechanic at tireplus but they also they are seeing that the oil consumption was not normal and they recommend a possible recall for it b... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2020) - ENGINE
Jul 6, 2026
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Since purchase of my 1500 Sierra 6.2L on 10FEB2021, the vehicle has always appeared to burn an excessive amount of oil which is consistent with GM’s 6.2L engines and has created safety issues leading to sweeping recalls on this engine model from 2021-2024. I have been informed that the engine was consistently down 2+ qts of oil at every recommended oil change (approximately every 5000mi) althoug... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
I was driving on the highway and my transmission due to a failed transmission service done to my vehicle caused my vehicle’s transmission to overheat a blowout my transmission cooler and mix coolant and transmission fluid unknown to me because of a clogged transmission cooler line improperly flushed instead of replaced by the Patrick Hyundai dealership there could’ve been and electrical fire o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
A misfire code came up. Had plugs done.. didn’t solve problem now blowing white smoke burning antifreeze. Head gaskets bad. We just bought this 2019 7 months ago. And it only had 68,000 miles on it now 71000 miles on it. We thought we would get the newer better vehicle and having engine problem in a car that we paid 22000 dollars for. Going to be an expensive fix on a problem that shouldn’t ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
Driving anywhere in general and which ever speed my gas would leak and smell would over take the car and I have a [XXX] and [XXX] babies. This is not the first but the third recall and this is a fire hazard I can’t imagine my car going in flames while we’re already suffering with a leaking gas smell every time we drive the car I can loose my whole family I will soon being filing a lawsuit agai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
I am writing regarding my 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe (VIN [XXX]), which has been out of service since January 2026 as a direct result of a manufacturer safety recall involving the high-voltage battery (Safety Recall 68C). The vehicle became inoperable because of this recall-related issue and has remained at the dealership ever since. Since that time, Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Stellantis en... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
While stopped at a traffic light my vehicle went into auto engine idle stop mode. When the light turned green, I removed my foot from the break, but the engine failed to restart. I had to shift the car to park and fully restart the engine.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
The suv had a coolant loss. After checking the oil it smelled like antifreeze and the antifreeze container smelled of gas mixed with antifreeze
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The vehicle suffered a sudden Drivetrain Malfunction and severe engine overheating while driving, resulting in a physically snapped camshaft and extensive iron shaving contamination in the oil pan (catastrophic engine failure).Ten months ago, an authorized dealership performed the official BMW Water Pump Safety Recall (NHTSA Campaign 24V608000). The vehicle has an active history of drivetrain malf... Read more