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 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Ram Promaster 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (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 made aware of the issue. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the red oil light suddenly illuminated and the messages "Stop Carefully and Turn Off Engine", “Engine Oil Pressure Too Low", "Continued Driving will Result in Engine Damage". The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who discovered that the engine oil was black and thick. The vehicle was later towed t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owned a 2012 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that upon her daughter starting the vehicle, an abnormal popping noise was emitted from the vehicle without warning. The vehicle caught fire as the contact's daughter exited the vehicle. The fire department was called to the scene of the incident, where they extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported, and a police report was not file... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated due to an emissions issue. The message to check the oil level was displayed. The contact pulled over to check the oil and added a quart of oil. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was smoke co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (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 while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode; however, the vehicle was able to be driven to a certified mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the catalytic converter could have contributed to the failure. The mechanic retrieved DTC: U06652 and U2105 and associated the failure... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact had not experienced a failure before the recall repair; however, the contact experienced failures after the recall repair. The contact stated the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and failed to exceed 30 MPH. A... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact received a notification from Lyft regarding NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while his vehicle was parked, the coolant pump connector caught on fire, which was connected to a after market Coolant pump. The failure experienced was a localized electrical fire that originated at the coolant pump connector and aftermarket coolant pump while the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or stop sign, the vehicle experienced rough idling. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was adding engine oil every 3,000 miles. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2009 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment with the check engine oil warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil cooler hose was leaking due to... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Sep 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change and the contact was informed that the engine oil coolant line had detached from the crimp joints, causing an oil leak. Prior to the maintenance service, oil stains were found on the ground of the garage floor. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a week prior to the failure, the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and DTC: P0303 and P0316 were retrieved. The failure was not acknowledged by the d... Read more
TOYOTA
LAND CRUISER HYBRID
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 430I. The contact stated that there was a coolant leak. The contact stated that the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled while driving. The message "Engine Overheating - Stop Vehicle Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the coolant housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was rep... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, oil was leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that a mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence and determined that the oil housing unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal popping and crackling sound. The traction control, check engine, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Service Emergency Brake" was displayed. The engine later made knocking sounds, and the vehicle vibrated while driving. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle accelerated slowly with the RPM at 3,500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) days later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was confirmed that the VIN was included in the recall. After running the test,... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ram Promaster 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the transmission downshifted unexpectedly. The check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, while shifted in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and the vehicle decelerated to 5 MPH. The contact stated that the message "Vehicle Entering Power Saver Mode" was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the me... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 5, 2026
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that immediately after leaving the dealer after the vehicle was purchased, the check engine warning light illuminated. Several days later, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine before the engine failed. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, other failures occurred. The contact stated that after the vehicle was dropped off by the local dealer, the front passenger’s side tire deflated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was repaired. The contact stated that the und... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), but the failure occurred. While the contact's wife was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. While the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle lunged forward and then stalled. The contact's wife was able to coast to the side of the road. No warning lights... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while driving to the residence, the coolant temperature gauge went from COLD to HOT. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that smoke was coming from the engine compartment. The contact waited for the engine to cool down before driving to the residence. The coolant reservoir was extremely low, and... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. In addition, an unknown part of the electrical system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The contact was able to pull into a nearby parking lot where the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the cause of the failure and repaired the vehicle. The contact believed that the battery and drive train were repaired. Approximately... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact resumed driving, but the vehicle failed to exceed 55 MPH on the Expressway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagno... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but the call was disconnected. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V411000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 22V406000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL). The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into the driveway and turned off the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the exhaus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no fix available and suggested that the veh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal coolant odor inside and outside the vehicle. There was condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated, or a message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact discovered that the water pump was continuously running after the vehicle was turned off. The contact referenced and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was no... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528XI. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), but the failure occurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check coolant level warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the recall repair was not yet avail... Read more
MINI
COUNTRYMAN
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jan 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that occasionally, while shifted in reverse, the rearview camera failed to display as intended and was possibly impacted by severe weather conditions. No warning light was illuminated. In addition... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. While inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered that cylinder #4 coil was charred, melted, and smoking, and the ECU was damaged. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who determined that the failure was caused by an inop... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the failure was more noticeable. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The RPM fluctuated before the transm... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Genesis G70. The contact stated that upon advising a friend that the turbocharger oil feed pipe was made of plastic, the contact was informed that there was a recall related to the issue. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that another dealer had marked NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V191000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as completed even though the recall... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant had been continuously running, causing the battery to c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact's daughter owned a 2014 Dodge Journey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 15V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts were not available. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, black smoke was seen coming from under the hood, and the engine caught on fire. The driver was able to successfully exit the vehicle. No warni... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle shutoff while idling. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Later, while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle sta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was a dripping sound coming from the vehicle, and the low oil warning light was illuminated. The low oil warning light was illuminated approximately every 1,500 miles after an oil change. After each oil change, the level on the oil dipstick was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the failure occurred. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked and started pulling, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the vehicle stalled. The check engine and the Electronic Throttle... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the low engine oil pressure warning light illuminated while depressing the brake pedal. A dealer was contacted and informed to add oil as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine valves needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the oil pump drive tensioner belt had failed and was replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). After the repairs were performed, the failure reoccurred, and the contact was informed that the part needed to be replaced another time. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Dec 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with cool... Read more
CHEVROLET
SUBURBAN 1500
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 2, 2026
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked in the driveway, and the contact became aware of a puddle on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact thought that the puddle was coolant, but discovered that the vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone, where it was scanned with an OBD2 scanner and DTC: P0607, P1603, and P1604 were retrieved. The... Read more