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 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light was illuminated; however, the vehicle f... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owned a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the contact became aware of sparks outside the driver's and passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact became aware that there were flames coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The message "Add Coolant" was displayed, and there was an abnormal odor while th... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, while driving, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, with a ticking and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed and metal shavings from the engine bear... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that a technician identified a radiator leak during an emissions test after smelling an abnormal coolant odor. The technician confirmed that the coolant had leaked from the vehicle. Prior to the discovery by the technician, the contact’s husband observed white smoke coming from the engine. The fluid levels were checked and were normal ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, another vehicle struck a rock, and the rock went through the front grille of the vehicle and punctured the inverter radiator, causing a coolant leak and a loss of motive power. The message "Hybrid System Malfunction" was displayed following the loss of motive power. The vehicle was towed to... Read more

Incident date: Sep 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V548000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Incident date: Sep 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Infiniti Q50. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 - 80 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would accelerate but failed to exceed 10 MPH. The accelerator pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard for the vehicle to accelerate; however, the vehicle still failed to exceed 10 MPH. During the failure, the check engine warning light was temporarily... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

The contact owned a 2012 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, a fire started under the hood. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The hood was completely consumed by the fire. The fire department declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact stated that inspection by the fire department declared that the fire was an electrical fire that started on the... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed due... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Maintenance Required" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal failure, and the engine coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.

Incident date: Sep 3, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost drive power and failed to accelerate properly. The App notified the driver of the powertrain failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with powertrain failure. The dealer replaced the knock sensor approximately 5 - 6 times but the failure persisted. The vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact scheduled an appointment at the local dealer after being notified of the recall. The dealer initially stated that the part would be available within a week, but the contact was subsequently informed that the part was on backorder and there was no es... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent a failure. The contact stated that upon further inspection, there was an engine oil leak that was leaking onto the alternator. The local dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 205,67... Read more

Incident date: Sep 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Buick Envista. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the instrument panel display continued to flicker off and on. The contact stated that during the failure the speedometer and fuel gauges were inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Honda CBR600RR. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated, and the motorcycle started to lose power. The contact was able to safely get off the roadway and became aware that there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact attempted to restart the motorcycle. The motorcycle was towed to the residence. The motorcycle was not rep... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with fuel injector failure. The contact was informed that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The fuel injectors were replaced. The contact became aware of Technical Service Bulletin: 21-010, NHTSA ID Number: 10187008 (Engine and E... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message flashing forward alert not available, brake assist not available, transmission fault, AEB not available, HDC not available were displayed. Additionally, the stability control, forward alert not available, Emergency brake assist not available, and transmission fault warning lig... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming antifreeze. The ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mec... Read more

Incident date: Oct 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption with an abnormal burning odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and an oil consumption test was performed. The contact was informed that the vehicle passed the inspection. While driving later, the vehicle stalled and was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the vehi... Read more

Incident date: May 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with cylinder head, head gaskets, and gasket kit failures. In addition, the contact was informed that the coolant needed to be drained, and the oil level needed to be checked.... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was inspected several times; however, no oil leaks were found. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the check engine warning light illuminated and flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it w... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was slowly driven to the residence and stalled in the driveway. After restarting the vehicle, the engine immediately shut off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic,... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission shifted into neutral. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and attempted to shift into drive; however, the failure persisted, and the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was jerking, shaking, and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The failure nearly caused a crash. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where the oxygen sensor and spark plugs were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired.... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while idling, the engine was shaking, the vehicle stalled, and the vehicle lost power. The contact restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with ba... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the transmission shifted to neutral(N), and the contact was unable to control the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the transmission failed shift into park(P), reverse(R), or drive(D). The message "Conditions no Longer Exist for Driving," was displayed on the screen. The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

The contact's son owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with the oil pressure warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact attem... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while reversing out of the garage, the ABS, traction control, braking system, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with fuel injector failure. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the issue by the mechanic. The failure mileage was... Read more

Incident date: Aug 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during the initial start-up, the vehicle would sputter. The Check Engine Light illuminated. While driving at approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the vehicle displayed the message, "High Heat,' meaning that the engine was overheating. The contact had pulled over and turned on the fan, which allowed the engine to cool off. The contact put antifree... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 79 MPH, the thermostat displayed that the engine was running hot and there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that a hose underneath the radiator was disconnected, and coolant was leaking from the hose, and the dipstic... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); the vehicle was inspected, and the engine oil was replaced with a higher viscosity oil. The contact stated that later while operating the vehicle, the engine was knocking, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The cont... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The dealer was contacted, and the camshaft sensor wa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot at a low speed, the engine shut off without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure, which was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle remained at the dealer for approximately three months before the engine... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the driveway of their residence, the DPF regeneration process activated and completed, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact exited the vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, the contact discovered flames coming from under the hood. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The cause ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Aug 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Engine Overheating Do Not Drive" displayed, and a red Check Engine warning light illuminated. The contact smelled smoke and observed smoke coming from the interior vents. On each occasion, the contact pulled over safely, turned off the vehicle for nearly an hour, and then restarted the vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving on the highway, a "Low Oil Pressure" warning message displayed, and the engine RPMs and vehicle speed reduced. The contact drove the vehicle off the road and into a parking lot. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed oil leaking from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump control module had failed. The v... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the mother was driving, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was later diagnosed by an independent mechanic, who discovered metal shavings in the engine oil pan and informed the contact that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle began to shake uncontrollably. A knocking sound was heard from the engine, and the vehicle entered limp mode. No warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and need... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that after the son started the vehicle, white exhaust smoke suddenly emerged from the engine compartment and entered the vehicle's cabin. The engine was turned off, and the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the engine had sustained a catastrophic failure; however, the cause of the failure had not been determined. The c... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) remedy was completed with an oil change and oil cap replacement. Approximately three months later, while the contact's wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine stalled. The driver was able to coast to the side of the roa... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle with no issues. The contact stated that while making a left turn on another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was nearly rear-ended. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and restarted. The contact stated that while making a left turn on a third occasion, ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, a banging noise was heard coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle decelerated. In addition, several warning lights, including the check engine light and the anti-lock braking system light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and had th... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact noticed an unusual odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle e... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal knocking sound was heard coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and parked. While reversing out of the driveway the following day, the engine seized, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH with family members in the vehicle, the transmission independently shifted into neutral. No warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to steer the vehicle into a residential driveway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The contact requested towing services; however, the initial tow driver failed to arrive a... Read more

Incident date: Feb 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an "Engine Restarting" message displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the highway, where the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The low oil level was observed, and the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was previously serviced at the dealer, where it was discovered that the oil was 3 quarts low at approximately 56,653 miles. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where an oil consumption test wa... 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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