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: Oct 5, 2022
Timing chain and gears
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 5, 2022
Incident date: Jul 31, 2022
Faulty water pump caused expansive replacement cost aprx $1400.00. Learned from certified mechanic that it was a common problem and a lawsuit is in process against VW USA.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Coolant) however, the contact stated that he smelled a burning odor inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The vehicle was not diagn... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, numerous warning lights illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact lost power steering and power brakes and was unable to pull the vehicle off to side of the roadway. The contact had the vehicle towed to her residence and had an independent mechanic diagnose the vehicle and he determined that the eng... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that after his son started the vehicle, there was a metal-on-metal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that his son was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW Z4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2021
The contact owns 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the vehicle would have a hesitation sensation and or jerking sensation when the vehicle is started and or running. The check engine light was illuminated The contact had taken the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the cam shaft/crank shaft position sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. A sensor was replaced on the ve... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed a tune up. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that after the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys Auto Parts and the coolant reservoir was refilled. However, the failure reoccurred while driving with a message was displayed indicating that the engine power was reduced to prevent a failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle slowed down and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he slowly drove to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with a faulty alternator that was covered with oil residue. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHT... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2018
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the engine temperature warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the throttle warning light also illuminated on the instrument panel causing the vehicle to go into Limp Mode. The contact stated that the vehicle then started losing motive power. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto and diagnosed with a faulty ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling noise detected. The check engine warning light was flashing on and off. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a faulty cam phaser. Additionally, the contact was informed that the timing chain and e... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 30, 2022
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed there was a possible mechanical break down due to engine sludge, ignition varnish rust, corrosion, dust, cracked rubber, dry rot, road chemicals, alterations or improper oil, coolant, fuel, or lubr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start up after multiple attempts. Additionally, the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds without warning. The contact also stated that white and blueish colored smoke was coming from tailpipe. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and a diagnostic test discovered that coolant had leaked into the eng... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was first taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinder... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. 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 while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal oil odor detected. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 30, 2022
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that puddles of oil could be found on the ground after parking the vehicle. The contact also stated that while making a turn in either direction the vehicle would wobble causing him to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the tread in the driver’s and passenger’s si... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving, the temperature warning light intermittently illuminated then the engine started to overheat. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle to a safe area where he checked under the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty and had leaked into the engine. The vehicle was taken ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
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 while driving 65-70 MPH, the coolant temperature and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then noticed smoke coming out ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330I. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lunged forward and jerked significantly. The contact released the accelerator pedal and the failure stopped temporarily. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The contact stat... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 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 local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the engine started to sputter and the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stopped and placed the vehicle into park (P). The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been intermittent at first but gradually became constant. Additionally, the contact ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 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 local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating and suddenly stalling. The contact had to wait a while for the vehicle to cool down before being able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the overheating alarm and idle engine chime was audible. The contact stated that the message to turn off the A/C was displayed even though the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at 30-50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact also state... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 530XI. The contact stated that while driving in the snow, the vehicle overheated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder. The engine overheated, and slow-down messages were displayed. The engine overheated and shut down immediately. warning indicator lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the thermosta... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that he noticed a leakage on the ground underneath the engine. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be determined; however, the radiator, radiator hose, and coolant reservoir was replaced; however, the leak was still coming fro... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: Apr 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she noticed fluid leaking from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the radiator and the electronic control module. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, she heard a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward and went into Limp Mode. The check engine and the electrical emergency warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2022
The contact owned a 2015 BMW X3. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 65 MPH with her in the front passenger seat, the vehicle stalled. A message indicating a power train malfunction was displayed. The contact's husband was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact noticed dark smoke coming through the AC vents. The contact stated upon opening the hood, her husband saw fire.... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle overheated and stalled. The power steering assist was reduced with the drive with care message displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact about the thermostat failure, engine... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine misfired while driving at various speeds with the check engine warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact also noticed that the coolant was being consumed at an excessive rate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The contact was informed th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon a cold start, the vehicle would hesitate or jerk upon depression of the accelerator pedal with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant had leaked into the engine cylinders; with the engine short block malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) warning light needing to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the instrument panel warning lights were blank. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak into cylinder #3 and the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the cooling system was losing coolant. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The driver added additional anti-freeze. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle misfired, overheated, and stalled. The contact detected white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 128I. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there were unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve had ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 26, 2022
Incident date: Sep 6, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while her son was driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The ABS, traction control, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH and stalled while driving on an uphill ramp. The vehicle failed to restart, causing another vehicle to strike the driver's side of the vehicle. There ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the engine was running rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and then to an independent mechanic. The contact stated that there was no coolant in the vehicle. The contact stated that the coolant fluid bubbled over out of the hose. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant le... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated with DTC: P301 (Cylinder #1 Misfire). The contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine and the head gasket needed to be replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion The contact stated a more than normal amount of coolant constantly had to be added to the vehicle. After a while, the vehicle began to run rough. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact would turn off and restart the vehicle and the vehicle would operate as needed. The contact stated that the check engine warning... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW X3. 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 that the vehicle started to overheat and she was only able to drive the vehicle for a few miles. The contact stated that smoke was coming from under the hood and from the exhaust. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine, Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. 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: Sep 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the engine coolant warning light was illuminated with the engine overheating. The dealer was contacted and stated that the water pump and timing belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NH... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 22, 2022
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (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 contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge would rise from cool(C) to hot(H) and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that once she turned off the cooling fans, the vehicle would cool off while idle; however, the temperature would rise once she resumed normal driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the thermostat was replaced several times. However, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning illuminated and several chimes were heard. The contact veered to the side of the road an... Read more