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 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After inve... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Honda ADV160 Motorcycle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V195000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Kawasaki ZX-6R. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V376000 (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 contacted, inspected the vehicle, and informed the contact that the bearing ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 23, 2025
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, the contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor. There was no warning light 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 dealer was contacte... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being traded in at the dealer, the contact was informed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Upper Marlboro Ford (5701 Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772), who also determined that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact relate... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact performed a VIN search and 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 availab... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that there was a small oil leak coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a known issue that was related to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the oil leak was confirmed, and the dealer was informed about issues with the cam... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact inspected the vehicle and found an oil leak on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine oil cooler lines had rupture... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the vehicle was repaired under the recall; however, the failure occurred, and tone wheel became delaminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was inform... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated, and there was smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV. 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 an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. The loc... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was oil intrusion that caused the engine to fail. The contact was told that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 contac... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 22, 2025
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 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, 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. After investigating the f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the energy saver START/STOP feature engaged, but the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the START/STOP function failed to operate as designed. The mechanic informed the contact about NHTSA Campai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000 (Air Bags); 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 the vehicle was consuming one quart of oil every 2-3 days. The oil warning light was illuminate... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the message "Service Electronic Throttle Control" was displayed, and the check engine warning light and the electrical system warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the failure was part of a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light 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 vehicle was taken to the dealer but was no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Niro. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the refill inverter coolant warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the refill inverter warning light illuminated while driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with debris and corrosion in the inverters and electronic water pump. The contact was in... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power in the middle of the roadway. The contact was unable to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway with the rear wheels seized. The “Service Transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front brakes. The vehicle was repaire... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 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 dealer was contacted 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 manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 70 MPH, the temperature gauge rose extremely high, with the message “Engine Overheating” displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact’s wife pulled over and parked the vehicle while awaiting tow truck service. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and jerking abnormally. The contact stated her daughter reported there were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster. The driver exited the highway and pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a de... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was noti... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving over a bridge. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repa... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 21, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling at several different gas stations, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact added fuel cleaner to the fuel tank. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V187000 (Fuel Syst... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 21, 2025
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the Evaporator Emissions Canister Pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GL450
(2010) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 21, 2025
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was overheating with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local Firestone Service Center who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir hose was faulty and needed to be replaced. The reservoir hose was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while her son was driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking from the vehicle. The contact was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir every other day. The contact stated that the vehicle was smoking and there was an abnormal rattling ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle and inspected the vehicle. The contact noticed that the oil was milky. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a misfire and a coolant leak into... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a thumping sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the engine had been replaced one... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 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 local dealer was not 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 is... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV. 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 fail... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was previously taken to a local independent mechanic, and it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Eng... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and started to coast. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and the dealer determined there was corrosion on the battery terminals. The battery cables were repaired. The dealer also mentioned potential engine failure. The engine was not repaired. The failure occu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistanc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the en... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 18, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The local dealers were contacted; however, the recall information failed to show while entering the VIN information. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. 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 dealer was contacted on several occasions; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2133 (Coolant intrusion i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to immediately start. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined there was coolant inside the cylinders and informed the contact that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHCS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 18, 2025
Incident date: Jul 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, and the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the engine was overheating, and the air condition system had f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the cylinders and advised the contact that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 18, 2025
Incident date: Jul 18, 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75-80 MPH, the “Low Oil” warning lig... Read more