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
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2009) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 6, 2023
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 35 MPH and ascending a slight grade in the road, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the oil pressure warning light had been illuminated intermittently even... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and depressed to the floorboard. The vehicle eventually stopped; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the check engine warning light had remained illuminated for approximately four months. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 5, 2023
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. After replacing the engine, the vehicle started experiencing several engine failures. The transmission also slipped while in 6th gear. Additionally... Read more
FREIGHTLINER
MT55
(2011) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 5, 2023
Incident date: Nov 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that anti-freeze was intruding into the engine. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact retrieved DTC code: P0420 (Low catalyst system efficiency) using a handheld diagnostic tool and drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact reported that he informed the dealer that ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X5. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The odor of smoke was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact stated he heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact observed white smoke coming from under the hood. The contact was able to pull over with the engine still running however, when he stopped and turned off the vehicle, he was unable to restart the vehicle. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and then failed to restart. The loss of power train message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery and control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 31, 2023
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Genesis G80. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was white smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the turbo pipe seal had failed causing oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold causing the white smoke. The contact was informed that the turbo charger oil supply pipe needed to be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle was stalling and losing motive power. The vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 30 MPH and merging onto a road, the vehicle stalled, she lost control of the steering wheel, and she crashed into a dit... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 25, 2023
The contact owned a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, he noticed smoke exiting from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and exited the vehicle safely. The contact opened the hood and saw fire located around the engine. The contact stated a bystander attempted to extinguish the fi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated after attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The contact then stated that after several attempts to start the vehicle she smelled a burning odor. No warning lights were illuminated. The AAA was notified of the failure and the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started overheating. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing similar failure as listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted, and the de... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 31, 2023
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, or while starting the vehicle, the vehicle would shudder and shake. The contact stated the shaking was intermittent but became constant. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolan... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 128I. 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced an engine oil leak. The contact stated that the engine oil leaked onto the alternator and caused the alternator to fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V415000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The system failed to go through regeneration. The contact stated that the EGR cooler and radiator were leaking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the service electronic control message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a cra... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 30, 2023
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated the vehicle was repaired in 2016 for an unknown failure. The contact reported that on multiple occasions, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to overheat, with a beeping sound. The contact stated that the temperature gauge started to rise and that an abnormal odor was coming through the vents. The vehicle was veered to th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle almost stalled. The contact heard an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the vehicle began to lose motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then smelled an abnormal burning odor. The contact stated that when she attempted to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the oil warning light was flashing on and off. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pressure switch failed, and oil had entered the ECU. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a sound of liquid present inside the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that engine coolant was present inside the engine cylinders and the engine short block needed to be placed. The engine short block was replaced but later the vehicle began to drive sluggishly and ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2019
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that there was a fluid leak seen underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the contact's son, an independent mechanic, with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, and that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact then became aware that coolant was leaking out of the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that either the head gasket was blown or there was a hairline fracture in the engine block or the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact mentioned she was concerned about a vehi... Read more
TOYOTA
COROLLA CROSS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed her that the spark plugs were flooded with oil. The independent mechanic replaced the spark plugs and the fuel cap gasket. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with a damaged catalytic converter. The contact related... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle off the highway as he was on the exit ramp and had slowed to 35 MPH the vehicle began to shake and then stalled. The contact stated that he noticed that when the vehicle had reached a half tank of gasoline, the check engine warning... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was approaching the vehicle, there was a fluid leak underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 27, 2023
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced rough idle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V578000 (Engine And Engine Cooling), however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 27, 2023
Incident date: Mar 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact then received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000(Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where the recall was serviced; however, the check engine soon after the recall repair... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, after the recall repair was performed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the auxiliary exhaust cooler flap was broken and needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The contact used a personal OBD reader to retrieve a DTC code for cylinder #2 misfire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the instrument panel registered that the engine was hot. A message to turn off the vehicle was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the engine started to overheat. The contact turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine coolant warning light illuminated, and the "Pull Over Safely" message was displayed after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the failure reo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 35-38 MPH in cold weather, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle temperature was cold. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the Forward Collision Avoidance system, the Lane Keep Assist, the Auto START/STOP feature, the cruise control mode, and other unknown features no longer operable mess... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the engine was overheating with the coolant temperature warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the radiator fans were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred while driving 20 MPH. A message advising to pull over was displayed. The contact veered to the side... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light would illuminate intermittently whether the vehicle was idling or while driving at various speeds. The contact stated there was an abnormal sound of liquid moving around in the dashboard and underneath the hood while driving, especially while accelerating. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 5 Series. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as a camshaft failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number- 14V176000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving in stop and go traffic, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned causing the vehicle to lose electrical power and shut off. During the failure, the display and instrument panel became inoperable. Additionally, the turn signals were inoperable, and the shifter could not be shifted to neutral. Triple AAA was called to the sc... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal sound from the engine compartment. The vehicle was idling rough and vibrating. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the vehicle was consumin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine fan would suddenly turn on and the engine temperature gauge would rise with the message that the engine had overheated. The contact stated that during the failure the vehicle would suddenly decelerate to protect the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the engine t... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 20, 2023
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 5-10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. A message indicating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, whe... Read more
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 20, 2023
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was jumpstarted, and she was able to drive to her residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred later that day and the vehicle was towed to her res... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, she noticed an abnormally strong burning plastic odor inside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that she had stopped driving the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cool... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 20, 2023
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the accelerator pedal was difficult to depress. The contact stated that he pulled over, checked the oil level, and discovered that there was no oil in the engine. The contact stated that he added oil and was able to drive with no issues. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The v... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the brakes and power steering were still operable. The contact was able to coast off the highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the engine temperature gauge had increased to high and the message "engine overheating" had displayed before the vehicle began to shake and vibrate. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine coolant had leaked into the engine cylinder one and that the engine was severely damaged... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to his place of employment. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The contact stated that the failure was r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, an unknown fluid was seen leaking from the vehicle and running down the driveway. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic that found the failure as a factory install clamp that was placed too close to a tube causing a hole. The vehicle was not repaired as the vehicle was aw... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking with the "Reduce Engine Power" message and wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing and engine block thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. Th... Read more