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
TOYOTA
FJ CRUISER
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 8, 2024
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact waited for a while and then made several attempts to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred frequently and had become more persistent over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
Check engine light keeps turning on and off, took it to Ford to get diagnosed. There’s a coolant leak into the cylinder 2 causing a misfire and a cracked gasket. Whole engine needs to be replaced to fix this issue, over $6500 worth of repairs that I cannot afford and Ford won’t help with costs. My car is still currently drivable but isn’t safe to drive long distance as it could break at any ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power. Additionally, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the warning light and the abnormal ticking sound persisted.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started and was idling rough, with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinders and ... Read more
AUDI
A6 ALLROAD
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the messages "Engine overheating" and "Coolant level low" were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated from 40 MPH to 5 MPH. The contact had coasted to the side of the roadway and waited for approximately an hour for the engine temperature to cool down before continuing to drive. The ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
I was driving down the road, and a wrench symbol came on. Once i cut the car off and drive it the next day the symbol was off. I looked the symbol up online and it stated that it had to due with the powertrain. I made an appointment to the ford dealership here for diagnostic. They just called me and informed me that the vehicle has codes for misfire on start up and a coolant pump issue and that it... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle began to misfire and shake. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the contact stated that while starting the vehicle there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local deale... Read more
KIA
OPTIMA HYBRID
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
Cars is losing antifreeze with no visible leaks in engine compartment or under vehicle. Strong smell emitted around vehicle when driven.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
Engine stalled while driving on highway. Took it to a Kia dealer and had it diagnosed as an engine block/head gasket failure. I have documentation of service. Service document reads “owner states vehicle runs rough when first started and a/c doesnt cool properly, started vehicle, a/c is currently working normally, upon inspection, found coolant about 3/4 gallon low and has bubbles coming up in r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated the A/C, and the heater were inoperable, and there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to a faulty wiring. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the co... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while stopped at the traffic light, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road, and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined tha... 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) 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 vehicle was idling at a red light, the vehicle started shaking a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 128I. 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: Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, he noticed that coolant was leaking significantly onto the ground. The contact stated that he added coolant to the vehicle and drove to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinder head plug was fractured. The mechanic determined that ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45-50 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's wife was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump had seized, causing the engine to seize due to the pre... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 3, 2024
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated while driving 55-70 MPH, the rattling sound became worse. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed cam phasers and that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was n... Read more
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY SPORT
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 3, 2024
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated that while starting and while driving, there was an abnormal exhaust odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound that lasted for 2-3 minutes after the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagn... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence and called an independent mechanic to diagnose the vehicle at the residence. The contact stated that the mechanic determined that the head gasket w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
Bought the car for my son August 2. The engine light came on the end of October, the Ford dealer was backed up once they took a look at it in the beginning of November. They told me I needed a whole new engine due to a coolant intrusion problem. Where I bought the car from state it came with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty but warranty company is not covering that issue. This should be a recall an... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that they noticed that the amount of mileage they should be able to drive was significantly lower than what was stated when manufactured. When they initially started the vehicle, it would display a rough start, and a cloud of white smoke would come from the fuel pipe from the rear. The check engine light had illuminated. The contact was infor... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the coolant level was abnormally low. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the EGR cooler was replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V757000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a second deale... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, white smoke started coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test; however, the diagnostic test was not performed. A friend later informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V779... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Audi A6. The contact stated that he became aware that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure, but an oil consumption test was not performed on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 65-68 MPH, the EPC and the check engine warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle started shuddering. Th... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 2, 2024
Incident date: Jan 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a rattling and knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that engine cam phaser started but was not fired up and the contact was able to drive the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 2, 2024
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contacted stated that there was an abnormal oil and gasoline odor coming through the vents. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed, but not repaired. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
My vehicle has the 2.0 Ecoboost 2018 engine has developed a misfire in the number 2 cylinder. Vehicle is at a Ford dealership engine block has a manufactured defect coolant leaking into cylinder. I purchased lifetime power train warranty no Ford is trying to refuse to repair because. I performed some of the oil changes on the vehicle. Oil has nothing to do with the defective engine block or head o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the temperature gauge increased rose to an elevated level. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing coolant. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant and water intrusion in cylinder #3, which ca... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
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 his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost mo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75-77 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump tensioner had failed, causing the engine failure. The dealer determined that the ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated with a message indicating that the engine was overheating. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (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 stalled and lost motive... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was running rough. Additionally, the A/C was making a loud squealing sound while activated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the coolant level was low. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer it was purchased ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed cam phasers and that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A8. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the contact had scheduled three separate appointments with a dealer and was cancelled after each scheduled appointment. 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: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 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 repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine temperature gauge stated that the engine was overheated. Upon inspection it was discovered that the coolant level was low. Coolant was added but the failure reoccurred approximately one week later. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinder an... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E300
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 28, 2023
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45–55 MPH, the low-pressure oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine had failed, and that the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 RAM 1500. The contact vehicle is related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel system diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and engine cooling). VIN tool confirms there was 2 recalls at this time. However, the contact was driving up an incline at 65mph when the vehicle loss power. There was a strong odor and smoke was observed coming from the back of the vehicle. There was... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact initially discovered that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant level was low; however, the contact later discovered that the coolant level was low again soon after topping off the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the check e... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Mass Air Flow Sensor" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that he smelled a burning odor and noticed that black smoke was coming from underneath the hood. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 230I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and the vehicle was restarted and the coolant level dropped dramatically. The vehicle was driven to the residence and coolant was added. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, he observed a gushing sound coming from underneath th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns 2018 Ford Escape. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was noticed that the vehicle had a coolant leak. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted by the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact stopped and refilled the coolant reservoir bottle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed water pump. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the fail... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 28, 2023
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that an unknown cylinder was misfiring. An unknown repair was performed; however, the failure recurred while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving and coming to a complete stop, the heater started blowing cold air. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the oil. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle ... Read more