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: Jun 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 525i. The vehicle had previously been serviced by the dealer under an unknown NHTSA campaign; however, the failure recurred with a burning odor detected. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not y... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
Check engine light on and kept loosing coolant. Code read as misfire in cylinder 2. Changed spark plugs and light still on. On the way to the dealership to to get it looked at, the engine blew. Bought the SUV in April of 2020. Now I am stuck with a vehicle with 20,000 left to pay on and no money to replace the engine. The SUV only has 63,000 miles on it.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2019
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that she gets her vehicle maintenance on a regular basis, however, when she took her vehicle to get serviced by an independent mechanic she was advised that the oil was low. The contact stated that they put oil in the vehicle, however, when it was time for the vehicle to get maintenance again, she was again advised that the oil was low and th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the warning message “Engine Coolant Low – Service Required” and the temperature warning light illuminated, and the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechan... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2015
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact initially received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that no issues were found with his vehicle. The contact insisted that a knocking noise could be heard from the vehicle but the dealer stated otherwise. The contact was informed that if t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the purge valve had failed. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, upon replacing the engine coolant, she noticed that the coolant was leaking from the coolant hose. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Ford issued a recall in 2020 for my car for coolant leaks. My vehicle was under warranty at the time (28k miles), and in the same week had white smoke emissions, engine stalling on the interstate and overheating in idle. The smoke never went away even after extensive, month long repair. The vehicle again had the same issues in august 2020 (76k miles), taken to Ford dealership with $3,000 in out of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle had not yet been repaired and had remained at the dealer since February 12, 2022. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasona... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 1, 2022
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V774000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Hybrid Propulsion System) however, shortly after the repair, the vehicle would stall right after start-up. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving or while the vehicle was idle. The contact took the vehicle to t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2022
The contact owns the 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, he started to smell smoke inside the vehicle. While stopped at a traffic light, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood, and then flames started rising from underneath the hood. Another driver also had pulled up to notify him that his vehicle was on fire. There were no warning lights illumina... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact had Triple AAA towing company replace the battery. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who performed an oil change; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with crankshaft position sensor fai... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that her check engine light had been illuminated on her instrument panel. The contact initially took the vehicle to a dealer where the check engine light was reset; however, the light returned the next day. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the battery was replaced; a week, the contact stated that corrosion had f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 75-80 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated “HOT” indicating that the engine was overheating. The contact pulled over to the emergency lane and looked up possible causes for the failure in the Owner’s Manual. The Owners Manuel instructed the contact to turn off the vehicle and wind the windows down which she performed. Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the charging system for th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2010
The contact owns a 2004 Infiniti QX56. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start up after multiple attempts with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, he stated that the vehicle would intermittently stall while driving at various speeds with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The RPM went to 0 however, the vehicle remained idling. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, she was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder wall, causing engine failure. The dealer replaced the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
The main issue with the engine is the check engine light comes on prematurely, the coolant leaks into the cylinders, and the engine lacks power. My vehicle is having a cylinder 2 and 4 misfire. Coolant leaks are a big problem! Not only does the leak have to be repaired, but the cylinders also have to be replaced or repaired. my vehicle is a newer ford with vary low mile and has been well managed a... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 24, 2022
Incident date: Feb 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle while the air conditioner was activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with bearing wear, causing the fan assembly failure. The contact was informed that the fan assembly needed to be replaced and that the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that an antifreeze-like odor could be smelled upon exiting the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transfer case fluid had leaked onto his manifold; he was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while her son was driving 45 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven home and the contact added antifreeze to the engine however, the liquid poured out. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was provided a service date in May 2022. The con... Read more
INFINITI
QX60 HYBRID
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 22, 2022
Incident date: Oct 25, 2017
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would jerk upon acceleration without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the jerking was a normal vehicle since the vehicle was a hybrid. As the failure persisted, the contact went to the manufacturer's website and discovered that her vehicle had be... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2017
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, his vehicle stalled as several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where they discovered a leak in the valve cover gasket which spilled engine oil on the alternator. The alternator was replaced and it was later discovered th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was losing coolant, causing her vehicle to overheat. The contact had to add coolant several times per week. The low coolant level warning light would illuminate whenever the coolant level was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a coolant... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
I had my oil changed last month on the 17th at plaza tire in Malden Missouri.. I check my oil frequently. I checked it the 15th of this month an it showed no oil on the dipstick an I couldn't believe it to be honest because no indicators popped up or nothing I don't understand how thats possible
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
I had my oil changed last month on the 17th at plaza tire in Malden Missouri.. I check my oil frequently. I checked it the 15th of this month an it showed no oil on the dipstick an I couldn't believe it to be honest because no indicators popped up or nothing I don't understand how thats possible
Incident date: Feb 16, 2022
Rear RH taillamp constantly out and noticeable on MANY Hyundais!! Replaced multiple times and burns out within days!! Also loss of oil but not leaking.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2022
Rear RH taillamp constantly out and noticeable on MANY Hyundais!! Replaced multiple times and burns out within days!! Also loss of oil but not leaking.
CHRYSLER
SEBRING CONV
(2008) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 18, 2022
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to another dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated the failure was related to the N... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into PARK, the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V626000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer but no repairs were performed on the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
The contact owns 2009 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) completed and was told that the parts were not available to apply the remedy. The contact was told that he would be contacted by the dealer when the parts arrived. The contact called the dealer on a consistent basis for months and the dealer advised th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (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 contact stated that there were traces of oil leaking onto the alternator. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i Sedan. The contact stated while driving approximately 35mph when the vehicle began to produce smoke from the engine compartment alongside an odor of burning plastic. The contact was able to pull over and have the vehicle towed to their residence, but was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number:... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon inspection of the vehicle, he discovered that the oil cooler assembly attached to the oil pump had cracked. The contact also stated that the oil gauge would fluctuate from high to low while driving at various speeds due to the failure. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown dealer where they confirmed the failure; however, the deal... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which stated that vehicle owners would receive another letter when parts were available. After several months, the vehicle was taken for an oil change and the mechanic informed her that oil had leaked all over the engine compartment and the alternator. The con... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2021
My warning light comes on and it says coolant is low. I add some coolant and the warning light goes off. In a month the same thing happens again. I add coolant again. I have to keep adding coolant approximately every month. There is no puddle under car and the heat temperature gauge stays the same in normal range. Also My Daughter’s 2014 Escape also does the same thing. Hers started doin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
My 2014 Ford Escape warning light comes on and says coolant is low so I add coolant and the warning light goes away. In another month this happens again so I add coolant again and light goes off. This happens approximately every month. The temperature gauge stays the same, it stays normal. My moms 2014 Escape does the same thing.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The contact stated that the check engine and coolant warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was diagnosed and the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2021
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that her son was driving the vehicle at 35 mph when he noticed that smoke was issuing from the rear which then entered the cabin of the vehicle. The contact's son was able to slow the vehicle by using the shifter due to not having any brake power. The contact stated her son was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contac... Read more
Fire
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2007) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 15, 2022
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
Defective radiator cross contaminated coolant and transmission fluid lines causing transmission failure and engine damage.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that initially, the coolant valve had become defective which resulted in her vehicle overheating as indicated by the temperature gauge. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where they replaced the coolant valve and coolant tank. Despite the repairs, the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the mechanic where ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated, lost motive power, and stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was referred to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approxi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the valve cover ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2001 Volvo V70. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the engine caught fire. The air bag warning light was illuminated. There was damage to the garage. There were no reported injuries. The fire department extinguished the fire and confirmed the origin of the fire was the engine. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The lo... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 12, 2022
I was driving my Mazda 5 2007 in traffic when suddenly it burst into flames on the passenger side underneath the hood
Fire
Incident date: Jan 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine suddenly started to fail while the vehicle jerked and hesitated. The vehicle was able to be driven to the local dealer who indicated that engine oil had leaked onto the alternator and the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure later recurred. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle would overheat and produce smoke from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was awaiting diagnostic testing. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 1... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the oil filter cap blew off the housing. As a result, the vehicle was losing oil. The contact noticed oil on the engine and smoke was detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called the local dealer. However, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was co... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that the front valve cover gasket was replaced by the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, four months later, he noticed that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that oil was leaking from the rear valve cover gasket. The dealer i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started to shudder and shake with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and determined that the coolant level was extremely low. The contact stated that the coolant level was topped off h... Read more