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: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owned a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, black smoke started to come from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact noticed the smoke continued and that black smoke was now coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and not... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle off the road, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on a busy highway. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The contact’s daughter owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store, where it was diagnosed with ignition coil failure. The vehicle was then taken to the residence, where a family friend replaced the ignition coils; however, the check engine warning light was illumi... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered, jerked, and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but made an abnormal ticking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed that a warp cylinder block had failed, and the dealer became aware of coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the eng... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 75 MPH, the message "Engine Coolant Hot" was displayed and the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode and the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was restarted after a while and operated as needed. The vehi... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 5, 2025
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was driven to a nearby independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and several unknown DTCs were retrieved. The vehicle rem... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle briefly lost motive power but quickly returned to normal functionality. Later, upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle immediately shut off and could to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine after observing metal ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the engine stalled. The low oil pressure and the battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the piston ring and engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic or at a red traffic light on several occasions, on the way to an independent mechanic, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart on each occasion after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the indepe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. 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 the message "Check Oil" was displayed. The contact's husband checked the oil level and noticed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The local dealer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH in a parking area, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine and the low coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into several cyli... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was accelerating, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was able to restart, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an engine oil consumption failure. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was parking the vehicle, the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and a coolant odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact added coolant to the vehicle and drove the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for a routine oil change, the contact requested an engine inspection and oil change. The dealer performed the oil change; however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall remedy ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 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 contact stated that he contacted several unknown local dealers for a year and eight months, and it was confirmed that the recall parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufact... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 5, 2025
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated she had noticed that the vehicle required more oil between oil changes. Additionally, the contact had noticed that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light would only illuminate upon depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where no oil leak was foun... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. 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 starting the vehicle there was an abnormal sputtering sound coming from the engine. Additionally, several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The local dealer was c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. 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 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 manu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine shuddered while idling, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local independent mechanic was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was advised that the failure might be attributed to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an abnormal, rumbling sound was coming from the vehicle at start-up, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and a tune-up was performed on it. Despite the tune-up, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 4, 2025
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact called two dealers, and was advised that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall. The contact called several times and was advised that the dealers could not service the vehicle yet. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted for the recall repair and advised that the recall parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted in regards to the parts not being made available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and was inspected. The contact continued driving, but the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an indepe... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 4, 2025
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH up an incline, the vehicle stalled. The service engine and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart, but made an abnormal grinding sound while shifting into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartmen... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the "Engine Malfunction" and "Reduced Power - Service Now" messages were displayed. The contact was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not delivered to a local dealer. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that engine oil needed to be added after each oil change. The contact stated that recently, the low oil warning illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH uphill, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving for approximately 10-minutes, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. The RPM lowered and the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure persisted, and the contact coasted into a pa... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle suddenly started sputtering and decelerated unintendedly. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2015
The contact's client owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated while the client was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shut down in the middle of traffic. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into drive or reverse. Additionally, there was an unknown failure with the brakes and transmission. The contact stated that the failure was related to NH... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that within the 4-5 months of vehicle ownership, the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that oil had been added to the vehicle approximately 8-9 times and an oil change had been completed twice. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the front of t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which required the contact to add oil to the vehicle every 2 weeks. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that while driving at approximately... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repa... Read more
LINCOLN
NAUTILUS HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 1, 2025
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 228I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle jerked back and forth and choked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while reversing and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to park(P), turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the starter was replaced, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 1, 2025
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 65 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to pull over and stop the vehicle. The driver raised the hood and noticed that the engine compartment was covered with engine oil. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The low oil pressure warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The contact called Roadside Assistance and was informed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then towed to a d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owned a 2022 Infinity QX55. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle in the garage, the contact noticed white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the white smoke increased significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact returned to the residence. The contact stated that while driving to the dealer, the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was ta... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned on the hazard lights. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three occasions and was diagnosed with a blown head gasket and engine failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recur... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the vehicle started jerking with white smoke coming from the rear end of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to cool... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes Benz S550. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of oil spots on the driveway after parking the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an inspection indicated that the oil filter housing was defective and needed to ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 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
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 31, 2025
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the A/C was blowing hot air, and the temperature gauge was rising. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The c... Read more