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 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a red traffic light, a driver walked up to the contact and informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal sweet odor coming from the exterior of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehic... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 31, 2025
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal slushing sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered violently, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine and powertrain warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "Error Drive Speed" was displayed. Additionally, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 45 MPH, with the message "Engine Overhe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 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. An unknown local dealer was contacted. 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 c... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 31, 2025
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop on several occasions, the vehicle sputtered and stalled. The message "Engine Fault - Service Now" was displayed. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal valve noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with delaminated lifter cam and rockers and push rods. There were metal shavings found in the engine oil. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed ... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant intrusion into several cylinders had caused damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After ... 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 while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe on cold starts and while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light and the low coolant warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders through a cracked engine block. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Check Fluids. Fluids Are Low" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart but failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that an inverter coolant component had sustain... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Engine Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350. The contact stated the check engine warning would illuminate on cold starts and would remain illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Reductant Heater and Sender Assembly on the 6.7L diesel engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfacti... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the cylinder had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for a service appointment, the contact was informed that the oil pump housing had melted and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the oil pump housing was made of plastic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mile... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be re... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while replacing the spark plugs, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated, and the message "Add Engine Oil" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to rod bearing failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved, and the cause of the failure could not b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 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 while operating the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
The contact called on behalf of a dealer who owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The dealer 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 contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that approximately one year ago, the engine was misfiring, and the vehicle was shuddering when the vehicle was started. The contact stated that his wife had not seen any warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the spark plugs and coi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly began to shake violently before returning to normal functionality. 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 damages to the engine. The contact was informed tha... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 29, 2025
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message "hot oil" was displayed on the screen. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact late... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there were abnormal loud sounds coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft or lifters failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contacts son owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light illuminated shortly afterwards. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder head, caused by a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle was running rough on several occasions. The service light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was determined that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating; however, after driving for a while, the vehicle operated as designed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion in cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The mechanic informed the contact of a Techni... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the iss... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that an engine sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact called to inquire about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The contact believed that the vehicle should have been included in the recall based on the chassis number; however, the manufacturer declined based on the VIN, even though the part number matched the recalled part. The... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The driver drove to the residence. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and there was smoke coming from the engine with a loud screeching sound. The vehicle was taken to the local ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
I purchased the truck thinking it had 80k miles it’s was misrepresented by the dealer I got it from in reality it should’ve been 280k miles. I don’t have the money to go after them as I spent it on the truck and timing chains as well as some other repairs. They will likely flee the country if they find out I was to go after them anyway
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
I purchased the truck thinking it had 80k miles it’s was misrepresented by the dealer I got it from in reality it should’ve been 280k miles. I don’t have the money to go after them as I spent it on the truck and timing chains as well as some other repairs. They will likely flee the country if they find out I was to go after them anyway
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. In addition, while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as ... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Jul 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact believed that an inspection and adding thicker viscosity oil was not a remedy but instead a temporary fix. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH up a hill, there was an abnormal banging sound come from the vehicle, and the vehicle experienced engine failure. The contact stated there was oil leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was determined that there was a large oil leak on the passe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 1... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the man... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH in traffic, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brake pedal was firm. There was no warning light illuminated; however, an engine message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump drive belt had fractured and there were debris inside... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle shut off with an audible warning chime and several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle soon after failure. The contact stated that on another occasion, while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal ticking sound ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled while stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, several unknown warning... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact stated the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), for a possible failure with the connecting rod, and the vehicle was repaired. Approximately 2-3 years after the recall repair, while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power while accelerating. The contact coasted to the side of the road and... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X1. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P) and turning off the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from under the hood and entering the cabin through the air vents. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence; however, the failure progressed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and remained for additional tests. BMW of Mi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced electronic malfunctions with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the dipstick was not properly in place. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving at an undisc... Read more