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 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
The contact's client owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and attempting to accelerate, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle; however, the engine failed to turn over. The vehicle was towed to a local de... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Audi TTS. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump and the ECM module had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the water... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the oil pump failed and caus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed water pump. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. Additionally, the contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle started lunging forward. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mec... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that a ticking sound was coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling. The contact stated that the RPM dropped while idling and while decelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failure in the lifte... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 27, 2024
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the tone wheel and the crankshaft position sensor had ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that while refueling, the accelerator pedal had to be slightly depressed to prevent the vehicle from stalling. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that ignition coil #3 had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated and sputtered upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. Upon inspection of the engine compartment, the contact discovered that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was initially informed that the failure was normal with similar vehicles. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption with the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the ignition coil packs and the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for routine maintenance, and it was diagnosed that the tensioner was leaking, and the timing belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V298000 (Engine and Engine Coo... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 26, 2024
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 23V566000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated on one occasion an unknown warning light flashed on and off. Additionally, on several occasions, while driv... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling at a stop light, there was a loud popping sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while accelerating forward there was steam and smoke coming from under the hood with the engine temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while starting the vehicle from a cold start, the vehicle was idling rough with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that when the vehicle wase cold started ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was temporarily illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle was idling at a red traffic light, an unknown message, and the message "Emergency Stop" were displayed, an alarm sounded, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was pushed into a parking lot with assistance. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure m... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic for a routine oil change, and the mechanic stated that the oil belt was not pumping the oil correctly. Additionally, the contact observed a knocking sound coming from the engine compartmen... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 45 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and made a whining sound. The vehicle was towed to an A... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated after the engine overheated and shifted into "LIMP Mode". The contact stated that during the failure, the message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. No further information was ava... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was sputtering and hesitating. The contact stated that the failure also occurred during start-up. The message low coolant level was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs had faile... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine cylinder had failed. The contact was informed that the ignition coils and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly vibrated, and there was excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the message "Low Coolant Level" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the spark pl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. While approaching a stop, the vehicle shut off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine oil was backing up through the muffler and the vehicle was losing motive pow... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 23, 2024
Incident date: Aug 12, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V566000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the check engine light had remained illuminated and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine coolant was present inside the engine cylinders causing severe damage to the engine. The contact was advised that ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 23, 2024
Incident date: Jul 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a stop light, the brake pedal was released, but the vehicle failed to move. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jolted forward. The contact was able to drive to a parking lot. After shifting to drive, the vehicle unexpectedly reversed. While in reverse, the vehicle would shift to drive erroneously. The vehicle jo... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started and there was an abnormal antifreeze odor coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the residence. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle with a coolant leak into the cylinder. The contact had s... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode while in traffic. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact stated that the service engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine block was cracked. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a misfire in cylinder #3 caused by coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was advised that the engine long block need... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 535I. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and shut off. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment with excessive smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine, resulting in a misfire in ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the vehicle started shaking and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted each time. Additionally, a quart of oil needed to be added weekly due to excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced or repa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the code indicating the vehicle had been overheating had been displayed however the vehicle had not overheated. The contact's spouse had replaced the sensor but then shortly after while driving 50 MPH the code displayed itself again and the vehicle overheated. The failure had become more persistent and would overheat while driving at v... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and the contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the catal... Read more
Incident date: Aug 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Engine" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact waited approximately 30-minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle started but lost power immediately thereafter. The vehicle was towed to a certified mec... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed spee... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 22, 2024
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System ) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle began to vibrate violently, after which the contact observed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact also stated that there was a coolant odor throughout the interior of the vehicle. After restarting the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2024
See attached document for complaint.