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: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the engine oil was abnormally low and required 2-quarts of oil to top off the oil level even though the vehicle had recently been serviced. The vehicle was not t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power in the intersection. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed by the warranty company to AAMCO, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message indicating that the engine had overheated was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 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. An unknown dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with cruise control mode activated, the vehicle inadvertently went into Limp mode and lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming ... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 9, 2025
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
Dear NHTSA, I am submitting a formal complaint regarding my 2012 Kia Optima, which experienced an engine fire directly related to the defects identified in Kia Safety Recalls SC147, SC200, and SC201. On XXX, my vehicle’s engine failed and caught fire. This is the exact condition covered by the above recalls, which state that affected engines may seize, stall, or ignite. I have been in contact wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
The contact leased a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received a recall 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 her daughter was driving at an unknown speed on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure occurred on two occasions. There were no... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 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 occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the ESB warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was advised that the vehicle did not qu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while cold-starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, after removing the foot from the accelerator pedal, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The contact stated that after depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before responding as needed. There was no warning illu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was idling abnormally rough, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V701000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced because it was an older vehicle, and the dealer informed the contact that the recall part had been discontinued. The contact was referred to the manuf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 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 notified of the issue, and the contact was informed that the part needed to test the vehicle for the recall was unavailable. The contact was then informed that once the vehicle... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 9, 2025
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stoplight, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. A day later, the failure reoccurred, and the RPMs increased before the vehicle accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the connecting rod had failed, and there were metal s... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 9, 2025
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact’s daughter owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While the contact’s daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 17 MPH. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road where a family member was able to tow the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle had been parked in the driveway at the residence and was no longer drivable. A certified mec... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQE 350 4MATIC
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 9, 2025
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
See attached document for complaint. It is coming to almost a year that this problem still exists. After multiple attempts to have this rectified still un settled. I tried to make a claim on your website but for some reason the site is not taking my VIN# XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, NJ Plate Tag XXXXXX
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 45-55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was also seated in the vehicle during the failure. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was to... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall rep... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4Matic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. 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 there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagno... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started to lose power with several unknown warning lights on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to coast ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 8, 2025
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was returned to the contact; however, the contact was informed that the alternator was not spinning. The contact was informed that the alternator had seized and needed to be ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
See attached document for complaint. Please be advised that I received a safety recall notice relative to my leased 2023 Nissan Rogue Platinum involving a manufacturing defect affecting the engine bearings and/or engine components. Bearings and crankshaft are prone to failure, which can result in catastrophic engine damage with little or no warning. I appreciate that Nissan is going to address th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the abnormal sound was persistent and had become louder. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed to wait until the check engine warning light ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant warning light intermittently illuminated on several occasions. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an electrical connec... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an abnormal amount of engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, occasionally while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was advised that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown NHTSA Campaign because the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The engine warning light was turning on and off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the power booster. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated there was a design flaw. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer,... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 7, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the battery failed to start the engine. The vehicle was jumpstarted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact noticed acid on top of the battery by the terminals and noticed that acid had dripped down the vehicle, and the battery was hot. The dealer replaced the battery. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the batt... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to Downtown Auto Care, where an oil consumption test was initiated. The mechanic added 5 quarts of oil to the engine and advised the contact to return after 3,000 miles. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light illuminated after 2,275 miles. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on several occasions while making left and right turns, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure by wiggling the battery terminals and other engine components. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The fail... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 7, 2025
Incident date: Sep 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. An Independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 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 stopped, the vehicle hesitated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the vehicle occasionally experienced a loss of ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormally bumpy ride. The contact felt as if the vehicle was driving over rocks. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replace... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The recall repair was completed; however, on the drive home after the vehicle was retrieved, while driving 60 MPH, the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was sluggish and hesitated before stalling in the middle lane of the highway. The oil pressure wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in traffic, a trim piece detached from the vehicle. The TPMS and check engine warning light were illuminated. The dealer sent a tech to the contact’s place of employment, but the tech was unable to complete the recall repair due to the bolt not being available. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Nu... Read more
KTM
390 ADVENTURE R
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 6, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that on several occasions, there was no oil or low oil in the oil pan. The contact stated that oil needed to be added to the vehicle daily. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 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 after coming to a stop, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. The check engine wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The contact’s son reported that the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally, and he pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the engine began knocking, and the vehicle began to decelerate quickly until there was complete engine failure. The contact was able to coast to the emergency lane on the side of the highway. After the failure, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, shook and vibrated, and then stalled. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to a faulty oil pump drive belt tens... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 6, 2025
Incident date: Apr 12, 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 contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact stopped and then attempted ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the crankshaft, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID. BUZZ
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 3, 2025
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was an abnormal sound and odor coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that pistons needed to be replaced and that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Oct 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 while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and occasionally jolted while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fue... Read more