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: Mar 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who discovered metal shavings in the engine oil. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed that the piston rings had failed and informed the contact that the engi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used force to pull over to the side of the road. The messages "Active Steering Inactive" and "Change of Steering Wheel and 4WD Malfunction" were displayed. The braking system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, whe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. 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 local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, ABS, powertrain, 4WD, a triangle warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact exited the freeway and pulled over into a parking lot. The vehicle was taken to the... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 26, 2025
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle jerked and stalled while stopped at a traffic light. No warning light was illuminated. After several attempts the vehicle restarted; however, the vehicle drove in LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that fifteen days b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact had been calling the local dealer for several months and was informed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 25-30 MPH uphill to the residence, the vehicle shuddered violently and went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Honda ADV160 Scooter. The contact stated that while riding at 30 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the motorcycle. The scooter was pulled over to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while inspecting the scooter, there was oil leaking down the side of the scooter onto the ground. The scooter was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Cam... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shuddered while attempting to accelerate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine at start-up. The cam phasers were replaced by an independent mechanic. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 60 MPH, the instrument panel was entirely illuminated, and he pulled over. There was smoke inside the cabin. The occupants were able to exit the vehicle. An independent mechanic opened the hood and noticed a fire. They were able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was di... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the mechanic detected a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine rod bearing and camshaft failures. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while parked on the shoulder of a busy interstate, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the cruise control was activated and driving 65 MPH in the middle lane of a busy six-lane highway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was suddenly stalled and coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was later taken... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the message "Drivetrain Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure started recently and had occu... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 24, 2025
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 6 MPH, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of automotive power and all electrical components shut off, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be towed to a lo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. 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 local dealer was 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. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled consistently while shifting gears. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the vehicle lost power. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
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 and 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 manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V27400 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and initially confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact received notification that the parts for the recall repair were available. Upon arrival to the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Rio. The contact stated that upon driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to exceed 2-3 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The Ford dealer where the vehicle was purchased arranged for the vehicle to be picked up at the residence. The Ford dealer informed the contact that the mechanic and the Kia dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the oil change message was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 24, 2025
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made rattling sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the low-end rod nut had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for an oil change, and the fluids were checked by the independent mechanic. When the vehicle was started several days later, the “Low Coolant" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant level was not low at the time. The contact cont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehic... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and 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 manufacturer was made ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. 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 local dealer was 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. The contact... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 23, 2025
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 23, 2025
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that three days after purchasing the vehicle, the contact checked the oil level and noticed that the oil level was two quarts low. The contact checked the oil constantly after one thousand miles and noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated engine oil constantly needed to be added between 1,200 and 1,800 miles. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there were no leaks found, and that the engine was in good operational order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, several weeks later, the contact became aware that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the cont... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 23, 2025
Incident date: Sep 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle intermittently sputtered. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. 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 while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, several warning lights, including the front and rear sensors, 4WD, oil, and engine warning lights illuminated on the i... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 23, 2025
Incident date: May 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 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 not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. 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 ticking sound at start-up and while driving. The contact stated that the failure occurred while depressing the accelerator pedal. The messages "... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact requested a work order on the vehicle for the recall repair and the dealer refused. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the messages “Low Power Mode” and “See Dealer” were displayed on the instrument cluster before the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle an... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the garage, the garage became extremely hot, and the fans underneath the vehicle activated. The contact opened the garage. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. No warning light was illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed suds on the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who disco... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the p... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 22, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The vehicle was recently repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact understood that the option was to use a higher viscosity oil, replace the oil fill cap, and oil filter replacement. The contact stated that the remedy was insufficient to resolve a possible failure with the engine. The contact was heari... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact became aware that warm air was coming through the vents while the A/C unit was activated. The contact then stated that the vehicle started jerking with the "Engine Malfunction, Power Reduced" message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where water was added to the coolant reservoir, and the contact was informed by the mech... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the message "Battery Critically Low" was initially displayed, and then the message "Engine and Transmission System - Schedule Service Now" was displayed. The contact was assisted by Police Officers ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the recall repair was performed one month prior. The contact stated that after picking up the vehicle and driving to the residence, the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact called the dealer, and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer. Th... Read more