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: Dec 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had noticed an oil leak and that the battery charge was abnormally low. The contact received an alert from OnStar pertaining to the critically low battery. Additionally, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal squishing sound coming from the dashboard, and the contact b... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 PRIME
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 16, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The Check Engine warning light was flashing, and the messages "No Propulsion Power" and "No Power To Engine" were displayed. The contact stated that two individuals pulled over and assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle to the side of the road to prevent a crash. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and there was a misfire coming from the engine. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact was driving on the highway. The vehic... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
B 250E
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 15, 2025
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle started to sputter and then stalled. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a defective oil pressur... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The vehicle was restarted several times but continually stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The contact examined the engine and discovered metal shavings in the VANOS solenoid engine oil. The cause of the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 60-62 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle lost drive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to Tire Choice Auto Service Centers, where it was diagnosed and determined t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle was idling low. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed w... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 11, 2025
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that the vehicle lost power and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the water pump and electrical plug connector had failed and needed to be replaced... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the catalytic converter was previously replaced. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, two weeks later, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started misfiring. The contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 11, 2025
Incident date: Dec 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine service. The contact stated that during the inspection of the vehicle, the dealer discovered that the water pump was beginning to leak coolant onto electrical circuits, inside the engine compartment. The dealer recommended the water pump replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the transmission downshifted between first and third gear. An abnormal sound could be heard coming from the transmission. After driving a short distance, the vehicle functioned as intended. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving or starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light would unexpectedly illuminate. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, which required the coolant reservoir to be refilled several times after noticing that the coolant level was consistently low. The contact stated that... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received a recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were not available and were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the lifters were previously replaced in 2021 at the manufacturer's expense. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was running rough. The vehicle was taken to an unknown auto part store, where it was diagnosed with an engine cylinder malfunction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes were difficult to operate. The contact coasted to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the message "Battery in Safe Mode" was displayed. The co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was inspected and determined that there was potential damage to the bearings and that the crankshaft and the short bloc... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Engine Overheated - Turn Engine Off" was displayed with white smoke coming from the exhaust system. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant level was extremely low. The contact stated that coolant was added to the reservoir; however, hours later the coolant level was low again. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway for 45 minutes, there was an abnormal odor of chimney fire, which continued while at the stop sign. The front passenger occupant noticed there was smoke from underneath the hood. While pulling over, the steering wheel locked up, and the occupants exited the vehicle. The engine warni... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The dealer stated that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the message "Low Oil Pressure - Stop Vehicle Immediately" was displayed, and the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump was inoperable and needed to be replace... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road as possible, and the vehicle was able to restart after an extended time. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo S60. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle had consumed 3 quarts of oil after driving 2,100 miles. Additionally, the contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light only illuminated after the vehicle had consumed over 3 quarts of oil. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E 300
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 9, 2025
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting) and 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle registration was scheduled for renewal in January 2026; however, the renewal might not be approved with open recalls. The m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud engine camshaft bearing sound coming from the engine. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and after three days, it was determined that the camshaft bearing had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 9, 2025
Incident date: Dec 7, 2025
The contact leased a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the engine overheated on several occasions while driving approximately 25-50 MPH. The driver was able to pull over safely. The temperature gauge warning light was displayed. The message “Engine Overheated – Pull Over” was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (Electrical System). The v... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 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 not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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. T... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the recall repair was performed; however, the failure reoccur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of coolant leaking from the front of the vehicle near the transmission, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact retrieved DTC: P0016. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled at a stoplight. The vehicle was restarted and immediately driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine compression was abno... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the failure could cause engine failure. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling), and the dealer replaced the engine and the oil pump; however, while driving two days later, the vehicle stalled upon coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after an hou... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the expressway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the engine started knocking significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to slowly pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact's husband owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the timing belt, the water pump, and the tensioner pulley were replac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated after the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The contact raised the hood ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer found no signs of contamination and installed a water pump connector cap. The contact stated that a month after the repair, the engine was... Read more
MITSUBISHI
MIRAGE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 8, 2025
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an inspection was performed on the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the inspection, and the mechanic added a higher viscosity oil, installed an oil fill cap, replaced the oil filter, and... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 435I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the battery discharged abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the water pump had remained running unexpectedly when the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the warning light for the engine overheating was illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed back to the used car dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was diagnosed with... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 8, 2025
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormally loud motor sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle unexpectedly shut off while in a parking lot and failed to restart after several attempts. The contact was picked by her husband. The contact stated that... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of a manufacturer’s recall: 2062837681, for the crankshaft bearing, and took the vehicle to the dealer for the repair. The vehicle was repaired; however, three weeks after the repair, the vehicle started making a knocking sound while accelerating or while idling. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
MOBILITY VENTURES
MV-1
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (E... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed after an oil change was recently performed on the vehicle, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated with the message "Service Engine" displayed, and the vehicle made a dinging sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where 5 quarts of oil were added to the engine; however, the failure recur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH at nighttime, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle started shuddering while driving at 25 MPH. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a nearby independent mechanic and caug... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, and the coolant hot warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle was pulled over and allowed to cool down, and then coolant was added. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a cylinder had fa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2026) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer advised the contact to have an oil change performed and then return the vehicle after 1,000 miles of driving. The contact stated that after returning the vehicle to the dealer... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 local dealer was contacted several times and informed the contact that the recall repair part had been ordered. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time fo... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather, the rearview camera became inoperable, and moisture was visible in the displayed image. The contact also stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not need to be restarted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numb... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to pull over, the steering wheel was difficult to turn, and the brake pedal required additional effort to depress. The contact pulled over and turned... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, and up a slight grade, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted. The contact was towing an empty 12-foot, single-axel, flatbed trailer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was on a two-lane road and was unable to pull over. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond while depressin... Read more