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 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a code reader determined that there was a misfire in cylinders #1 and #3. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the engine misfires were confirmed, and the engine's long block needed to be replaced. Upon invest... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
MOMENTUM
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic discovered an oil leak coming from the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty and the contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact performed an inspection under the hood and noticed that the oil pressure was low. The contact drove the vehicle to the nearest gas station and added oil. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact’s son started the vehicle and became aware that the "Cylinder Head Temperature Overheated" message was displayed on the instrument panel while the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine and engine cooling system had failed due to water leaking into the turbo. The dealer stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the transmission failed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle eventually failed start and was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and nee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power and shut off unexpectedly. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated during the failure. The vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound while idling. The vehicle was taken to the de... Read more
DODGE
CHARGER EV
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle abnormally shuddered, with the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure due to excessive oil consumption. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the vehicle lost electrical functions. The vehicle was towed 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 n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped, and the engine seized. The contact stated that there was not enough power from the engine to drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. No warning light was illuminated. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. In addition, the contact stated that his fam... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil consume oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 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 stated while making a turn at 2 MPH, the vehicle stalled temporarily, almost causing a crash. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that there was an abnormal change with the RPM. There were no warning lights illuminated. 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 dealer received an email from the manufacturer, bu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the head gasket was faulty and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2208. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the ignition coil and spark plug was not firing properly in cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was det... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 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 occasionally while driving at various speeds, the vehicle temporary lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated t... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated while driving at undisclosed speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who confirmed there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start in the morning as expected. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Aft... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. The contact was notified 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 repair. The manufac... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer. Several days later that the dealer informed the contact that ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that over time the knocking sound became more frequent, and the vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with defective cam phasers, and an estimate was provided for the cost o... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or programs in the system on the vehicle. Recently, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: May 29, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair and the contact was informed that the engine and turbo charger needed to be replaced; however, the turbo charger was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, lost motive power, with smoke came from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact attempted to start the vehicle and noticed a knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 24, 2025
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle hesitated upon start. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The engine warning light, battery, and ABS warning lights illuminated, with another unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle returned to function as intended; however, the failure recurred a short distance afterwards. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 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 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
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owned a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was traded. The manufacturer was notifie... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that one and a half quarts of oil needed to be added every two days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the failure was caused by the timing belt sagging, and th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a blown engine and the vehicle lost automotive power. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagno... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 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 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 f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after arriving to the intended destination, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the lifters, resulting in damages to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Midas where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #1, causing engine failure. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that on anot... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 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 while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The local d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. During the failure the "Eyesight" message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the thermal control valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The thermal control valve was replaced,... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the engine failure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with internal engine failure and coolant intrusion. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine had overheated internally. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a collision, in which another vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle, causing damage to the frame and headlights; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained soreness in the neck and back ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the certified mechanic, and an unknown repair was completed. The contact was unsure of the repair that was completed. After having the vehicle repaired a second time, w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 23, 2025
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact’s daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the water pump replaced. The con... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 5 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the place of employment and turned off. There was no warning light illuminated. There was white smoke coming from the exhaust. In addition, there was a burning odor inside the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle shuddered significantly and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine block was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while idling at a stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was ... Read more