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: Feb 2, 2023
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 28, 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
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 29, 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 29, 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: Dec 30, 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
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 28, 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
Incident date: Feb 13, 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 21, 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 24, 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
Incident date: Mar 26, 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
Incident date: Mar 22, 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 11, 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: Feb 14, 2017
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
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 24, 2023
Incident date: Feb 16, 2023
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
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 23, 2023
Incident date: Feb 25, 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: Sep 14, 2022
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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 21, 2023
Incident date: Dec 27, 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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2012) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 21, 2023
Incident date: Mar 18, 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: Dec 16, 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: Mar 16, 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: Mar 17, 2023
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
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 20, 2023
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
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: Mar 15, 2023
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
Incident date: Mar 16, 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: Mar 20, 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 13, 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: Jun 17, 2022
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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 17, 2023
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
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
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact there was a crack on the radiator. Additionally, the dealer determined that the failure was possibly collision related; however, the contact stated that the vehicle was not involved in a collision. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side tire had a blowout. The contact pulled over and replaced the tire with a spare. The contact continued to drive, but the vehicle was shaking. The contact pulled over, and a tow truck arrived on the scene. The tow truck driver restarted the vehicle, and a loud sound was heard.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Genesis GV70. The contact stated while attempting to reverse, the vehicle launched forward without warning. The contact then shifted to drive and the back Over Prevention camera screen activated. There was also an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated the battery was low and there was no coolant in the reservoir or... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and vibrating. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained normal function. The contact stated the check engine warning was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and checked the coolant level and noticed that there was coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that after resuming driving the coolant level warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact added more coola... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine coolant level low and high temperate warning lights were illuminated with a message to pull over displayed. The contact pulled over safety. The contacted added more coolant and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the cylinder head assembly need... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle became sluggish and lost motive power. The contact stated that the oil level was 3-quarts low. The contact added oil as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the mec... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle nearly stalled. The contact observed a cloud of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning was illuminated. Additionally, there was a message indicating a misfire in cylinder #4. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagn... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the front collision detection sensor light illuminated and warned that the system was not functional. Additionally, the contact stated that the lug nuts on all four wheels were swollen and could not be removed without damaging them. The contact also stated that the oil pan was leaking. The contact had taken ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made abnormally loud sounds. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cooling fan was replaced and the warning light was reset; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the vehicle would only start after several attempts.... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated when he started the vehicle the "low oil pressure" light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a failure of the oil pump. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched onli... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he noticed a coolant leak coming from the water pump. The coolant level was low, so the contact added coolant. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
The contact owns a 1995 Nissan Frontier XE. The contact stated upon opening the hood to check the engine oil level at the fuel station, the radiator blew out and propelled a hot anti-freeze that burned his upper body. The contact was transported to the hospital with the assistance of a friend. The contact received medical assistance and was informed that he had sustained second and third-degree bu... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 14, 2016
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft position sensor tone wheel failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary in his garage, he noticed a leak of water on the driveway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the water pump to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owned a 2008 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at an undetermined speed, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the PCV valve heater was melte... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the coolant level was low, and the engine was overheating. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine was misfiring. The contact was referred to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while having a routine oil change performed on the vehicle, the mechanic noticed that coolant was leaking into the engine, and that cylinders #2 and #3 were miss firing. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. On another occasion, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start, with the check engine... Read more