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: May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact waited for an hour before adding coolant and restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no coolant in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who found coolant in one of ... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2023
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine coolant above temperature message was displayed with an abnormal booming sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was noti... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced rough starting and upon inspection it was discovered that the engine coolant was low. Later while driving, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion inside cylinder #1, and the engine might need to be replaced. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, she noticed an abnormally strong burning odor coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had previously repaired the vehicle for a similar failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engin... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2023
The contact owned a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he turned on the heater and became aware of smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle then started to overheat, and the coolant temperature warning light and the check engine warning illuminated. The contact stated that he veered off the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact then st... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked onto the spark plugs, and cylinder #3 was misfiring. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was tak... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle started shaking and the engine overheated. The contact veered to the side of the road and antifreeze was added to the reservoir. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze while parked or while driving. The check engine warning light was illumi... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to approximately 45 MPH for approximately 3 seconds, hesitated, and then stalled. The contact stated that before the vehicle stalled, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving and while at a complete stop, she noticed an abnormal burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the third brake light assembly had melted. The mechanic replaced the third brake light assembly; however, the burning odor persisted. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that on several occasions after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled more frequently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block and a misf... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "Electrical Default, Service Engine Soon and Engine Coolant Overheating" messages were displayed. Also, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated, and steam was coming from under the hood. The vehicle began to lose power and the power steering malfunctioned. The vehicle was later tow... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to jerk and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure recurred several times while driving, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer... Read more
MICHELIN
PILOT SPORT PS2
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 9, 2023
Incident date: May 8, 2023
My car had been consuming 2 quarts every 1,000 miles for the past 3-4 months and the kia dealership told me that the best thing i could do is keep getting an oil change. So one day i tried starting my car and it starting shaking and turned off so i turned it back on and it shut off again. I jump started it and it shut off again and i jump started it again but it never turned on. All of the problem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2023
My car had been consuming 2 quarts every 1,000 miles for the past 3-4 months and the kia dealership told me that the best thing i could do is keep getting an oil change. So one day i tried starting my car and it starting shaking and turned off so i turned it back on and it shut off again. I jump started it and it shut off again and i jump started it again but it never turned on. All of the problem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, a message indicating that the coolant level was low was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she had been adding coolant to the vehicle weekly; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attemp... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate to change lanes however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle started to decelerate and sputtered as if the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, she noticed an abnormal water odor inside the vehicle and the vehicle was overheating. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment and then continued driving; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that she veered to the side of the road several times on her way to her residence... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle overheated. The contact veered to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact then continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and on the spark plug... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started making an abnormal metal to metal squealing sound. The contact pulled the vehicle off the roadway and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering and braking functionality during the failure. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the mechanic diagnosed that an ignition coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that after starting the vehi... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. However, the contact stated that the following day, the engine misfired while starting the vehicle. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who replaced the thermostat, but the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later examined by the mechanic who ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact drove the vehicle to his residence. Later when the vehicle was started there was a large white cloud o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing of the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine cylinders. The manufacturer was notified of the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle was hesitating while attempting to start the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ignition coils and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact's husband completed the repairs; however... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the check engine and traction control warning lights suddenly illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and decelerated to under 45 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the cylinder head oil plugs, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to a second dealer wh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal burning odor detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer four times, who stated that it was normal. The manager informed her the cabin wall was thin. A pressure test was performed but there was no indication of a leak or b... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact stated his daughter had not noticed any warning lights. The vehicle was pulled safely off the road however, the vehicle stalled and had to be towed to a dealer. The vehicle had been diagnosed and it was determined that there was a hole in ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and would not exceed 55 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle began to decelerate unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the contact's location. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 3, 2023
Incident date: Apr 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on various occasions after starting the vehicle, a loud rattling noise was heard. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was a... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the O2 sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was the repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer two additional times for the s... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's son noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's son exited the vehicle. The engine exploded and caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Smart ForTwo. The contact stated that on multiple occasions when the vehicle was parked and the gear shifter was shifted, the transmission would only shift into neutral. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. Additionally, the tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an indep... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed that the thermal control valve was faulty. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the thermal control valve was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact re... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved, the check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact’s wife turned off and restarted the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the messages "Service Hybrid System" and "Service Shifter" were displayed. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the software update was completed under Chrysler Campaign Number: A14; however, the failure persisted. The check engin... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 1, 2023
Incident date: Sep 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started, the vehicle idled roughly and started to shake. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the engine cylinder, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact the cata... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact’s wife notified the contact, and the contact was able to coast the vehicle off the road. The contact then stated that he allowed the vehicle to cool down, restarted the vehicle, then coasted the vehicle to his residence. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started to shudder with a large cloud of bluish smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the vehicle was also shuddering and idling rough when started. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of a highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle however, the check engine warning light became illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The app... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2009) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 27, 2023
Incident date: Feb 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the instrument cluster started flickering and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes were operable. The contact pulled off the highway and shifted the vehicle into park(P). The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH from a complete stop, and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a significant amount of white smoke coming out the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that upon attempting to make a U-turn to return to the residence, the smoke impaired her visibility of the other vehicles, and a truck nearly crashed into the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, with a message that the #2 cylinder was misfiring. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and vibrating, and the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagn... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 PRIME
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 26, 2023
Incident date: Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the oil pressure, battery, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the engine revved but the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that after multiple attempts, he was able to restart the vehicle and drive as needed. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at speeds of 35 MPH or lower, the vehicle was hesitating and jerking. The RPM’s would erroneously be reduced. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking into c... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, a knocking noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was fuel dilution in the engine oil and that the rod bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, where... Read more