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: May 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, there was fluid leaking from the vehicle, and the engine was overheating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact checked the Ford Pass App and became aware that the transmission had been serviced four times. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed o... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 4, 2025
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that days later there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 4, 2025
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the front end of the vehicle started shaking and vibrating, and the vehicle started to decelerate. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer and was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion inside the cylinders. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start immediately, and several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was started, there was black exhaust coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that there was a misfire while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling. The tem... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Lexus NX300. The contact stated there was a misfire in the engine and the engine was idling rough. The contact heard a clicking sound coming from the steering wheel while driving at speeds of approximately 10 MPH or slower and when turning the steering wheel. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was rela... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine oil pump had failed and caused the engine to seize. The contact was advised that the engine and oil... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle independently decelerated to approximately 60 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that a knock sensor was installed to monitor the engine perfo... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 3, 2025
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with intrusion into the heat management module coolant. The contact was informed that the HMM (Heat Management Module) needed to be replaced. An unknown hose was replaced. The contact stated that since 202... Read more
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 3, 2025
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was violently shaking while cold starting the engine. The contact stated that the failure persisted, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a mechanic discovered coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to Technical Service Bul... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 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 not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was not contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn with a reduced steering message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed, which caused the steering wheel to fail, and needed to... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 3, 2025
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The contact was informed that the recall repair was on hold. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 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 made aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. 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 not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made awa... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (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 at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated causing t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 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 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
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 3, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe before the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The contact stated that the vehicle struggled while being restarted. There was no warning light illumi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that for the past... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle jerked, and white smoke was coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with spark plug failure. The contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a rough start and was sputtering abnormally. Additionally, there was white and blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Engin... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 3, 2025
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle experienced rough idling. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was damaged due to coolant intrusion and need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact stated that the engine had overheated, and there was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact performed an inspection of the vehicle. The contact became aware that the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 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 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the dealer ha... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 80 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while the RPMs exceeded 5,000 RPM. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that his wife turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was on LIMP Mode. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, and unintendedly shifted to LIMP Mode. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak, and that the head gasket needed to be replac... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 2, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning illuminated, and the message to change spark plug #2 was displayed. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cyl... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where DTC: P0302 was retrieved, indicating a misfire in cylinder #2. The mechanic informed the contact that there was a small amount of coolant leaking into the engine. The mechanic advised the contact to have another ve... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 2, 2025
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic refilled the coolant reservoir. T... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the headlights unexpectedly failed to illuminate until the vehicle passed over a bump in the road, and shortly afterwards the headlights became illuminated again. Additionally, the engine oil and TPMS warning lights remained illuminated after the vehicle had an oil change and the tire... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
The contact's grandson owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by his grandson that the engine was misfiring significantly. The contact's relative, who was a mechanic at a Ford dealer arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle with DTC: PO302 and PO316. The mechanic determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 2, 2025
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to Speedy Auto, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2 due to coolant intrusion in the engine. The contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The veh... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 30, 2025
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owned a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electrical discharge warning light illuminated and the contact noticed fire coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The manufacturer was schedule... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine blower seized. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The contact was required to pay a diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the deal... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 30, 2025
Incident date: May 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where spark plug #1 and the coil pack were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where the coil pack was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Groat Broth... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not diagnosed. The contact's grandson, an employee at Pep Boys, informed the contact not to drive the vehicle because the vehicle was unsafe to drive... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 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 unavailable. 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 contact had not experienced a fai... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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 contact ha... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the message "Drive Train Malfunction - Drive Moderately" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not mad... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more