Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 40,517 complaints — component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehi... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
METRIS
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2025
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle was skipping. The contact immediately veered towards an exit ramp. The contact noticed knocking sounds coming from the engine, and the vehicle stalled on the exit ramp. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and hot air came out of the vents, entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled. The dealer refilled the coolant reservoir. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved; however, the contact was informed that the failure was related to the knock sensors. The contact related the failure to TSB: L-SB-0122-17, which the contact stated was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with head gasket failure, resulting in damage to the engine. T... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2006) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Oct 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was unsure if the vehicle was inspected. The contact stated that the dealer had not provided a status update regarding the vehicle or the repair. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had been at t... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Aug 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, followed by a coolant temperature message. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a hairline crack in the engine. The hairline fracture led to coolant intrusion inside cylinder #2, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was running abnormally rough. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to provide a specific diagnosis in relation to the MIL. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and decelerated with white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to a nearby dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle a blown head gasket. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while attempting to shift gears. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal sound, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was black and white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 40-60 MPH, the vehicle jolted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the CarMax dealer, where it was purchased. The vehicle was then taken to an unknown Nissan dealer, where the diagnostic trouble codes were cleared... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Sep 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The contact was able to coast over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with crankshaft and rod bearing failure. The vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, i... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Sep 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving to the residence at a moderate speed, the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The following day, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine even though an oil change had been performed a month earlier. The vehicle was taken... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered there was oil leaking from the valve cover gasket. The mechanic performed an unknown repair, but the failure persisted. The vehicle w... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding and clinking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there was a waiting list for the recall repair. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, but was undrivable. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, where it was determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 had caused engine damage. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming engine oil, and there was no indication of an oil leak. While a friend was driving, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The next day, while driving at unknown speeds with the hazard lights activated, the vehicle began making an abnormal sound and then stalled. The TPMS and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sputtering sound coming from the vehicle. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with starter failure. The contact was provided with the following DTC: 0012240600. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's husband noticed that the vehicle was idling rough. The vehicle accelerated abnormally rough while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driv... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact heard an abnormal clunking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the RPMs increased to 3,000 and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was d... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 22, 2025
Incident date: Jun 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of power and unintendedly decelerated and failed to exceed 20 MPH. During the failure, the message "Engine Malfunction - Power Reduced - Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer, who replaced the turbo hose and thermos hose, b... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 22, 2025
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact started to drive back to the residence; however, closer to the residence, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes and the vehicle started losing motive power. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound at startup and while idling. The local dealer and Nalley INFINITI Marietta (2020 Cobb Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060) were contacted... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood, with the engine temperature gauge rising. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was left for further investigation into possible internal engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was ma... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 21, 2025
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damages ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received a recall letter related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was restarted. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC: P0420; which was related ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal cracking sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that the parts were not available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH with his granddaughter inside the vehicle, and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started shaking and shut off unintendedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a turbocharger failure. The contact was info... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and another recall; however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start, and the check engine warning light was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the vehicle had experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V27400 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle failed an inspection. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was advised that parts were not yet... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that shortly after an oil change was performed, the "Low Oil" icon was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption, and the oil dipstick indicated that the engine oil level was low. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the fail... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while at a stoplight with the Auto START/STOP feature activated, the vehicle failed to restart after releasing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be restarted approximately 5 minutes later. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but the cause of the failure... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2015 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the owner received notification of Manufacturer Recall Numbers: U90 and W84. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle stalled, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. The dealer was contacted. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V608000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at 40 MPH, the transmission seized and failed to function as intended. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vibration occurred especially when the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was advised that the failure could possibly be re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from behind the dashboard. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The warning light with a wrench symbol was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and then restarted the vehicle. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change. After leaving the mechanic, the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine, and the contact smelled an oil-burning odor. No warning lights were illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinder head was damaged, causing oil to leak into the cylinders, and that the engine... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical Systems). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was only inspected for the plug connector, and a protective shield was installed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not inspected for the water pump as part of the recall. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter in park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the message "Transmission Not in Park" was flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. The contact called an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was towed to the shop. The mechanic discovered that... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine was running rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a fuel odor was detected while the vehicle was being started, and the contact was outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure resulted in poor fuel mileage. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, w... Read more
KUMHO
CRUGEN HP71
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 17, 2025
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate unintendedly. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the pedal went to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The contact act... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated the failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that the oil level was low, and oil was added. The dealer had not diagnosed the veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was making a grinding sound while the vehicle was being started. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine oil had to be changed every week. While receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine seemed to be defective, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. While the vehicle was idling... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owns 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 - 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as indented. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced once; however, th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an unusual rumbling sound coming from the engine. In addition, the contact noticed that whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been ongoing for approximately one year or more. In addition, the contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and parked and allowed the vehicle to cool down before driving back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine ... Read more