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: Aug 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint. On [XXX], I purchased a certified pre-owned 2021 GMC Yukon Denali for $85,481.76. Since then, I've had multiple service appointments prompted by dashboard alerts, OnStar reports, and noticeable engine hesitation and knocking noises while driving. The attached invoices reflect services I paid for based on dealership recommendations to address these issues. Unfo... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact's daughter replaced the battery. A mechanic was able to restart the vehicle; however, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) for which the V... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
See attached document for complaint. To Whom It May Concern, I am writing regarding the recall on my 2021 Chevy Suburban. While I understand there is currently no active solution for the issue, I want to stress the seriousness of the situation. As a mother of [REDACTED] living in Wisconsin, I am deeply concerned that if my truck were to shut down due to engine failure and we could not get help ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 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 contact stated that while driving downhill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. Several unknown warning lights were il... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact had received a recall letter from the manufacturer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called several local dealers and the manufacturer and was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination without any further failure. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped. The contact noticed that the coolant level was low, and additional coolant was added. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a loss of fluid. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The v... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud knocking sound was heard coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed due to a large amount of copper found in the engine oil. The contact was inform... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to function as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mecha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that upon routine maintenance with a local independent mechanic, it was discovered that the vehicle had low engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that an oil consumption test was needed to determine any failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The check engine warning light... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power. No warning light was 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 repaired, but the engine was not replaced. The contact related ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 28, 2025
Incident date: Oct 22, 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 available. The contact later received notification that parts were available. The contact called a local dealer and was informed that due to a high service volume, the vehicle could not be serviced immediately. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialty shop and was diagnosed with torque converter failure, which caused transmission failure. The torque converter was replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, days after the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 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 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: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to overheat, with the check engine and temperature warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 184,000.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough, jerking, and shaking. The transmission and coolant temperature warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Overheating - Reduced Power" was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact was provided with error codes related to the failure. The vehicle was then towed to ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
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 there were rumbling and rattling sounds coming from the engine compartment whil... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The check engine warning light then illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was later examined by a mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had seized a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for maintenance, and the contact was informed that the water pump had failed. The contact showed the independent mechanic the receipt for when the vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who indicated that a coolant pressure test was needed. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the front an... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300 4MATIC
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 27, 2025
Incident date: Sep 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during colder weather, the heater failed to operate as intended. Additionally, the Eyesight system was inoperable. The check engine and other unknown warning lights were displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the engine failed to warm up as intended after being started, and the engine temperatur... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and traction control warning light were illuminated. In addition, the contact had to use force to steer the wheel. The contact was unable to coast to the side... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
The contact owned a 2016 BMW X3. The contact stated that while parking in the garage, the warning message "engine overheated" had displayed, but the temperature gauge displayed a normal temperature reading. The contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood before entering the home, along with a strange sound. Moments later, the contact returned to the garage and discovered flames coming from un... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
See attached document for complaint. IN RE: GM Recall N252494000 I received notice in May of 2025 that my 2021 Cadillac Escalade is involved in a recall. At first my dealer said the part to repair is not available? Then in September we stopped by my dealer and he said the recall does NOT involve my Cadillac. So I will attach a copy of my notice so there is no question they notified me I have a d... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Veloster. The contact reported that oil was leaking out of the exhaust. The vehicle was sputtering and running rough while driving at various speeds, and hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The dealer informed the contact that metal shavings were fo... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2025
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH hauling a trailer going downhill, the engine seized. The vehicle was difficult to control. The message to “Shift to Neutral and Restart" was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the running boards were stuck outwards. The co... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle was skipping. The contact immediately veered towards an exit ramp. The contact noticed knocking sounds coming from the engine, and the vehicle stalled on the exit ramp. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and hot air came out of the vents, entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled. The dealer refilled the coolant reservoir. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved; however, the contact was informed that the failure was related to the knock sensors. The contact related the failure to TSB: L-SB-0122-17, which the contact stated was ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with head gasket failure, resulting in damage to the engine. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was unsure if the vehicle was inspected. The contact stated that the dealer had not provided a status update regarding the vehicle or the repair. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had been at t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, followed by a coolant temperature message. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a hairline crack in the engine. The hairline fracture led to coolant intrusion inside cylinder #2, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was running abnormally rough. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to provide a specific diagnosis in relation to the MIL. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and decelerated with white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to a nearby dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle a blown head gasket. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while attempting to shift gears. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal sound, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was black and white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 40-60 MPH, the vehicle jolted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the CarMax dealer, where it was purchased. The vehicle was then taken to an unknown Nissan dealer, where the diagnostic trouble codes were cleared... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The contact was able to coast over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with crankshaft and rod bearing failure. The vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving to the residence at a moderate speed, the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The following day, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine even though an oil change had been performed a month earlier. The vehicle was taken... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2025
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered there was oil leaking from the valve cover gasket. The mechanic performed an unknown repair, but the failure persisted. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding and clinking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there was a waiting list for the recall repair. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, but was undrivable. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, where it was determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 had caused engine damage. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming engine oil, and there was no indication of an oil leak. While a friend was driving, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The next day, while driving at unknown speeds with the hazard lights activated, the vehicle began making an abnormal sound and then stalled. The TPMS and ... Read more