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 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH in cold weather, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, the contact received no response. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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 stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illumi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2020
My vehicle has been maintained by the dealer and myself for the 87800 miles that have been put on it. I purchased the vehicle in August of 2016 brand new with 34 miles on it. The motor has a manufacturing defect, the block was built in the same plant (Hermosillo, HERMOSILLO, MEXICO)that other Ecoboost motors were built in that were recalled for the coolant leaking into cylinders via a "fix" which... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling roughly and emitting white smoke from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into one of the cylinders. The cylin... Read more
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 28, 2024
Incident date: Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, he observed smoke coming from the exhaust pipe with an abnormal burning odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion had caused the engine to become blown and that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The service engine soon message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle lost oil pressure, and the drive belt went into the timing chain. The engine was replace... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the low oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving the vehicle, there was a clicking noise coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to the residence. The contact later took the vehicle to a BMW Specialist, who d... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
E-GOLF
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 28, 2024
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 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 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 speed, the low oil warning light illumin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact stated that she observed plumes of smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the conta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2021
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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
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 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 speed, the check engine warning light an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
Head gasket failure allowing coolant to leak into cylinder 1. Starts rough, but could result in lost of power or engine failure while driving. Ford dealer has confirmed the issue and said this shouldn't happen to a car with only 77,500 miles on it (2017 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 2.3L Ecoboost 4 cyl. engine). Have to repair or replace engine depending upon the extend of damage.
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle restarted but shut off again. The check engine and oil warning lights illuminated upon restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The Police arrived on the scene and had the vehicle towed to a parking lot. The contact's son, an independent mechanic, later arrived and determined that the engine was faulty. The contact stated that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle briefly sputtered before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Afte... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving into the driveway and pressing the brake pedal, the braking system malfunctioned and the vehicle failed to stop before crashing into the side of the home. During the crash no injuries were reported, no police report was taken and the brick wall was damaged. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the engine was empty of engine oil a week after an oil change. After oil was added, the contact's husband observed that a quart of oil had been consumed in a few days. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that excessive oil sludge and hard carbon build-up was in the valve and stems. The contac... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 27, 2024
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil change was performed. The dealer diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later rec... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH and slowing to exit a highway while turning to the right on the exit ramp the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering failed, and extra force was needed to turn the steering wheel. The contact did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stopped and turned off ... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown due to the oil pump failure. The vehicle was repaired under warranty; however, the contact w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. After the vehicle had be... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While the contact's wife was driving at a moderate rate of speed, the check engine warning light initially flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed which showed several defective engine sensors. As the contact's wife proceeded to drive home, several additional messages appeared on ... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 26, 2024
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump tensioner belt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure bu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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 stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. 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
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 26, 2024
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming approximately two quarts of oil every 2,000 miles driven. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon further inspection of the vehicle, the contact also discovered that gasoline had escaped from the fuel cylinder and had leaked into the crankcase. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2024
Engine light started coming on and off and it started to run rough on startup. I took it in for servicing and was told coolant was leaking into the engine. Following the inspection, car now runs very rough and I am not longer safe to drive it. The repair is $8000! Ford offered to pay $3000 of that -- not good enough considering that the car has 50910 miles on it and has had all recommended servi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact 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 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 while driving approximately ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion in the engine had caused engine damage. The dealer informed the contact that it was a common failure and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. Additionally, the oil pressure and service engine warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the turbo charger and the catalytic converter, but the failure persis... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 23, 2024
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact 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 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. The contact had experienced a failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the engine. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Camp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
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 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 speed, the vehicle made a clicking so... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2017
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his son was driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormal pop and rattling sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who completed a diagnostic test, and retrieved unknown fault codes, and referred the contact t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 23, 2024
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and co... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that occasionally the engine would misfire while starting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had a warped cylinder head, causing the misfire due to leaking coolant intrusion... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving he observed a rattling noise emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 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 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 of the issue. The contact stated that while his wife was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The Low Engine Oil message was displayed. The contact pulled over at a gas station and turned off the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the engine oil level was low and added more engine oil. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 23, 2024
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The low oil pressure, the check engine, and the battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed. The dealer determined that the fa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
The contact owned a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed reading "Low Oil Pressure," after which the vehicle lost significant motive power and was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the timing solenoid and oil p... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Coolant system is experiencing major leak at the coolant stand pipe. Also vehicle is reading a protection code and vehicle appears to be overheating but it's not. Coolant leak is seeping onto the belts and hoses that were also replaced. Engine seals have also leaked and have been recently replaced se... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Valvoline, where an oil change was performed, but the failure recurred several days later. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed tha... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 22, 2024
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
At 100,000 miles the vehicle has experienced coolant intrusion in the engine resulting in the engine being seized. I was told by the Ford service rep that this is a known issue on this vehicle, but there is no type of warranty offered.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that 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 there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was also determined ... Read more