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: Dec 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle started stalling. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery had failed. The contact stated that the batter... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a rough start, and the temperature gauge was fluctuating. Additionally, an unknown triangle warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact became aware that the coolant level was significantly low, and that the vehicle was overheating while activating the heater. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the heating and A/C units had increased to high levels. The defroster was fogging up the windshields. The driver had a limited visibility of the roadway. Additionally, the vehicle was running hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 27, 2023
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the engine was running rough. Additionally, the contact stated that she was continually refilling the coolant reservoir due to an excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak. The contact was informed that the engine needed to... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle was idling rough with an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that after the engine had warmed up, the rough idling ceased; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures, including that door erroneously locking and unlocking and the Lane Departure safety feature malfunctioning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the electronic body control module was faulty. After removing and reinstalling the module, the vehicle was repaire... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the excessive engine temperature message was displayed. The contact looked under the hood and became aware that the coolant reservoir cap was disengaged. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V75... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a bolt had fractured in the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the engine. While at the local dealer, the inspector noticed t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to coast off the roadway. While at a stop, the vehicle stalled upon acceleration. Upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to shake. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was referred to... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a significant amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. Af... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine and low engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that an unknown fluid had leak and damaged the elec... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 25 MPH. The contact arrived at her destination and later drove the vehicle to a dealer. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the connecting rod bearing was defective. The contact was instructed to no longer drive the vehicle. Upon investigation, the cont... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, coolant leaked onto the front passenger’s side floorboard. The contact stated that the coolant leak was underneath the glove compartment area. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was advised to have the vehicle taken to the Volkswagen dealer. The contact visited... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximat... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and he lost motive power. The contact stated that the power steering and power brakes were not functioning. The contact to pulled off the highway and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, there was only a clicking sou... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 20, 2023
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The contact stated that the engine had seized. The low-oil pressure message was displayed. The driver pulled over, checked underneath the hood, and noticed there was an oil leak. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the failure was due to ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling roughly. Additionally, the accelerator pedal was depressed and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the knocking became faster and louder whi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's husband coasted the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The contact's husband attempted to shift the vehicle into different gears; however, the vehicle remained in neutral(N). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed with transmission fail... Read more
DUNLOP
GRANDTREK PT21
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 20, 2023
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
A gasket failed which allowed coolant to leak into the engine. Due to lack of coolant, two of the cylinder heads cracked and warping of the engine block occurred. No coolant in the engine could result in a engine seizure or fire which poses an extreme risk to one's safety. The check engine light came almost immediately before the cylinders started to misfire. 11/25/2023. The vehicle and co... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
Coolant all over everything! Mechanics will not touch it. Constantly adding coolant. Can’t drive far. Without overheating. Cracked heater core less then 90,000 miles
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
Coolant all over everything! Mechanics will not touch it. Constantly adding coolant. Can’t drive far. Without overheating. Cracked heater core less then 90,000 miles
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, he observed a ticking sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle started to lose motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to the rod bearing fracturing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
My 2016 Ford Edge with 86k miles encountered a well-known EcoBoost engine problem (TSB 22-2229) where there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder causing a rough start and codes P0302 (cylinder #2 misfire) and P1316 (misfire in first 1000 RPM). My understanding is that this problem can potentially lead to an engine fire. The dealership I bought the Edge from replaced the engine block at my expen... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
Purchase car in 2019. 4 years later my car is overheating due to a cylinder crack. No recall was found using my vin number but with a cylinder crack and car overheating this is a safety issue.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Purchase car in 2019. 4 years later my car is overheating due to a cylinder crack. No recall was found using my vin number but with a cylinder crack and car overheating this is a safety issue.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 18, 2023
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Coolant Low message was displayed. The contact needed to add coolant every other day; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to locate the coolant leak. The mechanic also determined that oil was leaking from the valve cover. The valve cover gasket w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the oil level was low however, the contact found no indication of an oil leak. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle was smoking. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an internal oil leak. The mechanic added oil to the vehicle. The vehicle was not ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had illuminated. Additionally, coolant needed to be added to the vehicle more frequently than normal. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop sign, there was a large amount of white smoke coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle to allow the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal sound detected before the failure occurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was recommended that the engine and the oil pump needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle idled rough, and the contact observed white smoke coming from the exhaust. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the nearby residence. The contact stated that her husband used an OBD reader to diagnose the vehicle and determined that cylinder #5 was misfiring. The contact stated that her husband replaced the fuel pum... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated when she started the vehicle, the vehicle lurched forward when shifted into reverse and then stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH with his 5-year-old son in the rear passenger’s seat, the vehicle lost motive power intermittently. Additionally, the RPMs were fluctuating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking spot. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for repair, he was informed that the camshaft bolts were damaged and required replacement. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engin... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
At roughly 54600 miles the engine began to shudder badly when starting the vehicle and driving for the first minute or so. The vehicle produced a check engine light that would come on and then would go off within the same day after it was parked multiple times over several weeks, finally staying on for 2 days. Shuddering from the engine became significantly worse in that time and the check engine ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after having an oil change, the engine seized. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the engine seized. There was an abnormal knocking sound heard. After the failure, several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the en... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 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 at various sp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the "Coolant Level Low," message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that there was a hairline crack in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that there was blueish-colored smoke coming from the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the engine was running rough, and the vehicle was shuddering while driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel system, Diesel) and 23V411000 (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 confirme... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that he was observing that an oil stain was showing on his driveway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the oil filter adapter housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the contact observed that the oil le... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 11, 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 dealer was contacted. 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 tha... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 14, 2023
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump belt had failed, and there were metal shavings in the eng... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 13, 2023
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Driving my car this year in April 2023. My car overheated while driving. I pulled over and checked the coolant it was bone dry, thankfully I had more in my car which I refilled. I brought my car to a friend that was a mechanic and he told me my coolant was leaking into the cylinder. I brought it to the Ford dealership to confirm his findings. I was told the same thing along with I need a nrw engi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption and while operating the vehicle at lower RPM a rattling and pinging sound was coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine and check oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the coil and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact sta... Read more