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 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle went into "LIMP Mode" and decelerated to approximately 35 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine "Crank Shaft" had failed... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 iss... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was unsure if a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that the parts were not available to repair the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts were not available. The contact was concerned that while his wife was driving with the grandchildren in the vehicle that if the failure occurred, the failure could cause their lives to be in danger. In addition, the contact was informed by the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal became stuck while driving approximately 10-25 MPH in a parking lot on two occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V699000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred. The contact stated that coolant had leaked onto the driveway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the radiator was fractured. The vehicle was r... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted regarding a buyback, but the request was declined. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. 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 stated that the vehicle was sluggish and failed to exceed 45 MPH while driving, with an abnormal humming and knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's son visited the contact and test... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated there was a pinging sound inside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a multi-point inspection, and it was confirmed that the oil level was extremely low. The contact stated that an oil consumpt... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the parts for the recall repair were unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact had not experienced ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his son was driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered, and there was an abnormal rumbling and clunking sound coming from the engine. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) softwa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine warning light illuminated. While inspecting the oil level, the contact discovered that the oil level was extremely low. The contact added oil as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and five different tests were performed and each test produced varying results. The contact stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine was misfiring and there was a minor water pump leak. The dealer changed the drive mode from level 4 to level 2, and the check engine warning light was reset. The dealer advised the cont... Read more
TOYOTA
LAND CRUISER
(2000) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 5, 2025
Incident date: Sep 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 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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 5, 2025
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 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 was sluggish while driving and made an abnormal sound while accelerating. The local dealer was contacted, but declined to inspect the vehicle because the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway, the oil and engine lights illuminated. The engine oil pump alert began to produce an abnormal beeping sound. The contact was able to pull over and park safely. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer the following day. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the failur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine overheated after idling for 10 minutes. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence and replaced the upper and lower coolant hoses and the thermostat; however, the failure persisted, and the coolant reservoir was significantly hot. A second mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket had failed. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. 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 and a case was ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
See attached document for complaint. I am writing as the owner of a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with the 6.2-liter engine that has recently been included in a significant recall. I've been advised that the engine may need to be replaced entirely. As you can imagine, this is extremely concerning given the scale of the defect and the vital role this truck plays i'n my dayto- day responsibilities.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was violently shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who detected a burning odor while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was diagnosed with a cracked engine block and coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the engine was running rough while driving at va... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in 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 MIL warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer ha... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 5, 2025
Incident date: Sep 1, 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. In addition, several warning lights were illuminated. While attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times; however, ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that his son had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact's son had been calling the local dealer and was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact was informed by his son stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the thermostat gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cracked head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine failed and shut off independently. An independent mechanic and dealer were contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the crankshaft had melted. The vehicle was then towed to dealer, where it was diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
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: Sep 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the recall repair was performed twice; however, the failure persisted for almost two months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts might take a while to be available. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the turbo charger failed to operate as designed, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that excessive pressure was needed to depress the accelerator pedal. The message “Engine Power Reduced” was displayed due to a low coolant level. Additionally, the contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal, and hesitated while accelerating after a complete stop. The contact stated that occasionally the check engine warning light illuminated, and the dipstick was checked, and the engine oil was low. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and an oil and oil filter change was per... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 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
Incident date: Dec 31, 2019
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the low oil pressure and the check engine warning lights illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V90... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
PORSCHE
718 BOXSTER GTS
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 4, 2025
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X1. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle with the engine light illuminated. There was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer, and the contact was informed that parts were not available. The... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 4, 2025
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil change. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer, the vehicle started making an abnormal knocking sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was a failure in cylinder #1, and the lower engine... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 4, 2025
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 25-29 MPH uphill and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle began sputtering and struggling to accelerate. While at the stop sign, the vehicle started idling roughly with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the cylinders were filling with oil du... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer, who was unable to assist due to the parts not being available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2020
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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stopped. The contact wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint. This law firm represents [XXX] . [XXX] owns a GMC truck with VIN: xxxxxx which is subject to the above referenced recall. Please accept this letter as Mr. [XXX] 's written complaint due to his dealer's failure to remedy the defect covered under the above referenced recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
See attached document for complaint. I'm writing to formally express my concern and disappointment regarding the excessive delay in resolving the recall issued for my vehicle. While I understand that safety recalls can involve complex logistics, the prolonged timeframe without any clear resolution has created both an inconvenience and a safety risk for me and other vehicle owners affected by the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
HONDA GENUINE ACCESSORY
CENTERSTAND KIT
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 3, 2025
Incident date: Jan 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that one quart of oil was added weekly, even though the vehicle was rarely driven. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light failed to illuminate until the oil pressure was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle stalled while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the gear shifter intermittently failed to move to the intended position. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wagoneer. The contact stated that several unknown lights on the instrument cluster were illuminated and flashing. Additionally, the headlights were flashing, and the camera screen was blank. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, additional force was needed to stop the vehicle. There was an abnormal horn sound detected. The contact stated that the en... Read more