Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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 2,245,377 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cam phaser failure. The contact was informed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance.... Read more

Incident date: Jan 21, 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 unavailable. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were unavailable. The contact later received a letter stating that parts were available; however, the dealer stated that due to a limited s... Read more

Incident date: Oct 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Lexus NX-300H. The contact stated that while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant leaking into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was driving roughly. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and the vehicle felt as if the brake pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant h... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after the dealer performed a transmission flush, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated while driving. Additionally, the steering wheel jerked abnormally, and the radio went blank while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an ind... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, engine, and VSA warning lights were illuminated. While at the stoplight, the vehicle started jerking and sputtering. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletins: 25-060 and 25-061. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, w... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the engine failed to restart with the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was manually restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (Engine and Engine C... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

When I originally attempted to start the car, white smoke was pouring from the exhaust pipe. We came to the conclusion that my head gasket on the car blew. We came to this conclusion because it was misfiring and when you try to open the coolant lid there’s suction.

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

Incident date: Dec 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph the engine experienced a complete loss of automotive power, and no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number : 25V099... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The contact stated that during one of the failures, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a quart of oil needed to be added to the engine after driving every 30 miles. Additionally, on one ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston rings failure. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the engine, catalytic ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message “Power Low” was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to a Walmart, and metal shavings were found in the oil. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was declined. The oil light had not been reset within 18,0... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the contact was informed of an engine oil leak, and the oil drain plug was replaced. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with significant white smoke coming from the exhaust pip... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was informed that there was an oil leak underneath the vehicle. The contact was unsure if the oil was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the residence and parked, and the contact observed puddles of oil underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked with the temperature gauge level becoming elevated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact researched NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V080000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); which was associated with the VIN. The dealer was not ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V011000 (Equipment); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated while driving. Upon inspection, the contact's husband became aware that the coolant level was abnormally low. Additionally, a diagnostic scan re... Read more

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle and retrieved a fault code associated with the high-pressure fuel pump failure. The vehicle was towed to dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with misfires in cylinders #1 and #4... Read more

Incident date: Jun 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with fuel injector failure and coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle came to a complete stop without warning. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. During the first failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer and a lifter inside the engine was replaced. The contact stated that after the second failure, the contact allowed t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the Auto START/STOP system failed to restart the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was manually restarted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was fully charged and tes... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the transmission erroneously shifted to neutral(N), and the vehicle decelerated unexpectedly. The vehicle was pulled off the freeway and parked on the shoulder of the road, and the police were contacted and arrived at the scene and assisted with removing the small children from the vehicle. The ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the owner reported an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while starting the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic, where the timing belt tensioner was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic disassembled the oil filter and discover... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with turbo boost failure. The contact was informed that the turbo boost needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the failure was not associated wi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac XT4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and lost motive power. The messages "Service Stabili-trak" and "Intake and Exhaust Valve To Optimize Performance And Efficiency, Please Schedule Service Now" were displayed. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who performed an unknown repair, ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 31, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough start-ups with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked cylinder. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after being turned off. The Auto START/STOP system failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the battery was in good working order, but the starter was not operating as designed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while at a traffic light. The vehicle was restarted after another attempt... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking into the engine, causing a misfire. The contact was informed that the long block needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact not to drive the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, shuddered, and the air conditioner was inoperative, and the vehicle coasted before coming to a complete stop. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnos... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the RPM became elevated; however, the vehicle decelerated abnormally, causing the vehicle to lose power. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was serviced und... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram ProMaster 2500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contac... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban used to tow a 30-foot trailer. The contact stated that while towing the trailer and driving 60 MPH up an incline with no shoulder, the vehicle shut off in a remote area. The contact was able to move the vehicle off the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The brakes and power steering features became inoperable. The vehicle shifted to neutra... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. While the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered metal shavings inside the engine oil. The contact stated that additional diagnostic tests confirmed that the engine rod bearings and connecting rods had failed. The cont... Read more

Incident date: Apr 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Honda ADV160. The contact stated that while riding approximately 20-25 MPH, the engine made an abnormal whining sound and the motorcycle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, and the motorcycle was towed to the residence. The motorcycle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that a cylinder was d... Read more

Incident date: Nov 27, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop at an intersection, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was blocking traffic and was pushed to safety. While in a safe location, the battery was diagnosed and was ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was info... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owned a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was whitish grey smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence where it was parked, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pushed the vehicle away from the... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under previous ownership under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V699000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the recall repair failed to prevent a recall-related failure 15,000 miles later. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal coolant odor entering the cabin o... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Edge. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was performed remotely. The contact stated that the dealer 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: Jul 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the engine temperature rose, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and allowed the engine to cool down before restarting the vehicle, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Honda CBR600RR. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V891000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature failed to function as intended. There was a fire message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to update the control unit. The control unit was not communicating as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHT... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power, decelerated, and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. After exiting the freeway, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then later towed to the dealer fo... Read more

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking erratically. In addition, the oil light and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus LS 600. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V767000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), 26V18000 (SEATS, AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local 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... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor and smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact pulled over and checked the engine oil level, and the dipstick indicated that the engine oil level was extremely low. The contact stated that engine oil... Read more

Incident date: Jun 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failure in cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine ne... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2026 Honda CBR600RR. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V891000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The dealer provided a complimentary oil change service, but the vehicle remained unrepaired due to the part not bein... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and low coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder of the road. Upon further inspection, the contact became aware of a coolant leak under the vehicle. The coolant reservoir was refilled, and there was white smoke coming from unde... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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