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 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that after the vehicle sat for a while on several occasions and was then driven, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. While driving on those occasions, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: P0171 was retrieved. The vehicle was repaired, but the fai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, there was an abnormally loud ticking sound coming from the passenger's side of the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and to another dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 72 MPH and towing a trailer, the vehicle stalled while on the off-ramp. The vehicle failed to restart with an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the RPM was elevated. The contact was unsure if the sound was coming from the vehicle or another vehicle nearby. The message “E... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine and radiator failure. The contact was informed that the engine and the radi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the turnpike, the vehicle made an abnormal sound before it stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the dealer declined to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer stated t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days lat... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the climate control feature was inoperable. In addition, the contact stated that after driving for approximately 5 miles, the engine overheated. A message to park the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The contact was informed that ther... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing coolant, and the coolant pipes were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine cylinders. Due to the failure, the contact was informed that the engine needed to repaired or replaced. The dealer was notified of the failur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the check engine and the traction control warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and failed to exceed 45 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a secondary air injection pump system failure. The mechanic determined that the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several dealers were previously contacted for recall inspection appointments, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer had denied the request to perform the service. A dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated, lost automotive power, shifted to neutral, and then shifted into park. During the failure, the contact depressed the brake pedal and pressed the start button for approximately 10 seconds to restart the vehicle. The failure had occurred five times, and the con... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Lexus LS 500. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle coasted and was steered over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the oil was drained and the cap and filter were removed. The contact stated that there were metal shavings inside the oil. The vehicle was towed to a de... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion in two cylinders and determined that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that additional engine oil was needed a month or two after an oil change. The contact stated that one quart of oil was added every 1,500 miles driven. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and it was informed that it was normal operation for vehicles with the 6.2L engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was info... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 17, 2026
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with camshaft phaser and timing chain failures. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,540.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle lost automotive power, failed to accelerate, and went into LIMP Mode. Additionally, there were abnormally loud sounds coming from the engine. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 17, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and lost automotive power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The oil was changed at the local dealer. After 24 hours, the engine was blown after driving approximately 50 miles. No warning lights were illuminated. While accelerating from a stoplight, there was an abnormal squealing noise from... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The contact stated the engine failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was stopped and restarted after waiting 20 minutes. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and several undisclosed parts were replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ABS and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The diagnostic test determined th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle required an oil change every 1,000 miles driven due to excessive oil consumption. Additionally, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the lifters. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption and failures with the lifters. The contact was informed that the engine nee... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 450
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 16, 2026
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound, and there was a burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE); however, the contact was unable to schedule an appointment because the dealer was unr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that it was difficult to start the vehicle. While driving at 30 MPH, there was a significant amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes, reducing the visibility of the rear of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was flashing. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was engine coolant inside the cylinders. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal knocking sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who discovered metal shavings inside the engine oil and determined that the crankshaft bearings had failed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact had received an email from a third-party vehicle service for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that days after receiving the email, the vehicle was starting to drive sluggishly at slower speeds and failed to accelerate as needed while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that several un... Read more
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 15, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and was turning on and off. The thermostat gauge increased to hot. The contact became aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. Additionally, the oil light was illuminated even though an oil change had been performed two months prior. The vehicle became undrivable. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal knocking and ticking sounds. The knocking and ticking sounds became louder while accelerating. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the piston had ingested the grid heater nut. The mechanic replaced the pi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The message, "Turn Off the Vehicle and Stop" was displayed, and the transmission failure warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. Once the vehicle was turned off, the smoke dissipated. The vehicle was towed to t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a coolant leak coming from the engine. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the caus... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started the following day, the rattling sound from the engine compartment returned. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions, and i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
The contact’s daughter owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V080000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and Nissan ID: P4A47 (Turbo Hose). However, the dealer declined to perform the recall repairs because the turbocharger... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, causing the vehicle to idle, the transmission shifted to park(P), and the engine failed to restart independently, and the vehicle turned off unexpectedly. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. Additionally, the vehicle made a clanking ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 3500. 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 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 conta... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot, where a mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the turbocharger had failed, and the engine and turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received a lett... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while opening the door, a cracked fuel injector was spraying gasoline. When the door handle was pulled, an aftermarket module ignited the fuel, causing an explosion and heavy smoke from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer previously for the same issue, but the dealer dismissed... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 3500. 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 dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2026) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH on the interstate, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of engine power and decelerated rapidly, nearly causing an accident. The contact managed to pull off the road, but the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact reported a prior history of excessive oil consumption. During a previous visit to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact was notified of NHSTA campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the recall remedy was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded the reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an internal engine failure due to connecting rod bearing failure. The failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign: 23V751000 ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V080000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), the vehicle experienced stalling and shuddering failures during acceleration. The contact believed that the recall repair failed to correct the safety issue. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not not... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine was overheating while white exhaust smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the vehicle decelerated and was sluggish while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 10, 2026
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned, and the engine failed to immediately restart after depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. On one occasion, the engine failed to restart, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagno... Read more