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: Jan 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, an abnormal knocking sound began to emit from the engine as the vehicle began to sputter and hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The oil warning light illuminated the instrument panel as the engine stalled. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The temperature gauge increased to high and then decreased. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions and was diagnosed that the thermostat housing and thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the failure might be due to a piston slap. The manufacturer was notified of the ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 26, 2022
Incident date: Sep 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact went to an auto parts store and replaced the battery however, the warning light illuminated again. Occasionally, the vehicle would fail to start immediately. The contact also stated that occasionally w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine crankshaft sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The crankshaft sensor was replaced, and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after returning from an independent mechanic and driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle shut-off with the "coolant level low" warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. With the assistance of a State Trooper, the contact was able to pull the vehicle off to the side of the highway and add water to the coolant reservoir. The contact then... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at a moderate rate of speed, the check engine warning light started flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle then began to stall as the vehicle would not shift above the first gear. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the nearest independent mechanic where he diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. Despi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V757000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was added to the waiting list. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the head gasket replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 35mph when the vehicle stalled and white smoke was emitting from the tailpipes. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The contact stated check engine malfunction indicator light warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing high-pressure fuel... Read more
INFINITI
QX60 HYBRID
(2014) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 20, 2022
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti QX60. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V774000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Hybrid Propulsion System) 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 notified of the issue. The contact h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the coolant was leaking. Additionally, the vehicle failed to heat up. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir however, the coolant level was low the next day. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the coolant system was pressurizing. The local d... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Tucson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V063000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound, and the vehicle lost motive power. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The reduced engine speed popped up on the dashboard and slowed my speed down to 20 mph in the middle of traffic and it will not correct even though I have turned it off and restarted the engine.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The reduced engine speed popped up on the dashboard and slowed my speed down to 20 mph in the middle of traffic and it will not correct even though I have turned it off and restarted the engine.
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF R
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2022
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf R. The contact stated that the fuel gauge remained on Empty after fueling the vehicle. Additionally, fuel accumulated in the EVAP system, and leaked out from the fuel tank onto the rear passenger's side wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the conta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the contact was advised by the dealer that her vehicle could not be repaired at the moment. The contact stated that she had been waiting to receive an appointment date to have the vehicle repaired for over a year. The contact stated that the manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact managed to coast the vehicle off the highway before shutting it off. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where they informed her that the engine rod bearings had failed which led to engine... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the oil warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle made abnormal sounds. Additionally, there was smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and refilled the oil reservoir; however, the failure recurred with oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagno... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the gear shifter would not shift into (D) drive. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the speedometer and gauges inadvertently moved up and down. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and d... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost all power and the contact stated that the engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and refilled the coolant reservoir and was able to restart the vehicle after waiting approximately 2 hours. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the ABS warning light, seatbelt warning light, and other unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road but could not restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
TIFFIN
ALLEGRO BREEZE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 6, 2022
Incident date: Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Tiffin Allegro Breeze. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the air brakes failed due to low air pressure. The contact stated that he was safely able to pull off the road to avoid a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18E112000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that prior to the reca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the catalytic converter was stolen, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for repair. The vehicle remained in its possession for a month before being returned to the contact. While the contact was driving home from the mechanic shop at an unknown speed, the engine shut off without warning. The contact initially towed th... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
S 580
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 5, 2022
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated that while driving, the navigation system became inoperable. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V843000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was una... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Vera Cruz. 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 called the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal ticking sound was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact called the dealer who informed him of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which was linked to the failure. The contact was instructed to have the vehicle towed to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2021
When heater is turned on in my vehicle (2013 Ford Escape) during winter, the radiator light and check engine lights come on. Oil is visible on the engine. I refill the radiator and radiator light goes off. There is oil spewed under the vehicle's hood and on the motor. It is my understanding that there was a recall for the powerplant, which overheats and leaks oil and other fluids onto the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated the START/STOP feature failed to work properly. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled when the brake pedal was released. The driver had to restart the vehicle. The contact disabled the START/STOP feature. Additionally, while driving at night in the rain the vehicle overheated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The cool... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part was not available to do the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact was concerned that the vehicle would lose motive power while driving due to a previous alternator failure... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
My engine is burning oil risking my safety commuting to and from work. Piston rings have gone bad even with regular oil changes. This is poorly manufactured and not a result of maintenance. Only reason I knew oil I was burning oil was because I checked it and no indicator lights would have told me before blowing the engine up entirely. That to me is a scare feeling that could have been missed!
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
My engine is burning oil risking my safety commuting to and from work. Piston rings have gone bad even with regular oil changes. This is poorly manufactured and not a result of maintenance. Only reason I knew oil I was burning oil was because I checked it and no indicator lights would have told me before blowing the engine up entirely. That to me is a scare feeling that could have been missed!
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 28, 2021
Incident date: Sep 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle began to stall as an abnormal, knocking sound began to emit from the engine without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where she was informed that the rod bearing had gone through the engine block which resulted in engine failure. The vehicle was not ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that after driving 70 MPH, and pulling into a parking lot, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and upon opening the hood of the vehicle, he saw that the engine compartment was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A fire depar... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated the battery light was previously flashing. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who confirmed that parts were not yet avail... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would intermittently fail to accelerate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. As the failure persisted, the contact checked the engine and discovered that there was no coolant in the engine. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the mechanic d... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 27, 2021
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk without warning as the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull off to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. A week later, the contact was called and was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. Upon investigatio... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair and found oil leaking on alt. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The part was not available for repair. The contact had not experienced a fa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2021
On 12/21/21 at 6:30AM my vechicle stalled out making a right hand turn off on Trap Shooters Road onto Bay Road Magnolia DE. On 12/22/21 at 3:30PM my vechicle stalled out making a right hand turn off of Walker Road on to Salsbury Road in Dover DE. I took the car to jiffy lube on the way home from work and the car was over two quarts low on oil with 2K more before oil change is due. This was the fou... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 30 MPH, the engine oil warning light illuminated, and she heard abnormal sounds coming from the engine. The contact stated that as the vehicle began to stall, his daughter veered to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle but did ... Read more
INFINITI
QX60 HYBRID
(2014) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 22, 2021
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V774000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Hybrid Propulsion System) however, the part to the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amou... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would overheat with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle would stall and independently enter safe mode as the temperature gauge would indicate that the engine was hot. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who cou... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2018
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle began to stall inadvertently. The engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact's friend came on the scene and provided her with engine coolant, and she added the coolant to the vehicle. The contact continue... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving at 30-40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact was unsure whether there were warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled into the parking lot of his workplace and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while reversing out of the garage, she noticed there was a puddle of oil on the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an engine oil pressure switch leak. The oil pressure switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 66 MPH, the temperature gauge started increasing as the vehicle started to shake. The contact stated that the dashboard was making an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over, turned off the vehicle for 20 minutes, and waited for the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted, the contact was able to drive the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making ticking and knocking sounds. Upon registering the vehicle on the manufacturer's website, the contact was made aware that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, and both ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
S 580
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 13, 2021
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V843000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had also been notified of the recall but offered no assista... Read more