Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 40,517 complaints — component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528XI. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), but the failure occurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check coolant level warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the recall repair was not yet avail... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that occasionally, while shifted in reverse, the rearview camera failed to display as intended and was possibly impacted by severe weather conditions. No warning light was illuminated. In addition... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. While inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered that cylinder #4 coil was charred, melted, and smoking, and the ECU was damaged. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who determined that the failure was caused by an inop... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the failure was more noticeable. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The RPM fluctuated before the transm... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Genesis G70. The contact stated that upon advising a friend that the turbocharger oil feed pipe was made of plastic, the contact was informed that there was a recall related to the issue. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that another dealer had marked NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V191000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as completed even though the recall... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant had been continuously running, causing the battery to c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact's daughter owned a 2014 Dodge Journey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 15V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts were not available. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, black smoke was seen coming from under the hood, and the engine caught on fire. The driver was able to successfully exit the vehicle. No warni... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle shutoff while idling. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Later, while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle sta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was a dripping sound coming from the vehicle, and the low oil warning light was illuminated. The low oil warning light was illuminated approximately every 1,500 miles after an oil change. After each oil change, the level on the oil dipstick was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the failure occurred. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked and started pulling, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the vehicle stalled. The check engine and the Electronic Throttle... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the low engine oil pressure warning light illuminated while depressing the brake pedal. A dealer was contacted and informed to add oil as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine valves needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the oil pump drive tensioner belt had failed and was replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). After the repairs were performed, the failure reoccurred, and the contact was informed that the part needed to be replaced another time. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with cool... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked in the driveway, and the contact became aware of a puddle on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact thought that the puddle was coolant, but discovered that the vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone, where it was scanned with an OBD2 scanner and DTC: P0607, P1603, and P1604 were retrieved. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2022
See attached document for complaint. PLEASE ADVISE! In August of 2025 we received an important Safety Recall on our 2023 Nissan Rogue Vehicle ------copy enclosed. As of yet our car hasn’t been fixed and having a car with an engine that contains a manufacturing set of defects is alarming. Note------- the letter implied that if the engine fails while driving it--- the result would be loss of po... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the driver’s side window failed to function as intended. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control warning light illuminated and, on another occasion, the vehicle failed to turn off as intended. The battery cables were disconnected, and the battery was removed fro... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling a boat, the vehicle shook violently and made a loud banging sound. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #6, and that the engine req... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, it vibrated abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. 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 contact stated that the VIN no longer showed the recall as being open. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was topping off the engine oil bi-weekly. The contact relat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running with the A/C unit activated, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, while the A/C unit was activated, only hot air was coming from the vents. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C evaporator needed to be replaced because of le... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 30, 2026
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH to the dealer, the vehicle experienced reduced engine power. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was associated wit... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The contact waited for several minutes to let the engine cool down and the vehicle eventually returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a deale... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating abnormally while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic out of fear of the vehicle stalling on the highway. Prior to the engine failure, the contact became aware that there wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal, it stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was shaking abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000) (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) as a possible cause for the failure. A dealer was not con... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was leaking oil from the top of the engine onto the drive belts. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failur... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH uphill with her daughter and her small dog inside the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle stalled and shut off unexpectedly. The contact stated that several minutes later, the vehicle started working as intended; however, a fuel smell remained inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was il... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that 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 manufacturer was not made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 530I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the message "Refill Coolant" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered a puddle of blue liquid underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a leak in one of the hoses and that the hose needed to be replaced. The vehic... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 29, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. While starting the vehicle, it was shaking violently, with reduced power. The vehicle was restarted and worked as designed. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine and Engine and Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined there was metal in the engine, and there was a misfire... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 29, 2026
Incident date: Aug 29, 2016
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the A/C unit stopped working, with the check engine warning light illuminated. On several occasions, while the vehicle was turned off, the cooling fan ran for approximately 2-3 minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and determined that... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled but was almost immediately restarted. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the destination and turned off; however, while attempting to restart, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine block had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that later, while driving ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and jerked significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a message advising of an unknown error was displayed. The contact stated that the check engine warning light started flashing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2026
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at highway speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled over and restarted the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated, and the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that a month after the vehicle was purchased, the vehicle started to experience several failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the coolant temperature gauge rose, and the vehicle experienced reduced power or stalled. The check engine warning light and two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road. When the vehicle was turned off, oil leaked from the vehicle. The contact drove slowly to a business parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was then towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While her daughter was driving at a slow speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #1 and #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, an... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C200
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 27, 2026
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle was recently purchased. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) from the Manufacturer App. H... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted but was unable to schedule an appointment because the service center was fully booked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, the engine started overheating. The message "Temperature High" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the power windows were intermittently inoperable. While attempting to drive from a complete stop, the transmission failed to shift gears as intended. The contact stated that upon depressing the ac... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated, and after 15 seconds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the side of the road; ho... Read more