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.
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
Showing 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while replacing the spark plugs, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated, and the message "Add Engine Oil" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to rod bearing failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved, and the cause of the failure could not b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000(Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact called on behalf of a dealer who owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The dealer received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that approximately one year ago, the engine was misfiring, and the vehicle was shuddering when the vehicle was started. The contact stated that his wife had not seen any warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the spark plugs and coi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly began to shake violently before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed tha... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
BEETLE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 29, 2025
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message "hot oil" was displayed on the screen. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact late... Read more
SOLAR MOTORS
E-CLIPSE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 29, 2025
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there were abnormal loud sounds coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft or lifters failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contacts son owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light illuminated shortly afterwards. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder head, caused by a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 29, 2025
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle was running rough on several occasions. The service light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was determined that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating; however, after driving for a while, the vehicle operated as designed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion in cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The mechanic informed the contact of a Techni... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 228I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the iss... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that an engine sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact called to inquire about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The contact believed that the vehicle should have been included in the recall based on the chassis number; however, the manufacturer declined based on the VIN, even though the part number matched the recalled part. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The driver drove to the residence. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and there was smoke coming from the engine with a loud screeching sound. The vehicle was taken to the local ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
I purchased the truck thinking it had 80k miles it’s was misrepresented by the dealer I got it from in reality it should’ve been 280k miles. I don’t have the money to go after them as I spent it on the truck and timing chains as well as some other repairs. They will likely flee the country if they find out I was to go after them anyway
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
I purchased the truck thinking it had 80k miles it’s was misrepresented by the dealer I got it from in reality it should’ve been 280k miles. I don’t have the money to go after them as I spent it on the truck and timing chains as well as some other repairs. They will likely flee the country if they find out I was to go after them anyway
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. In addition, while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact believed that an inspection and adding thicker viscosity oil was not a remedy but instead a temporary fix. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH up a hill, there was an abnormal banging sound come from the vehicle, and the vehicle experienced engine failure. The contact stated there was oil leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was determined that there was a large oil leak on the passe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 1... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the man... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH in traffic, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brake pedal was firm. There was no warning light illuminated; however, an engine message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump drive belt had fractured and there were debris inside... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle shut off with an audible warning chime and several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle soon after failure. The contact stated that on another occasion, while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal ticking sound ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled while stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, several unknown warning... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact stated the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), for a possible failure with the connecting rod, and the vehicle was repaired. Approximately 2-3 years after the recall repair, while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power while accelerating. The contact coasted to the side of the road and... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X1. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P) and turning off the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from under the hood and entering the cabin through the air vents. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence; however, the failure progressed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and remained for additional tests. BMW of Mi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced electronic malfunctions with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the dipstick was not properly in place. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving at an undisc... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 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
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
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: Jun 2, 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: Jul 28, 2025
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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 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
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 28, 2025
Incident date: Jul 25, 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 27, 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
Incident date: Jul 21, 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 9, 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: Apr 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
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
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 25, 2025
Incident date: Jul 18, 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: Jun 30, 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: May 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: Mar 15, 2025
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: Jul 25, 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: Jun 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