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
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 25, 2025
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the low fuel warning light, the forward collision avoidance warning light, the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Steering Assist Reduced" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road.... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalle... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, with the warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle and refilled the coolant reservoir. In addition, the contact stated that the coolant reservoir was repeatedly refilled weekly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle felt like it was struggling to accelerate. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle; however, the fan remained engaged for approximately two minutes. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact became aware ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact parked the vehicle and performed an inspection of the vehicle. The contact checked the oil level and noticed that the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
MERCEDES-BENZ
S 580
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 25, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 2-3 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 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 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... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended and the contact heard a chugging sound coming from the engine. The dealer was contacted. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road awaiting towing assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and de... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the rear end seized which cause the vehicle to skid. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the result was unknown. The vehicle was repaired, and the rearview camera and bolts were replaced. The contact related the failure... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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. Th... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jolted and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and a blown head gasket. The mechanic related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The local dealer was con... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission pump had failed, causing severe damages to the transmission. The contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced but while ... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 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 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 contac... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound while attempting to start the vehicle. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated for approximately 2 miles. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact called a person who inspected the vehicle, but was unable t... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. 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 made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
DODGE
CHARGER EV
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of the garage, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the timing chain and the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was 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 ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was skipping gear, slipping, and shifting hard. The check engine warning light was briefly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the head gasket was failing. The dealer stated t... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-450. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over safely and noticed there was smoke from the hood and fire. The contact used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. The engine's hot light was illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to an RV park. The local dealer was not contacted. Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 22, 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 the vehicle was difficult to start, and the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel made ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 3500. The contact stated that after accelerating from a red light and while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from underneath the hood, and the vehicle started to decelerate. The contact coasted to the side of the road and inspected the engine while attempting to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled after coming from a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact stated that the water pump had previously been replaced twice, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determin... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF SPORTWAGEN
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2013 BMW X3. The contact stated that the owner received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that while her mother was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine before the engine seized. The message "Service Engine" was displayed. Aft... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 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 contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, and the engine made an abnormal sound while driving at undisclosed speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, then to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #1. The mechanic replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils; however, the failure recu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available.... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 23, 2025
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 23, 2025
Incident date: May 3, 2025
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #2 failure, and that there were metal shavings inside the engine oil. The dealer determined that the engine ne... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was off, the contact observed a swishing sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact observed an empty coolant reservoir and coolant was added to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was then test driven but there were not visible failure was found. The contact stated that on another occasion the coolant reservo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. In addition, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was infor... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and made an abnormal grinding sound. There was no warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the front-end of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with faulty cam phasers. The contact was informed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed on the residential driveway, the contact noticed a large amount of water on the ground underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a water pump failure. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be repl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine was revving and the message to pull over was displayed. The contact turned on the hazard lights and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal clunking noise. Additionally, the transmission... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message that the "Engine was Overheated" was displayed on the instrument panel with the RPM elevated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective water pump. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was infor... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing A/C system failures. The manufacturer was notified of the A/C system failure and related the failure to TSB Number: 23-040. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determine... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X6. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, with the message "Check Control - Repeat Start Attempt" displayed. In addition, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the engine h... Read more
NUNA
PIPA RX CF1208600
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 20, 2025
Incident date: Jun 20, 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 while driving 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle stalled while driving off a ramp. The vehicle was towed to D & M Auto Service, where the... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 20, 2025
Incident date: Jun 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact's husband changed the spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2009 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who was a certified BMW mechanic, where it was diagnosed with VANOS bolts failure. The contact was informed that the VANOS bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning lights were 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, and AAA arrived, and the vehicle... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 20, 2025
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. 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 made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "Oil Pump" message became displayed, and the vehicle decelerated and stalled. Additionally, during the failure there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the brakes failed to function properly while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the local dea... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that the engine oil pan had fractured and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the rearview camera intermittently displayed a blank image while reversing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileag... Read more