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: Jan 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,279.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 12, 2026
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the speedometer started malfunctioning, and the check engine warning light was flashing. There was an abnormal burning odor, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down for an hour. While attempting to restart the vehicle, severa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Lexus LX 600. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that the remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer and the manufacturer offered a stipend for a rental. The contact deferred on renting a vehicle. The contact stated that t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer and was advised that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had been changing the oil every 3,0... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V657000 (Back Over Prevention), 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting), and 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts 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 contact stated that whi... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 12, 2026
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle stalled. The battery, check engine, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was prov... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 335i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera screen displayed a pixelated image. In addition, the contact stated that occasionally the rear-view camera screen displayed a white screen. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased for redesigning into an RV for traveling purposes. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate roughly. The contact felt the vibration in the steering wheel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact slowed down and pulled off the roadway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to shift to drive(D); however, the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and w... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the abnormal sound and the illuminated check engine warning light was unknown. The contact was notified of an unknown... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was suddenly displayed. While attempting to stop, the brake pedal was extremely difficult to depress, and the braking distance was extended. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump had failed and needed to be rep... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that similar vehicles were known for excessive oil consumption. The contact was adding oil every 500 - 1,000 miles driven, because the message "Engine Oil Low - Add Oil" would be displayed o... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle indicated that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that the dipstick was dry. The contact was concerned because oil had been added to the vehicle four months earlier, in October 2025. The dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The oil level was toppe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that immediately after purchasing the vehicle, the vehicle experienced several electrical failures, including the On-Star module malfunctioning. The On-Star module was replaced twice. During the failures, the cruise control feature became inoperable, and the computer updates were not received. Additionally, the battery became drained s... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light and attempting to make a left turn on an exit, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact called 911 and the Fire Department; however, there was no fire. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine and starter needed... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was unresponsive while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle revved but failed to respond properly. The vehicle gradually reached 45 MPH, and then the check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated before the vehicle started losing motive power. The vehicle was unable... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The check engine and traction sensor warning lights were illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and there was a popping sound coming from the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence, the contact exited the vehicle and discovered white smoke coming from the exhaust and started to smell coolant and then discovered that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant, and the check engine war... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2025
The contact owned a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously sustained undercarriage damage while driving at 20 MPH and hitting a pothole. The undercarriage was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. A coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into the Walmart parking lo... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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 aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost drive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. There was white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was first towed to an independent mechanic, but it was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then towed to t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started running rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC: P0302 (Misfire in Cylinder #2). The vehicle was taken to another independent me... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to safely get the vehicle to the right side of the road and noticed smoke coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the turbocharger... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost power. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence and then was towed to the dealer, who refused to repair the vehicle under recall because the vehicle had failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting) and 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a rough idle code, and that the thermostat coolant housing had failed. The contact was provided DTC codes: B1A76 with failure Code 0X15 (pending), P... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the oil level was topped off. The dealer requested that the contact return every 1,000 miles for inspection. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer every 1,000 miles. The check engine warning light was illumi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owned a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH on the highway, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that there was a significant amount of smoke inside the vehicle. It was unknown whether a warning light illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that there were police officers 20 ft. away from the vehicl... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that when he had parked the vehicle at work, he had heard an abnormal clicking sound from the engine compartment, and the vehicle was idling roughly. The contact stated that as he drove the vehicle back to his residence at approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning started flashing on the instrument cluster. The contact drove the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that since the purchase of the vehicle, the transmission had failed three times. The transmission had been replaced three time... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted several times for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to vee... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Quest. The contact stated that while at a red light, once the light turned green, the contact had to depress the accelerator pedal several times, and 5 seconds afterward,s the vehicle accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated; however, the "Low Coolant" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), but the failure occurred. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle had passed inspection, and the dealer added a higher viscosity oil, installed 6 oil fill caps, and replaced the oil filter. The contact stated that six... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 6, 2026
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs 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 reaso... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a Jiffy Lube, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine oil cooler line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced at the local dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). After retrieving the vehicle and driving approximately 10 miles down the road, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was d... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the camera had stopped operating in 2024. Additionally, the contact had stopped driving the vehicle due to a recent recall letter received for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact made several calls to... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming 2-3 quarts of oil every 5,000 miles driven. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be a charge for an oil consumption test. The contact declined to pay a fee for the oil consumption test. The vehicle was no... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2026
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 60-70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving in the mountains, the message "Engine Malfunction-Losing Power" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2010
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered a coolant leak underneath the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2026
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that after adding a quart of oil, the contact became aware that almost every three weeks there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine was consuming an excessive amo... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2025
See attached document for complaint. Greetings: I am writing pursuant to recalls No. 24V‑608, both remedy unavailable and remedy available, ten months later. During the intervening ten months, I experienced hardship, expense and loss of use of my vehicle. The attached documents represent my correspondence to BMW Customer relations. The docs were submitted on September 22, 2025 and October 14,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that there was an abnormal engine knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were recurring oil leaks and a misfire coming from the engine. The engine warning light was flashing. Additionally, the ESC, hill start assist, VSA, EPS, and steering low warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirm... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2026
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the instrument cluster went black, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled but almost immediately restarted. The contact was able to keep driving, but the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a loca... Read more