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: Jun 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Audi A5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated without warning to approximately 20 MPH. The contact activated the hazard lights and safely maneuvered the vehicle onto the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle remained stopped for approximately five minutes before restarting the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
The turbo failed by reducing speed all a sudden when I was driving on the freeway. Got the problem repaired and not even a month later same thing is happening again.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
The vehicle experiences a constant cooling system failure that appears to be related to the thermostat. Beginning at approximately 40,000 miles, the engine cooling fan started running continuously at high speed whenever the vehicle is operating. At the same time, the air conditioning stopped functioning properly and the vehicle began displaying a warning message indicating that steering assist is ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
My 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali with L87 6.2L V8 suffered a catastrophic, silent seizure at 108,000 miles. Driving at highway speeds, warning light stating shift to neutral and press start, engine completely shut off and would not turn back on. I was in the car with my 3 children about to make a turn across a 4 lane highway. I was able to recognize that there was power loss quickly enough that we w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
While driving, my 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L V8 suddenly lost engine power approximately a quarter mile from my home. The vehicle has only 35,000 miles. A check engine light indicated a misfire, and I confirmed cylinder 7 was misfiring. I replaced the spark plug, plug wire, and coil pack, but the misfire continued. The dealership diagnosed a failed lifter in the Active Fuel Manage... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - ENGINE
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
While traveling on the highway the car began to lose speed rapidly until coming to a complete stop, no warning lights were present prior.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and turned off for approximately an hour, the vehicle was restarted and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact continued driving and the knocking sound increasing in volume and frequency. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechani... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
My check engine came on my vehicle and had it checked out and I was informed that coolant is getting into the third cylinder and I was informed this is an ongoing issue with these escapes and Ford is aware of the flaw but never did a recall for it. This is a very costly expense and so crazy Ford has never done anything to repair or help customers with the costly expense but they will give their em... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
There is an active and unremedied safety recall on my 2021 Infiniti QX50 (NHTSA Recall #25V-437) for a critical engine defect that can result in complete engine failure and risk of fire. The recall was issued on June 26, 2025. I am an active-duty military member stationed in Germany. I shipped my vehicle in January 2026, before a remedy was available. My vehicle is now exhibiting all the early wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The engine oil consumption rate is alarming going thru quarts or entire oil change in a week or two of driving depending how much it was driven. Audi has admitted the pistons are at fault along with piston rings. It is unsafe and can cause engine to seize up and lose control which can lead to dangerous situations or accidents. I was never informed with a class action settlement from Audi. I have l... Read more
MINI
COOPER COUNTRYMAN
(2012) - ENGINE
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Complainant: [XXX] Vehicle: 2020 Ford Edge VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: Approx. 152,000 miles Target of Complaint: Ford Motor Company / [Don Chalmers Ford] Subject: Request for Goodwill Financial Assistance Due to Documented, Inherent Transmission Manufacturing Defect I am filing this dispute to request financial assistance/cost-sharing from Ford Motor Company for a total transmission failure on ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
Date: June 22, 2026 Time of Incident: Approximately 11:48 a.m. Vehicle: 2025 Chevrolet Silverado High Country 6.2L V8 Current Mileage: Approximately 29,500 miles I am documenting the events surrounding the unexpected engine failure of my 2025 Chevrolet Silverado High Country. On June 22, 2026, at approximately 11:48 a.m., while driving at highway speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
On June 14, 2026, one day after purchase, while driving through the Mojave Desert on I-15 in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the check engine light illuminated and remained on through Southern California. The vehicle required a jump start after being parked in a covered multi-level parking structure for 5 days in Long Beach California after which the check engine light cleared. On J... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Vacuum pump failure causing hard brake pedal which made near to impossible to brake safely and properly that lead to timing chain issues
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
BELIEVE CAMERA SENSOR IN WINDSHIELD OR BEHIND HONDA EMBLEM CAUSING ISSUES WITH 2019 EX-L MODEL/ CAR WILL POP UP 8 DIFFERENT CODES ENDING WITH "TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM" MAKING VEHICLE UNABLE TO OPERATE. IN ADDITION TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, IT ALSO TURNS OFF ALL SAFETY FEATURES IN VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. CAN WE PLEASE GET THIS RECALLED AND FIXED?... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Engine knocking vechile had loss of power. Had towed to dealer. Throwing all kinds of codes 6.2 L v8. Truck passed GM crap test in September and here we are at 59,000 with a blown motor. Lucky it did not go out under power and kill me or my small kids and family that was going to vacation with this truck the next day
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY SPORT
(2018) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
I am writing about my 2013 Hyundai Sonata VIN: [XXX]. On [XXX] my vehicle experienced a knocking noise from the engine and the Illumination of the check engine light. The car lost power and I was unable to drive it home. I had to call a tow service to have the car towed to Alan Turner Hyundai, 6501 Pensacola Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32505. I spoke to a service writer at Alan Turner Hyundai. He told u... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
Coolant intrusion into cylinder, car shakes when idling, lots of white smoke coming out of tailpipes
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
2019 Infiniti QX50 with engine bearing failure defect matching NHTSA Recall #25V-437. Vehicle was sold to me on 12/24/2025 by a dealer, MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS after the recall was issued on 07/14/2025. The dealer NEVER disclosed the active, unrepaired safety recall. Two months after purchase, the engine developed loss of power and unusual noises - exact symptoms described in the recall. An indepen... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Oil cooler failed and truck was at dealer for a month over winter. Now June 20th transmission failed and there is no timeframe on the valve body. I am still making payments on this truck and no dealers have a timeframe.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
I own a 2020 BMW X3 M40i, VIN [XXX], manufactured November 2019, now at approximately 100,000 miles, equipped with the B58TU engine. My oil level sensor stopped completing measurements at approximately 45,000 miles, a known precursor to thermoplastic oil pump failure. For 55,000 miles I had no way to identify whether my vehicle contained the defective component because BMW removed the original th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
My 2025 Honda Odyssey Elite repeatedly shuts off completely while stopped, with the Auto Idle Stop feature engaged, and fails to restart on its own. The engine dies at a complete stop and will not restart until I shift the vehicle into Park and manually restart it. This has happened more than six times. It occurs only at complete stops such as traffic lights and stop signs. No warning light illumi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
Safety Complaint Regarding Engine Oil Leak – Same Defect as Recall N763 (23V044000) Vehicle: 2019 Range Rover Sport | VIN: [XXX] Description of Problem: My vehicle is experiencing an oil leak from the engine area. Upon inspection by my mechanic/dealer, the failure was diagnosed as a blocked or improperly machined oil channel in the engine cam carrier, which is causing oil to leak externally. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Jeep started on fire and is still at a tow yard in Belchertown, MA How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The Jeep started on fire while I was driving. I pulled over as the engine was smoking and then it burst into flames while I was still inside. Has the problem been reproduced or ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
On June 16, 2025, I dropped my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS (VIN: [XXX]) off at Larry H. Miller Southwest in Albuquerque, NM for NHTSA safety recall #20V746000 (Theta II engine connecting rod bearing failure). It has now been over one week with zero communication from the dealership regarding the status of my vehicle. When I attempted to follow up by phone I was unable to reach anyone in the service... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I own a 2018 Toyota C-HR with approximately 117,600 miles. The vehicle has developed a transmission bearing failure, causing a loud whining/humming noise that increases with vehicle speed. I have been informed that the bearing inside the transmission is failing. This appears to be a premature transmission defect that could affect the safe operation and reliability of the vehicle. I am submitting t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
Thermostat and cooling sensor went out on my car. GMC issued a special coverage bulletin for 2021 Acadia since it's a widespread issue but not the 2020 (mine) which is also a widespread issue looking online. The repair is over $1000 and should be covered!
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
I bought a 2018 Ford Escape SEL 4WD in March of 2019 ( I think ) it already had about 1240 miles on it but was sold to me as new. At the time of purchase I also bought a 7 yr warranty because of my age. Only my wife and I drove the car. In March of 2026 the engine block failed due to a manufacturing error concerning coolant getting into the piston chambers. The SUV only had about 15,800 miles on ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
I was in a drive thru and my car had been idling for less than 5 minutes in the rain and started shuttering really bad with my roms dipping low. i put the vehicle in park and the the entire vehicle shut off and would not stay on without dying. for the next 20 minutes everytime i tried to start it it shut off immediately no matter what i would do. the vehicular kept telling me “Engine Stopped ste... Read more
TOYOTA
FJ CRUISER
(2010) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 580 | ~2,800 miles | Mercedes-Benz of McKinney, McKinney, TX | No warning lamps preceded any failure. ISSUE 1 — Instrument cluster blacks out while driving The speedometer and tachometer display goes completely black without warning at normal road speeds. The only remedy is stopping, shutting off the engine, waiting 10 minutes, and rebooting. Loss of speed and warning ind... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Recall for FAST CHARGE LEVEL 3 CHADEMO has been issued for over 6 months. I am advised not to fast charge due to risk of devastating fire. Very dangerous to continue to use this car in an urban setting. Buyback was denied and told to wait for a fix. No fix yet! I can't get out of Philadelphia in this car. Tesla wouldn't let this happen!
Incident date: May 27, 2026
On Monday [XXX] were driving on [XXX] going north up [XXX]. I was doing about 60-65 mph in traffic which was flowing in both directions. While ascending the pass, the car suddenly started to misfire, rapidly lost power, power steering failed and all dash lights lit up. With no shoulder to pull out this was a very scary experience. Eventually managed to limp to a spot where I could pull out off t... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
“The engine undercover (belly pan) detached and is dragging/scraping on the ground on a 2025 Kia K4 with approximately one year of normal use. The radiator support is also affected. Dealer (Selma Kia, Selma CA) denied warranty coverage and stated damage was caused by driver hitting a speed bump. These are factory-installed components on a one-year-old vehicle and should not detach under normal d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
Vehicle is experiencing rod-knock and engine performance issues along with a P0420 code for the catalytic converter. After using a diagnostic tool to retrieve code, a recall was present for the existing code, that explained the exact symptoms my car is experiencing. I have had the car since 2021 and have not received any notification regarding a recall for the engine; it was only after I ran a d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, there was a loud bang coming from the engine compartment, followed by a clunking sound. The contact stated that the engine started running rough and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The Check Engine warning light illuminated after the failur... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The vehicle is a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. It had previously been included in an engine-fire-related recall/service campaign, and Hyundai replaced the engine between approximately October 2024 and January 2025 at about 113,000 miles. About 10,000 miles and 14 months later, the vehicle developed engine/performance problems. A Hyundai dealership service center performed about $6,500 in repairs, i... Read more
Fire
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Frequently and randomly I get errors on my dash for the front collision sensor and slippery roads warning. This seems to occur for no reason as all while I am driving. When this happens my RPM's drop and my car will stall at red lights or stop signs. In a few instances, my car has refused to accelerate because it believes the car is obstructed. This has put me at risk of getting rear ended on nume... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
Vehicle: 2012 Kia Forte Recall: NHTSA 23V-652 (Kia SC284) – HECU/ABS fuse recall My vehicle underwent this safety recall in 2025. The dealership replaced the HECU fuse. Immediately upon leaving the dealership after the recall repair, the same warning lights returned. I contacted the dealership immediately before fully leaving the area to report the issue. I also contacted Kia Corporate after... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
I was a victim of odometer fraud I bought a car in February of this year and on my odometer it has like 144,000 miles but in my carfax it states the car has about 300,000 miles.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2026
When the engine shuts off while braking at a light/stop sign etc occasionally the car will fail to turn the engine back on and the car will go in to park and the only way to get in to drive is to restart the car. This happens once or twice a month.
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, and 3 quarts of oil were added every 1,000 miles. The Check Engine and Low Oil Pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption. The mechanic determined that the valves in the engine or ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
We were traveling north on hwy 23 in southern Minnesota pulling a 5000 lb trailer in the rain and it was windy. When the road split to 4 lane I stepped on the gas to speed up from 55 to 65 and the vehicle studderd and lost all power. Many warning lights cam on and I think it said stop within .3 miles. We pulled to the side of the road and basically coasted to a stop. It was on hybrid power. We cal... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
A day or two prior I had received an alert that my coolant was low and to get service on my vehicle. Through the Tesla app I was unable to orginally schedule until July but I kept looking and an opening opened up on June 20th. I was on my way to that appointment from New Bern (the nearest service center is 120 miles from my house). I was avoiding highways, driving early AM, and driving at or below... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
I took my 2024 Toyota Tundra to dealer on December 4, 2025 for scheduled maintenance. At that time I was informed by the service advisor that there were 2 recalls on my vehicle. (1) Engine replacement recall and (2) reverse lamp recall. I agreed to leave my vehicle for the recall repair(s) as I was told they would be completed in 4 to 6 weeks. Here I am, almost 7 months later, and neither Toyota C... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
I was driving in 4 lane town traffic going under 10 MPH and the hazard lights came on by themselves, and the car died. Propulsion stopped. Fortunately I was able to pull onto a striped median, and once I was over shock, 3-5 ish minutes, I started the car and drove to the dealership. I don’t remember any warning message, and it seems like the steering and brakes were hard once it was dieing, bu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
Infotainment system has been rebooting and disabling the cars ADAS momentarily. Most recently, this resulted in the car turning itself off while making a turn. Happened a second time while pulling into the dealership on the same day.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
On our 2025 Lexus TX350, less than 1 year old, and under normal driving conditions, our AC stopped working suddenly. Upon inspection at the dealership, they determined a rock or road debris came through the front grill and impacted the condenser, which caused a major refrigerant leak and ac to stop working. I believe this was due to a poor design of the lower half of the front grill, it’s wide o... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2026) - ENGINE
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
The check engine light came on and the vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and it was stated by the dealership Service department to be a known issue for this particular engine. However, there was no recall and Ford offers no assistance for the engine replacement, which is what is needed. The engine replacement estimate from the dealership was over $8000.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
It started backfiring and knocking