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: Feb 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into an Advance Auto, where the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that she continued driving. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact depressed the brake peda... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 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 driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding soun... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Apr 12, 2016
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that heavy, black smoke would emit from the tailpipe upon the start of the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the diagnostic test showed that the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of en... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and smoke came from the exhaust pipe. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservo... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Mar 4, 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unstated wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that before receiving the recall notice, the oil pump had failed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had no parts to complete the recall repair. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone where it was diagnosed and determined that cylinder #3 had misfired and the vehicle was low on coolant. The contact refilled the coolant... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact became aware of an oil leak coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that oil had leaked into the coolant tank. The dealer was then notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle inspected. The manufacturer wa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle was blowing cold air while the heater was activated. The contact then inspected the coolant level and discovered that it was low and added a gallon of antifreeze. No warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned that a gallon of antifreeze needed to be added every week. The vehicle was taken to an independent m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Apr 2, 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 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 driving at ap... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 5-10 MPH, the message "Engine Fault - Service Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two months later while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to an ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 8, 2024
Incident date: Jan 8, 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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount ... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 8, 2024
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the fob and the heat did not work as intended. The contact stated that the heater blew out cold air in some vents and heat in others and the key fob would not connect to the vehicle. The contact stated that the che... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 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 brake pedal was depressed;... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 8, 2024
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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 when the vehicle was started, there was a rattling sound coming from the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
The contact's daughter 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 while her daughter was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the si... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Genesis G90. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, the vehicle was idling rough and shaking. The vehicle restarted; however, the shaking failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V107000 (Electrical System) and 24V191000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal rumbling sound was coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that there was a defect with the engine. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal roaring sound. The check engine and low engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not dia... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred when the vehicle was started, and the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who observed that the engine was knocking, and diagnosed a ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked or hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, there was a loud clanking noise coming from the engine. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle immediately. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repair... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 5, 2024
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65-70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for a while. The contact stated that while continuing to drive, the warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact stated that approximately two days after the first failure, the failure reoccurred; a... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 5, 2024
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted and was towed to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinders, resulting in engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and conf... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a shredded timing belt, the screen on the oil pump was clogged, and no oil pressure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact discover... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine ... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not immediately accelerate, and the transmission experienced hard shifting. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, an unknown message and warning light were illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact waited 4 hours for the vehicle to cool down and then refilled the vehicle with coolant before successfully restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to thre... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, after which the vehicle entered LIMP Mode and lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle near the oil pan. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that oil was leaking out of the oil pan, onto parts that were extremely hot causing a burning odor. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pan was leakin... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 4, 2024
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that oil was leaking from the turbocharger. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for repair. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
The contact stated the 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to inspect the vehicle and found that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant was leaking from the turbo and advised the vehicle to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 5-10 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the contact stated that the brake pedal fractured, causing her right foot to go through the pedal. The contact sustained whiplash, and cuts and bruises o... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 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 contact stated that while his son-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to an BMW certified mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the oil pressure and check engine warning ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and an audible chime was heard. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking, and the temperature gauge needle was reading "HOT". The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the audible chime sound was h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to overheat. The contact was able to move the vehicle to the shoulder before taking the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer determined there was a crack in cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be rep... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 4, 2024
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The contact’s son owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shifted into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the knock sensor warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed and cleared the LIMP Mode status for the vehicle to be driven to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle was still losing motive power... Read more