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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 20, 2025
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over into a gas station. Upon further investigation, the contact noticed that the oil level was low. The contact added two quarts of oil to the engine. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was at the dealer for an oil ... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 20, 2025
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the oil level was abnormally low despite the vehicle being serviced within 2,000 miles. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and an oil consumptio... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2025
The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet TRAX. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased, the engine had been failing. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the engine overheated. The engine temperature warning... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 20, 2025
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after receiving oil changes on four occasions, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice, and the contact was informed that the oil pressure sensor was leaking at the connector, and the oil pressure sender or the switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure per... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for service, the contact was informed that the engine was leaking due to a timing chain failure. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be taken apart to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed.... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 20, 2025
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the message “Low Engine Oil” and to pull over to avoid engine destruction was displayed. The driver pulled over. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the internal parts of the oil filter made of plastic had deteriorated. The dealer determined t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
See attached document for complaint. I am writing to you as a deeply concerned mother and consumer seeking urgent help with a danger ous and unresolved engine defect in my 2024 Cadillac E calade, which has been formally recalled under NHT A Campaign 25V-274 (GM Recall 1 252494000). I purchased this vehicle in good faith, believing it would be a safe, reliable car to transport my three young child... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 20, 2025
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that the message "Low Engine Oil" was displayed prematurely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the oil consumption test. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
See attached document for complaint. We are writing to express our concerns regarding ongoing and unresolved issues with our 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country Deluxe Package, which we purchased on [XXX] from Titus-Will Chevrolet in Olympia, Washington. Our vehicle was ordered on [XXX] and delivered with 12 miles on the odometer [XXX]. The total purchase price was $97,889.61. This vehicle is equip... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) and 21V137000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the contact was possibly charged for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The KSDS warning light... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made a dinging sound, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the coolant temperature gauge was fluctuating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and noticed that there was white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that th... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 19, 2025
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that after picking up the vehicle from the dealer for a different failure, the exhaust pipe made an abnormally loud sound while driving. The check engine and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who determined that the catalytic converter had failed and informed the contact that the cataly... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
INTERNATIONAL
DURASTAR
(2009) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 19, 2025
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. While driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where the engine mounts were replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 19, 2025
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal gas odor would emit through the vehicle's ventilation system. The contact notified a local dealer, and an appointment was made to have the vehicle serviced. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that there was likely bacteria growing inside the vehicle, which caused the odor... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 68 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that lifter #7 had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra Denali. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, there was a valve tap coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The driver became aware that the coolant level was low. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the failure was due to a misfire in cylinders #2 and #3. The contact stated that th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 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 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 m... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge started to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a misfire in cylinders #2 and #3. The c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to Auto Zone, and a s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were not yet available after scheduling an appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact became aware of abnormal oil consumption and sound coming from under the hood. The local dealer was contacted; however, the warranty had expired. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Azera. The contact stated that the heating system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to two Goodyear Auto Repair Shops, where it was diagnosed with a head gasket leak. One of the Goodyear facilities replaced the thermostat and the radiator. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, a message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact was ab... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 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 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 contac... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received the recall letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there was no information from the manufacturer to move forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine, and the vehicle shuddered violently. The contact stated that the failure increased while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The service manager at the dealer was contacted and informed the contact that he had remote access ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered with the messages “Engine Fault Service Now”, and “High Engine Temperature – Stop Safely” displayed. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure, whic... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed a tune-up on the vehicle. The contact stated that several days after the tune-up, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
See attached document for complaint. I am writing in reference to the recall on my 2013 BMW-328xi. The vin number is. The recall is for the water pump electrical connector. My water pump failed May 2024. I went to an independent repair service center that specializes in BMW repair, which in turn was the closest service center to where the vehicle broke down. I paid out of pocket for the repair. N... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 14, 2025
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact leased a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the AWD warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power. The driver was able to pull over safely. Upon investigation, the contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and stated that the dealer had leased the vehicle with an active recall. The vehicle was taken to ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO EV
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 14, 2025
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormally loud tapping noise coming from the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined the intake valve was bent. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Motorcycle. The contact stated that the motorcycle was making an abnormal sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received a notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V376000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the bearing on the crankshaft.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the dealer recommended that the timing belt be replaced. After the timing belt was replaced, there was a ticking sound coming from the vehicle while being started. The sound occurred while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated while driving approximately 60 MPH. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message “Service Electronic Stability Control" was displayed, and the traction control warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The failure persisted while driving, and the vehicle failed to ex... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that they were informed by a family member that when the vehicle was turned on and moved into the driveway, smoke was coming from underneath the hood, where the engine was located. A while later, when returning to the vehicle, they noticed the vehicle had caught fire. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. There were n... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); 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 “Check 4WD” warning light was illuminated, and the Auto START/STOP system failed to restart the vehicle. The... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost motive power. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. Upon investigation, the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with l... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 12, 2025
Incident date: Nov 2, 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 unavailable. 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 failure.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Steering Assist Fault - Drive with Caution" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC: P0128 (Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature) and replaced the engine coolant thermostat. The manufacturer was made aware of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, 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 taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damage to th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was abnormal white smoke coming out of the tailpipe. The contact stated that upon inspecting the oil dipstick, the contact noticed that there was coolant in the oil, and the contact also noticed that there was a small amount of oil in the coolant reservoir. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating - Park Vehicle" in red letters was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, but was not diagnosed; however, ... Read more