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
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ENGINE
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
On 6-7 separate occasions, my 2025 Ranger had a sudden and complete loss of accelerator response while slowing down to make a left turn. This also happens on occasion at traffic lights when the light turns and I attempt to turn left. The duration of loss of power has increased with each incident and is very frightening when it occurs. When attempting to accelerate across the road, there was no r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
Due to faulty manufacturing by Ford Motor Company the coolant leaked into cylinders 2 and 3 of the engine. Ford is aware of this issue and has issued a technical service bulletin stating that the only fix is to replace the engine however they have not issued a recall. The leak has been confirmed by two mechanics. Blacks Tire and Auto and is currently at the Ford dealership. The check engine light... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
While driving my vehicle, the engine and transmission lost power and the check engine light came on. The vehicle went into limp mode and engine propulsion was limited. Had I been traveling at a faster speed, this would have been very unsafe. After coming to a stop, placing the transmission in reverse did not move the vehicle and there was a grinding noise. I was able to savely move forward in limp... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the brake pedal became firm while driving approximately 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the brake assist service message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the brake housing had s... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ENGINE
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
"2022 Nissan Leaf 40 kWh (VIN: [XXX], ~41,570 miles) lost motive power at highway speed on [XXX]. Vehicle entered turtle mode and shifted into neutral while traveling on the freeway, requiring me to coast to an off-ramp (I was completely unable to use the accelerator nor move the car into Park). Vehicle was inoperable and required towing. This followed a similar incident on [XXX], where the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The vehicle shut down and set the emergency parking brake while the vehicle was in motion at a rate of less than 15 mph. This has occurred 5 times. The first time it occurred the dealership said that it just required a software update. Every instance the vehicle was under 15 mph, and in the process of turning onto a road. There were no indications that this was going to happen before it occurred
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
ON MONDAY, 6/15/26, WITH APPROX 45,400 MILES, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TRUCK SAID SERVICE TRANSMISSION. THE GEARS WOULD SHIFT, BUT IT LAGGED A LITTLE BIT. I SCHEDULED AN APPT FOR TWO DAYS LATER, AND ONLY DROVE IT WHEN I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO, WHICH WAS ONLY TWICE BEFORE MY SCHEDULED APPT. I GET IN IT TO DRIVE AND IT SAYS SERVICE TRANSMISSION- UNABLE TO SHIFT SOON, THEN ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSH... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ARTEON
(2022) - ENGINE
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
Over the past several months my truck 2023 toyota tundra has randomly died, completely shut off and sputtered to a stop. After these instances occurred the vehicle has had trouble to re-start. As a result I took my truck into the local dealership in Topeka KS, Lewis toyota, which did not complete any of the recall work, they said that the inicident could not be duplicated. For follow up, I took my... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the engine intermittently hesitated and the vehicle almost shut off. The contact stated that the START/STOP button was depressed to shut off the vehicle; however, the button became inoperable. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to resume normal operation. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
The manufacturer became aware of this issue approximately six months ago. At this time, no repair is available. I am driving to a remote location without consistent phone service and the manufacturer and dealer will not offer a loaner vehicle. I believe that Land Rover should offer a trade in for a new vehicle without this issue.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
My crankshaft broke on the highway. I was travelling at around 70mph. No warnings were given. I lost all power and had to limp it off to the side of the road. The engine was replaced under warranty. This is an ongoing issue for 2016-2019 Nissan Titans. Folks are left with worthless vehicles because they are outside of their warranty period when it happens.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The check engine light came on 2 weeks ago, and I have had rough cold starts since then. Brought my car to the dealership after Autozone scanned the code and told me I need new spark plugs and an ignition coil. The mechanic at the Ford dealership determined that Coolant is leaking into the cylinders - I am being told I need to replace the whole engine. Apparently, this is a very common issue with ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2014
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil consumption and a misfire in cylinder #3. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
The 2019 Tucson has 60,413 miles. My daughter drives it very low mileage - a couple of miles a day back and forth to school. Friday she was driving and the car lost engine power and it stopped driving. No warning lights. There was a cloud of smoke and it smelled like burning plastic. She was on a busy road but pulled over and quickly exited the vehicle. I had it towed and the mechanic says the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Corrosion of the exhaust pipes lead to an exhaust leak.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Vehicle purchased new off the showroom floor with 22 miles, driven locally only and garage kept. At 270 miles, upon starting the vehicle the engine was shaking and idling rough exactly like a misfiring cylinder would. The check engine light immediately turned on and started flashing and the engined bogged down and stopped. The dealership towed it to their shop and witness the rough idle themselves... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
* Upon normal driving the vehicle suddenly began to run rough. At that point the engine light came on and began flashing. Yes, it is available for inspection * I was traveling at highway speeds with my two young son's in the vehicle, when out of nowhere we experienced a major loss in power, Forcing us to get to the far right lane and off on the next exit. * The problem has been Confirmed (Passen... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
Description On your vehicle it is possible that the trailer module trm may lose communication at vehicle start-up. If a trm loss of communication occurs and a trailer is connected to the vehicle, trailer stop lamps and turn signal indicators will not function. Additionally, for trailers equipped with electronic trailer brakes, the trailer brakes will not function. This loss of communication can o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Description On your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety Risk An improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash. Your vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
My vehicle has been in the shop 7 times for misfire in all cylinders over a 2 1/2 year span Kia dealer refused to replace the engine, 8 months after I threatened to sue the dealership for saying they fixed the misfire in all cylinders issue and 8 months later I’m getting misfire in 4th cylinder. As the engine light came on again and I have a high end car diagnostic tool attached to the car whic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
Engine failed and no light or warning besides check oil was shown on truck. The electrical system also went out (a year before engine failure) so car wouldn’t start.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
I own a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan with approximately 24,000 miles that was purchased used with only 2,300 miles and a clean title. The vehicle has developed significant oil consumption/seepage issues related to the EA888 2.0T engine. It began with oil seeping around the oil fill tube and cap due to a failed crankcase pressure assembly (PCV/oil separator). I replaced it myself with genuine Volkswagen ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300 4MATIC
(2023) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
Vehicle has two open Toyota safety recalls that have remained unresolved for over a year. NHTSA campaign 25V322 (manufacturer no. 25TB06) covers reverse lamp assembly corrosion. NHTSA campaign 25V767 (manufacturer no. 25TB14) covers a V35A engine manufacturing defect where leftover machining debris can damage the main bearing, leading to engine knocking, rough running, no-start, or loss of drive p... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 3500
(2026) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
The engine continually exhibits cylinder #2 misfiring, disappearing coolant, and rough idling. Efforts have been made, but these issues relate directly to a cracked block allowing coolant into the combustion chamber. The car has about 93,000 miles on it and has been meticulously maintained, but still the issues are getting worse and more frequent.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
- Transmission Bearing is failing. Which is common in this make and model from what I can look up. - My safety is at risk because at any given moment my transmission can go out, from what the mechanic said is a faulty bearing Toyota has made in these cars before. - Yes, I saw a mechanic who stated this issue. - No, Toyota won’t do anything or give me an extended warranty on the transmission be... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
I bought a 2026 honda civic. About two days after receiving the car while driving the car I felt a shaking while driving mostly around 30-40 MPH. ALSO when I put my foot on the gas sometimes there is a hesitation before I start to move and when I do start moving it’s like getting launched on a rocket. Many times while driving I get a shutter, the whole car would lerch forward even while driving... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
While driving on an interstate it was determined that the engine walls over compressed and blew out the sides of the motor of my 2022 Ford Bronco. The Bronco has 67,000 miles on it which shows a clear manufacturer defect. It is available to be inspected as well to confirm. My wife’s and unborn child’s safety was put at risk by losing acceleration and losing control of the vehicle briefly as it... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2020) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted about the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,500.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the Check Engine warning light illuminated, and there was no heat coming from the front passenger’s or driver’s side air vents. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine heater core had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Engine fails to restart after the Auto Idle System shuts it down, leaving vehicle stranded in traffic. The issue is sudden and unpredictable, and may not appear in inspection. A stalled car in live traffic is a safety concern. The vehicle is at a dealer for diagnosis and repair. No warning appeared before the problem began happening. (About 5 times in 2.5 months.) Sometimes when it occurs, a bri... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
I am wanting to share my concerns about my 2019 Ford Edge. My Edge has 64,500 miles on it and the transmission needs replacing; it is sitting in my back driveway. My daughter and I just made it home from a trip when the transmission gave out - when we pulled into the driveway, and it was still in gear, it put itself into park! We tried to put it in drive and reverse and again, as we were watchi... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2019) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: May 19, 2026
Have owned the 2025 Toyota Tundra for about 18 months. Multiple instances of delayed acceleration when stopped or almost stopped, sometimes as much as 3 or 4 seconds. Last time was in early June, 2026. This is very dangerous because when I pull out into an intersection it will start to go but then lose all power for a few seconds with traffic coming behind me. This is something Toyota needs to l... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Purchased 2019 Chevrolet Silverado High Country Edition with the 6.2L engine and 143K miles for my son. The vehicle had a clean service history on Car Fax. On the day we purchased the vehicle, we drove it home and noticed it was shuttering at times. I used my computer scanner and it came back with a misfire cylinder #5. I troubleshot the issues and noted that the most common thing was a spark plug... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
During a 2 hour drive, my 2017 Honda CRV EXL had all lights pop up on the dash and we experienced a sudden loss of acceleration on the highway. After finally being able to pull over, we were left stranded due to what a Honda dealership later found to be an oil dilution defect that caused a catastrophic failure in the turbocharger. Me and my girlfriend were left stranded for hours two hours away fr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
Purchased this truck new and took on a trip over the weekend. Put on just under 800 miles no issues. This morning while driving to get my wondows tinted I noticed my truck flashing to apply brakes as it was trying to shift itself into 4wd low setting. Sure enough i looked over and the truck was switching drive modes when no one had touched it. Nothing in my cupholder either that could have acciden... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Check engine light solid/engine failure while driving. 2018 Sonata SE purchased new in fall 2018. Around 50,000 miles started noticing oil level drop and had to add more before next scheduled change. Dealership service center said I just had to shorten the mileage between changes which didn't seem appropriate for a vehicle with 50,000 miles but I did. Continued to have oil consumption problem with... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The engine power cuts of randomly while driving with no warning at all. When it happens the steering locks up veering the vehicle to the left so you have no control and at the same time the power brakes lock up and you are unable to stop the vehicle. Everything else works when this happens lights, radio, heater, air conditioning. No warning lights display. I had the vehicle with a mechanic that ke... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALONG WITH OTHER LIGHT. I AM GETTING THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST SYSTEM PROBLEM, REDUCED TRACTION AND HANDLING. HILL START ASSIST PROBLEM VEHICLE MAY ROLL UPON BRAKE RELEASE, COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM PROBLEM. STEERING ASSIST REDUCED, COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM. ROAD DEPARTURE MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM.... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle failed to immediately restart on several occasions. Additionally, the vehicle stalled on several occasions with the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the evaporator canister and purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repair... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 74 MPH uphill, the vehicle suddenly lost power and shut off. The vehicle became disabled in a travel lane of the interstate. The vehicle was towed by flatbed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the failu... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
I bought this car from a private seller and he claimed the vehicle was in good condition. A day later the car has been dying on me while driving. Nothing shows on the check engine that something is wrong with it. The car will start and able to drive but then will die on me again. How do I find if it's covered under a recall?
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Last year (2025) we were on a trip to Minneapolis, MN when our vehicle randomly stalled out on us. It would allow us to start it up again immediately, but stalled again shortly after. Each time it stalled, the dash lights would pop up and the engine would immediately stall and die. We had the car fixed in a pinch, and the diagnosis was a crank shaft error. Fast forward to this past weekend, our ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
On XXX, while I was operating my 2019 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT (GL1800D, VIN [XXX]) on the freeway at approximately ~26k miles, the motorcycle suddenly lost drive and came to a stop and could not be restarted, leaving me stranded on the freeway — the same type of sudden power-loss hazard that Safety Recall 24V-820 was issued to prevent. The motorcycle had to be towed. Approximately 1,000 miles e... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
Engine fail due to lifters collapsing, had a really bad lifter on #3 and #2 and cause to chew out camshaft . Needed a new engine and gm didnt wanna honor it warranty only partial .
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
My 2016 Kia Optima equipped with the 2.4L DOHC I4 GDI engine began to experience progressive and severe oil consumption during the latter part of my ownership. The oil warning light began activating repeatedly, even after shortly getting the oil changed. Several certified mechanics and oil change service stations told me this was an ongoing issue with this car and engine and that there was nothin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
I have 112,000 miles on my truck and my 6.2l motor is going out or knocking. I am very unhappy that my truck is not covered under the recall and I would like to understand why it is not since this is the issue of the recall. I would like to clarification on this and what options I have since it is going to cost me 14k to replace the motor. Case #101943027
HUSQVARNA
SVARTPILEN 401
(2023) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving diagnostic code P1326. My vehicle developed engine knocking and little to no acceleration and appeared to enter a reduced-power or limp-mode condition while driving. This made it difficult to merge, maintain speed, and travel safely in traffic, creating a risk of collision or becoming stranded in an unsafe location. Based on publicly available Hyunda... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Van made a loud pop noise and lost power. The HSG belt tensioner spring fell off it's seat loosing tension on the HSG belt. Was unsafe but luckily it happened before getting on the freeway, and coasted into a parking lot. Yes, it's at the dealership getting a replacement tensioner and belt. I believe so. No notification prior to failure, it was sudden.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
My vehicles transmission has been replaced 2 times already (3 years apart)- now it is overheating. Absolutely no warning lights have came on at any time in regards to any of my situations - My vehicle is available for inspection at any time. When the transmission went in my vehicle, I was traveling on an interstate with my child. The dealer has confirmed replaced the transmission as it was still u... Read more