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: Nov 7, 2022
Check engine light came on and vehicle began to have issues with transmission
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and conf... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the coolant warning light illuminated. The contact was informed that the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to approximately 15 MPH. The contact stated that his daughter pulled off the roadway and turned the vehicle off. The contact drove out to his daughter and jumpstarted the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500.The contact received notifications 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. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V757000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that prior to taking the vehicle to the dealer he used a code reader to diagnose the vehicle and retrieved DTC codes: P0299 and P2D2F. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the EGR valve was replaced; however, after retrieving the vehicle, the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was sputtering and needed several attempts to start. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The service engine warning light illuminated, and the engine was overheating. The contact pulled over, turned off the vehicle, and had the vehicle towe... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Aug 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir burst open. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the coolant and hose. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to shake violently with white smoke coming from the exhaust. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, causing coolant to leak into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle overheated, lost motive power, and stalled. While driving, there was an abnormal clucking noise detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the axle bolt and spacer were missing. Additionally, the exhaust s... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure reoccurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the alternator and determined that the catalytic converter was overheating. The alternator was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine misfired. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that coolant was intruding into the engine cylinder. The mechanic retrieved codes: P0304-00 and P0316-00. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was dete... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the temperature gauge started climbing into the high temperature and then went below the normal engine temperature and then fluctuated. There was a message to stop and turn off the vehicle due to the engine temperature. The contact had take... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the temperature gauge started rising quickly. The engine overheated message was displayed. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer who diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking into the cylinders and might have been caused by a defective head gasket. The dealer was unable to identify the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving normally; however, when the vehicle was started in the morning, the vehicle was idling rough for approximately 5 minutes. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined tha... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle had experienced rough idling and was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that engine coolant was present inside cylinder #3. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the local dealer for service. After retrieving the vehicle, while driving approximately 25 MPH, the message "Engine Over... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure ... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 22V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time fo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started shaking violently. There was no warning light illuminated. The following day upon start the vehicle, the "high engine temperature, stop safely" message was displayed. The contact stated that thick white smoke was coming from the tailpipe. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
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 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 re... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2011) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was hesitant to turn on. The contact also heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a dealer and the contact was informed that a coolant leak was the cause for the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2020
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose a failure but advised the contact that a replacement battery was required. The v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a red light, the engine failed to immediately restart with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. During the failure an orange warning light illuminated, and the vehicle momentarily shut off before restarting independently. The failure occurred on several occasions, causing the vehicle to drift backwards while ... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle began shaking abnormally. On another occasion, while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that at the initial start-up, while the vehicle was idling there was a clicking sound coming from the driver’s side front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure started after receiving an oil change and tire rotation. The contact was informed that the failure was related to TSB: 23-2052 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, t... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle also started sputtering. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby certified mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump h... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2010) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the coolant was added, there was condensation underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and vehicle started to hesitate while driving. The contact also stated that there was heavy white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, which caused engine damage. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle hesitated and started to shake. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant had leaked into... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The contact added coolant, but the coolant continued leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic could not find a coolant leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the overheated engine message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to steer the vehicle off the roadway, but the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the v... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle overheated. The temperature gauge increased to the high engine temperature level. There was an abnormal beeping sound detected. The contact noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty and added coolant. The contact stated that the next day there was coolant on the garage floor. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact stated while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, a message indicating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The contact's son pulled to the side of the road, added a gallon of coolant to the vehicle a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2021
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 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2009) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 14, 2023
Incident date: Feb 15, 2017
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the coolant warning light was frequently illuminated due to low coolant. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine hose and other engine parts were replaced. Despite the repair, the coolant light returned soon after the initial repair. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where the failure was link... Read more
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 14, 2023
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
The contact's granddaughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed then the vehicle overheated. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that his granddaughter stopped the vehicle and then turned off and parked the vehicle t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #2 was misfiring. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where cylinder #2 spark plug and the ignition coil were replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The message "Low Coolant" was disp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35–40 MPH, the engine was overheating. There was fluid leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump was leaking. Additionally, antifreeze was leaking from the vehicle. The contact was informed that ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 13, 2023
Incident date: Sep 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the engine revved while the vehicle was idling. The contact stated that the failure recurred while at a complete stop at a traffic light, and the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Vehicle purchase July 20th 2023 with new oil change per Carvana. On August 7th 2023, check engine light appears. Car was taken to a local shop. No oil and some other issues found. "Issues fixed.". On September 13th oil light comes on. Again, taken to car shop, no oil. Oil topped off again. Car is not maintaining oil.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Vehicle purchase July 20th 2023 with new oil change per Carvana. On August 7th 2023, check engine light appears. Car was taken to a local shop. No oil and some other issues found. "Issues fixed.". On September 13th oil light comes on. Again, taken to car shop, no oil. Oil topped off again. Car is not maintaining oil.
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after reversing out of the driveway and then accelerating forward at approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The speed was reduced to approximately 20 MPH and the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The check engine warning light started blinking. The contact stated that while on the way to the dealer, while the ve... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The contact called on behalf of his daughter-in-law who owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle owner had been adding a quart of oil to the vehicle every week. The contact's mechanic informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2022
Not to long after I purchased the car I have to put oil in the car every 4 to 5 weeks.Sometimes the motor sounds like it’s going to blow.The car slows down and sounds loud.Never once has a oil light turned on.When I checked the oil it doesn’t appear on the stick.
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
Not to long after I purchased the car I have to put oil in the car every 4 to 5 weeks.Sometimes the motor sounds like it’s going to blow.The car slows down and sounds loud.Never once has a oil light turned on.When I checked the oil it doesn’t appear on the stick.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. On two other occasions, the vehicle shut off and the driver was able to steer the vehicle off the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was no oil in the engine. The independent mechanic in... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The engine reduced power warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle decelerated to 5 MPH and the contact was able to pull over. The driver allowed the vehicle to cool down. The vehicle was restated; however, the warning lights remained ill... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast off the roadway. The contact unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after numerous attempts. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. T... Read more