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: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (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 contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or accelerating from 0 - 25 MPH, the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the engine overheated while parked, with the message "Engine Temperature too High - Do not Drive - Allow Engine to Cool Down" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where the spark plugs and battery were replaced, however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, where it was diag... Read more
MINI
COUNTRYMAN
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 31, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Lexus LX 600. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer because the contact was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact was provided a loaner vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had ex... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the vents, with the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several oil changes were needed. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the oil levels were constantly low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
The contact's daughter owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 40 MPH, the engine froze for two minutes. The oil light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was undriveable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); but the recall repair was decline... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, unknown warning lights were suddenly illuminated, indicating that the engine was overheating. The message instructed the driver to shut off the vehicle immediately. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle, and it was discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was towed to a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while traveling out of state. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating, and a coolant leak was discovered. During the failure, the check engine warning light was displayed, and the message "A/C Off Due to High Engine Temp" was displayed even though the A/C was not activated. The temperature gauge was elevated, creating a risk that the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 40 MPH and failed to properly accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-65 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine caused by a crack in the engine block. The mechanic informed the c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Please see attachment
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to Meineke Car Care Center and was diagnosed and determined that the coolant pipe needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact a request for a Goodwill servic... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start for approximately 30 minutes. Additionally, while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked, the engine overheated, and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 15 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily. The vehicle was then driven for one mile to the mother's residence. The dealer was conta... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 30, 2026
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a low rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon checking the oil, the contact found the oil level was low and added approximately two quarts of oil. The contact stated that 2-quarts of oil were added monthly because the oil level and consistently low. However, there were ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle but was unable to shift to drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure the vehicle was taken to a dealer for se... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was started. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was di... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Enclave. The vehicle was reversed out of the driveway; however, after shifting into drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked, vibrated, and the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. After several minutes, the vehicle functioned as intended. A short distance later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine made an abnormal sound. The contact turned off the vehicle to let it cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic, who de... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine revved, and while idling, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with bearing damage caused by a defective connecting rod and rod bearings, which caused the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon purchasing the vehicle and driving to the residence, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a code reader and retrieved DTC: P0420 (Catalytic Converter). The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); and four ot... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing oil, and the engine was running rough. There was an abnormal burning odor after driving the vehicle. The vehicle received an oil change; however, two weeks later, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was determined the oil level was approximately 2 quarts low, and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption. An oil consumption test and combustion cleaning were performed; however, t... Read more
THOR MOTOR COACH
PALLADIUM
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the recall inspection, and no repair was needed. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, five months later, the engine seized in the middle of... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). After retrieving the vehicle, there was an audible tinging sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the tires neede... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was successfully restarted and moved over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket, a misfire in the engine, and coolant mixing with the engine oil; however, the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact researched and confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. T... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel, the vehicle stalled. The failure also occurred while making a turn from a complete stop. The vehicle was restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer informed the contact that no failure was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aw... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer contacted the manufacturer and was helped in diagnosing the vehicle. The dealer replaced the front brakes on several occasions and replaced the rear brakes once. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the VANOS bolts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: S... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the engine failed after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Hot Oil Shutting Down" was displayed. The contact coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating and was parked until the engine cooled down. ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle bucked abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. While the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The sound was intermittent but frequent. The vehicle stalled intermittently with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the vehicle needed to be taken to a d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the A/C system became inoperable. Additionally, the engine fan activated and remained activated even after the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving. The contact related the failure to GM Special Coverage Number: N252... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that after exiting the freeway, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, the vehicle vibrated, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to pull into a gas station but instead pulled over to the side of the r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #4 misfire, a knock sensor, and bearing clearance measurement failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty because the warranty was on the vehicle ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud banging coming from the engine, and the low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notificatio... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Corsair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part for 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 informed. The contact had not experienced a failure.
TOYOTA
RAV4 HYBRID
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was discovered that the engine oil level was extremely low. The dealer kept the vehicle for nine months and performed an oil change. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH in Canada, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact exited the highway and pulled over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the engine compartment but could not find a failure. The vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 25-30 MPH while driving. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) and 26V101000 (SUSPENSION). The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The battery warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The message that the engine was overheating warning was flashing on the instrument panel with an audible chime. The contact pulled over but was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The con... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 250+
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The cont... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Oct 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle became disabled. A diagnostic scan tool indicated a cam phaser failure. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the engine was loud and was shaking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with timing chain failure. The vehicle was not repaired... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine warning light was illuminated when the oil level was extremely low. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with TSB: 19-2365 (Excessive Oil Consumption). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted and suggested a diagno... Read more