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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Incident date: Dec 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired under the recall because there was sludge... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528XI. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle came to a stop and the Automatic START/STOP feature activated; however, the engine failed to restart. The message "Drive Train Malfunction Error" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the timing chain had fractured, causing unknown parts to enter the engin... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped accelerating. The contact safely pulled into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was inoperable and was waiting to be towed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while the outside temperature was cool, the vehicle operated normally. However, when the heat index was high, the message that the starter was hot was displayed. Shortly afterwards, the instrument cluster went black, and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to coast the vehicle to the roadside. The contact waited approximately ... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, before the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that there was a rattling sound coming from the turbo charger. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the turbo charger needed... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the engine temperature increased while driving approximately 60 - 70 MPH. The message “Reduced Speed due to High Temperature” was displayed. The temperature gauge increased to high and then down to low. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was caused by the coolant control valve. ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

The contact owned a 2024 Ford F-450 SD. The contact stated that while his fiancée was driving with cruise control set to 57 MPH, there was an abnormally strong smoky odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and there were flames coming from the engine bay. The driver called 9-1-1. The driver attempted to extinguish the ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Feb 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with turbo charger assembly failure. The contact was informed that the turbo charger assembly needed to be replaced. No further informa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while sitting at a traffic light, with the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, the vehicle completely shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The failure was a recurring failure. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA25... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced severe overheating and excessive oil consumption. The contact also stated that there was a misfire in the engine even though the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. Due to the failure, the vehicle could not be driven with the air conditioning activated. Additiona... Read more

Incident date: Oct 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the high oil consumption might cause a fire in the engine bay due to a failure with the piston rings. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); as the possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a deal... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), 17V676000 (Electrical System), and 17V683000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer in June 2026. The contact later received a phone call on June 23, 2026, and was informed that the vehicle was ready to be retrieved. The contact went t... Read more

Incident date: Feb 18, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased, there was an abnormally strong coolant odor coming from the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the coolant reservoir was recently refilled, and the odor might be due to an overflow. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. While the contact’s daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine temperature gauge became extremely elevated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty and no leak was found. The coolant reservoir was refilled, and the vehicle operated normally. The dealer was not contacted. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V0801000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available, even though the notification stated that the parts were available. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several issues, including the loss of motive power and ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was idling rough; however, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the remedy for the recall was not yet available... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 650I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a red light, the vehicle accelerated and then lost motive power. There was no warning prior to the failure; however, the engine light illuminated immediately after the vehicle stalled, and the contact was able to coast to safety. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engin... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change, the contact was made aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the following day the coolant reservoir was empty. The failure had occurred on several different occasions. The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towe... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the towing suddenly failed. The contact was able to drive off the exit. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the week before, while idling at a stop light, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact cleared the code before restarting the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shuddering and vibrating before becoming inoperable. The check engine warning light illuminated, and five seconds later the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with a spun rod bearing and engine knock. The ve... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but continued to stall each time the vehicle was stopped. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone for an unknown diagnostic test and then towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that a tune-up was needed. The v... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder, which caused engine fa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

My husband and I own a 2017 Lincoln MKZ that was purchase new in 2018. It is equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine, with approximately 69,000 miles. It has been meticulously cared for! Before the diagnosis, I noticed that when starting the vehicle and backing up, the engine would jerk slightly until I stepped on the accelerator to proceed. The check engine light then came on, which prompted me to... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

Incident date: Aug 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, with the message " Check Power Steering " displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road through traffic a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact scheduled an appointment for a maintenance repair on the vehicle and was informed that recall services would also be performed on the vehicle while the vehicle was with the dealer. The vehicle received repairs under 23-049 (HYBCKP Emission Recall) and 24-049 (HTBrid Press Fuel Safety Recall). Upon retrieving the vehicle, the contact stated that an "E... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine started shuddering and vibrating, and the vehicle stalled. The message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the head gasket had failed. The contact was later informed that the bolts on the turbocharge... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving out of town, the vehicle suddenly went into LIMP Mode. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 70 MPH and decelerated unintendedly. The vehicle was driven approximately 30 MPH to the residence. The message “Engine Malfunction” was displayed, and the temperature gauge rose to HOT. The ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the thermostat was replaced; however, the failure recurred and worsened. The vehicle was returned t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, there was smoke coming from underneath the passenger’s side of the hood before the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that moments later there were flames coming from the underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was parked on the side of the road and flame... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine and engine coolant temperature warning lights illuminated, and the message "Engine Coolant over Temperature" was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road to cool down before continuing to drive. The contact stated that water was added to the coolant... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure occurred a year after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The ve... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The contact's grandmother owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his grandmother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that due to the failure and the outside temperatures, his grandmother was stuck inside the inoperable vehicle. The contact's grandmother sustained a heat stroke while waiting for assistance. ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: May 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Jaguar F-Pace. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed and the engine started overheating. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact allowed the engine to cool down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a coolant out pipe failure. The contact ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and discovered that there was oil leaking from the valve cover onto the alternator. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was repaired under NHTSA C... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough and the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the transmission made an abnormal sound while starting the vehicle and while driving, and the torque converter was shuddering. The contact and his father di... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), the contact was informed that the vehicle passed the inspection and no repair was needed. However, the vehicle experienced engine failure approximately seven months later. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the malfunction indicator and coolant temperature warning lights illuminated, and the engine overheated and shuddered abnormally. There was smoke and an abnormal ticking sound coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot, and the vehicle was turned off. The conta... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V080000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, a failure occurred after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and lost drive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact p... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and two hubcaps were damaged, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated tha... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the messages "Engine Power Reduced" and "Speed Limited to 65 MPH" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine coolant flow control valve and related components needed to be replac... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact added engine oil to the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to th... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the b... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and the electronic parking brake unintendedly engaged. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was unable to disengage the parking brake, and the vehicle failed to restart immed... Read more

Incident date: Apr 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine overheated while driving, causing the contact to be four minutes late for work. There was white smoke coming from the exhaust while starting the vehicle. There was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was concerned about having to purchase another vehicle. The ve... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling,... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH and attempting to overtake another vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and decelerated with the check engine, battery, and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was parked on the shoulder of the highway, and smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, there was heavy white smoke coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle; however, the failure returned upon reaching arriving at the intended destination. The contact s... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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