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
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
Incident date: Jul 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the HVAC system failed to defrost the windows. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V177000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated until the vehicle was stopped and at that time the check engine warning was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off for approximately 10 minutes and upon restarting the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V757000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 20V475000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. An appointment was scheduled for April 2021 however, the dealer later confirmed that parts were not available. Several other attempts were made to schedule th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2018
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact initially received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V755000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact then stated that the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the engine control ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the vehicle was leaking oil. The contact who is a licensed mechanic diagnosed that the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, and intake manifold needed to be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact had received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the dealer informed the contact that parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving uphill at 30 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormal loud clunking sounds and stalled. The contact stated that as the vehicle started rolling backwards, he depressed the brake pedal, parked the vehicle, and engaged the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an indepen... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2010) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 4, 2022
Incident date: Feb 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to several dealers and independent mechanics where they informed him that the WIN (Wireless Ignition Node) module was defective and needed to be replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the turbo and wiring harness was burnt, and there was coolant leaking in cylinders # 2 and # 3. The mechanic replaced the turbo, wiring harness, and v... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the head gasket was blown. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk and hesitate, and excessive smoke was present coming from the rear exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was no lubrication to the engine due to a lack of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. No further informat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was losing coolant. The low coolant indicator light was illuminated. The contact added coolant to the vehicle and the warning indicator light went away. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the local dealer. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal whistling sound and a rattling sound coming from the engine while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact performed a diagnostic test on the vehicle and received a code for the camshaft housing bolts of the engine. The contact re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Low Coolant", "Pull Over Car Overheating" warning messages were displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a coolant level sensor kit failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2022
The contact's partner owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that he was with his partner who was driving approximately 45 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact's partner was able to pull over to the side of the road while the engine was misfiring. The contact stated that he was able to push the vehicle to an independent mechanic which was nearby. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and inf... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with metal shavings in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 27, 2022
Incident date: Jan 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the oil cooler replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact had spoken to a local dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The fa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf My coolant is leaking into my cylinder. Making my car misfire and have P0301 code. Cylinder and spark plugs have been replaced. But error is still coming and coolant get lower every day. This needs to be recalled as many people are having this issue. Its not our fault and shouldn't have to pay to replace the short block and engine for... Read more