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: Jun 29, 2022
My car began to overheat and enter limp mode, when diagnosed the codes that appeared correlated directly with a safety recall issued in 2017. I brought my car to ford 2x to have them service the recall. I was given my car back, with the check engine light on and still overheating.i went to another dealership, who diagnosed my car again and I paid 712$ for a “water outlet connector “ and this d... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at unknown speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was losing coolant, but there was no evidence of a coolant leak. Additionally, the defroster was not operating as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine and the engine needed to b... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
G550
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2023
Incident date: Oct 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil with the oil warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to shudder and made an abnormal sound from the engine compartment before briefly losing motive power. However, after releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mecha... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2023
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined coolant intrusion had caused damages to... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered a misfire in cylinder #3, as well as a minor oil leak. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine and coolant warning lights both flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back t... Read more
LAND ROVER
LR4
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 6, 2023
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal coolant consumption. The contact stated that she placed a cardboard underneath the vehicle to check for coolant leaks; however, there was no leak. Additionally, the contact stated that she had noticed that there was oil intrusion into the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who in... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 6, 2023
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and reversing, the vehicle suddenly overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine cylinders. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and declined to repair the vehicle under the Third-P... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that oil had leaked into the engine coolant. Due to the failure, the oil cooler was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an oil consumption test was performed. The test sho... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and would not properly accelerate. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that there was coolant present inside the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet rep... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the PCM was reset. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the oil light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, whe... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while at the traffic light, the auto Stop-Start feature turned off the engine; however, the engine failed to restart. The message "Stop-Start Unavailable" was displayed. The contact restarted the vehicle and manually disengaged the auto Stop-Start feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 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 not yet available. 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 iss... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was chugging. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following day, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not rep... Read more
CHEVROLET
MALIBU HYBRID
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 3, 2023
Incident date: May 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that at start-up, the vehicle was idling very rough. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and hesitated while accelerating. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer. The contact was informed that the failure was due to coolant leaking into cylinde... Read more
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 3, 2023
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving out of a parking lot, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the engine made an abnormally loud sound. The contact's daughter parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. Additionally, the temperature gauge was rising. The contact pulled to the side of the road and waited for the vehicle to cool down before taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was informed that the failure was due to c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact could coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump. The vehicle was not repaired... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
My 2017 Ford Edge has a coolant leak into cyllinder 4 of the engine, which requires an entire replacement of the engine (approx $8k cost + labor). This is a clearly known issue (just a few links below but many other issues on google) and should require a recall. It does not seem fair for there to be a known issue like this and to expect Ford customers to pay out of pocket. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
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 not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 2, 2023
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
2017 Ford Edge Eco Boost - 75,300 miles (low) (purchased new) My vehicle had a rough start one morning, the next day the check engine light came on. I took it to the Ford Dealership and they said there was COOLANT INTRUSION in CYLINDERS #2 and #4 which had caused catastrophic engine failure. Full replacement is needed. This is a known issue, an engine defect the mechanic said. There have been ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 65 MPH. The check engine warning light and wrench symbol warning were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the hose and gasket on the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 2, 2023
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an auto parts store that used a handheld scanner and determined that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer due to engine failure. The contact stated that the engine failure wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving on the highway the vehicle failed to exceed 60 MPH. The vehicle then decelerated to 35 MPH independently and was sluggish. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that she continued driving with the hazard lights activated because the vehicle failed to exceed 37 MPH. T... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 1, 2023
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. There were no visible coolant leaks. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the vehicle. The check engine and power train malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact detected an abnormal odor of antifreeze inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after moving the vehicle in the driveway, she became aware of a puddle of coolant had formed under the engine compartment. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir and noticed that a puddle had formed. The contact stated later while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the temperature warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started overheating. The message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact then added coolant to the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel became firm, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle after 3 attempts. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine block was fractured and there was coolant intrusio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact reset the check engine warning light however, the light became illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the engine oil was low and needed to be topped off. Additionally, the dealer offered to perform an oil ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough starts with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and that the engine needed to be replaced. The eng... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning was illuminated. The contact pulled over and was able to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the catalytic conv... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing coolant, but there were no visible coolant leaks. The engine and temperature gauge warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, she noticed white smoke coming from the two exhaust tips. The co... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine was overheating. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The message to “Pull Over Safely” was displayed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle overheated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat sensor, temperature gauge, radiator, and starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle continu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, with the engine overheating and the message Cylinder Number One Misfire was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that coolant was present inside cylinder #1 and the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not yet re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer where the mechanic discovered a loss of compression in cylinder #6. The contact was also informed that the engine needed t... Read more
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 27, 2023
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle overheated while driving and while idling. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal coolant consumption. The contact had been adding coolant to the vehicle after 5 miles. The contact stated that the failure was persisten... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was hesitating with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust system. Additionally, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the air ... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 26, 2023
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine shuddered after startup. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and discovered coolant was present inside cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet re... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The service engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil consumption test and oil change. The contact stated that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there was an unknown fluid leaking from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aw... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when she arrived at her destination, she became aware that the engine fan was blowing abnormally loud. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed thermostat and thermostat sensor. The contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact smelled fumes coming from the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the coolant was leaking onto the floor. The Engine Service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aw... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Additionally, the seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an oil change was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had consumed two quarts of engine oil. The oil consumption test was completed. The vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. Additionally, the contact observed condensation under the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on several occasions where it... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started to shake. The contact allowed the vehicle to idle for one minute before driving. The battery and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. Additionally, the contact stated ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact's son owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the transmission started slipping. The vehicle was not shifting into the intended gear as designed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The engine overheated and pull over safely messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a radiat... Read more