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: Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle stalled with the message "Service Now” flashing on the instrument panel. After waiting for approximately 15-30 minutes, the vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that the oil filter adapter was cracked, ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 148,000.
HERCULES
ROADTOUR 855 SPE
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 12, 2025
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact’s friend owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The engine idled roughly, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact, an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and discovered that cylinder #1 had a blown head gasket. The contact determined that the... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact was unsure if the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed, causing catastrophic damage to the engine. In addition, there were metal shavings ins... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine, and the vehicle was shaking. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure due to piston rings failure, causing coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was in... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failure persisted. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warn... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. 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 contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the messages "Engine Overheated" and "Please Pull Over" were displayed on the instrument ... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact inspected fluids but found no defects with the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the mechanic discovered that the lifters and cam shaft were defective. D... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, several unknown warnings lights illuminated, and the vehicle stopped independently. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. 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 at various speeds, the engine made an abnormal sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called several local dealers who confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact made multiple at... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that during cold starts, there was an abnormal sound like a loud pop, and the "Service Engine" warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a local dealer. The contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine, but the vehicle had not stalled. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a misfire coming from the engine intermittently while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two separate occasions. On the first occasion, the check engine warning light was reset but the fai... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 11, 2025
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was able to restart initially; however, the failure persisted while driving, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to Firestone, where an unknown, inc... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that at start-up, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that a cause for the failure was not found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally as if the vehicle was being driven over rough road surfaces. The contact started to decelerate, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle lost motive power and s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine was slow to turn over, and after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine, but there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after the engine was replaced, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked engine flex plate. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failur... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GL450
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 8, 2025
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and the cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was coolant intrusion into various cylinders,... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 8, 2025
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would not be serviced under the recall if the engine had not failed or seiz... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that the "Check Oil" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that engine oil was being added to the engine more frequently. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment; however, the contact was informed that the part ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the odor of gasoline was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. While driving approximately 25 MPH, flames were present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was parked and quickly became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. Du... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started, and then the engine seized. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into the intended gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaig... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. 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 was concerned that the failure could occur and that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated there was a lot of pressure and worry about what might happen should the failu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe. 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 was concerned about parts availability and that the vehicle could experience engine failure due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle violently shook, vibrated, decelerated, and stalled. The vehicle was later restarted and driven to the local Auto Zone to be diagnosed. The diagnostic test revealed failures with the ECM and ECU, and the camshaft sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the "Low Oil" warning illuminated. The contact drove back to the residence and checked the oil level on the dipstick and became aware that there was no oil in the engine. The contact added 4 quarts of engine oil and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer initiated an oil consumption ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the contact noticed an abnormal sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, and there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin. Additionally, the contact stated that the A/C system and heating system became inoperable. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change, and the contact was advised that the oil level was low. The contact stated there was no warning illuminated with the oil level being low. The contact was advised by the mechanic to check the oil level more frequently. The contact had recently checked the oil level and needed to add one quart o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 228I. 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 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 ... Read more
ASTON MARTIN
DBX
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 7, 2025
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the engine oil warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact pulled over to check the engine oil level and discovered that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was taken to Midas, and engine oil was added. The vehicle was later taken to another Midas, who found a crack in the engine oil pan. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was driving roughly, with white exhaust smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine nee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the engine overheated. There was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming abnormal amounts of coolant without signs of a coolant leak. The contact stated that the engine seized. The coolant reservoir was inspected a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine experienced a rough start and idling, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed coolant pump. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the deale... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to the engine co... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shut off, the contact noticed that oil was leaking from the rear of the vehicle, located near the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while dri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that the dealer was performing an oil consumption test. In addition, the contact was advised by the dealer that further diagnostic testing was needed to dia... Read more
FIAT
124 SPIDER
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 6, 2025
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost motive power and shut off. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the thermostat had failed, causing the engine to overheat. The contact was informed that the valve inside the thermostat had bound, causing improper intern... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the message that the engine was reaching the max engine temperature and to pull over was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the EV water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired three times. The contact stated that the fail... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 6, 2025
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle occasionally failed to start after several attempts. In addition, the engine overheated with the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the con... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that the vehicle was not driven for 4-days while on vacation however, upon returning, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine after finding metal shavings inside the oil pan. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while at a stop light waiting to make a left turn, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and ... Read more