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: Jan 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was sputtering with the parking brake warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and there was white smoke coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact paid for a diagnostic test and was informed that the eng... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 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 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: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 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 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
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact pulled off the roadway and heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle was unable to be restarted. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528XI. 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 is... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH and pulling a trailer, the parking warning alert suddenly displayed on the dashboard, and moments later, a flashing check engine light was activated. While driving to the side of the road to park, smoke and flames began to come from under the passenger side of the front hood of the vehicle. The occupa... Read more
Fire
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: May 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: May 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. After the vehicle reached normal operating temperature, the rattling ceased, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV. 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 and determined that there were metal shavings found in the oil. The contact owned a 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV and expected the same failure. The contact stated that the engine seized, an... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 60 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate, and the vehicle experienced a reduced power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the crankshaft was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 4500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough, with the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: May 13, 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 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... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manuf... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact inspected the coolant reservoir, and the coolant level was low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that three months later the failure reoccurred. The coolant level was refilled. The vehicle was taken an independent mechanic; however, the fai... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Ikon Motorcars Group, where the water pump and the temperature gauge sensor were replaced, and coolant was added to the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that t... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 19, 2025
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer but was informed by the dealer that the manufacturer had placed a hold on the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle had been consu... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at speeds over 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the pressure sensor on one of the cylinders needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred approximatel... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
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
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact was notified 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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The m... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. 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 exc... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while his partner was driving at undisclosed speeds, there was smoke coming from the engine and entering the cabin through the vents while the heater was activated. There was an abnormal burning odor entering the cabin. The contact also observed the burning odor while driving the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contac... Read more
CONTINENTAL
PROCONTACT TX
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 16, 2025
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 55 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk abnormally, decelerated, and lost automotive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over immediately, and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed th... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. 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, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaig... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 16, 2025
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, ... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. In addition, the shift to park warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed tone wheel. The contact was informed that the tone wheel needed to be repl... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a popping sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and started driving rough. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine cylinder misfire. The mechanic replaced the fuel injector and engine lifter, and the vehicle was r... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the spark plugs, and ignition coils were replaced... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 16, 2025
Incident date: Apr 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that 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 towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with compression in cylinder 7, resulting in dama... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 16, 2025
Incident date: May 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on a road trip, the engine coolant temperature warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The contact was able to continue driving to the destination. The contact stated that the transmission and rear brakes and rotors had previously been replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, wher... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
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 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
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and slowing down to stop, the vehicle suddenly shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was eventually towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet contacted. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak and that the short block, along with several other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of a possible recall; however, the VIN was ... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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 made aware of the issue. Additionally, the contact stated that th... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 16, 2025
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 40 MPH, the "Service Stabili-trak Soon" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine and the contact's husband pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that after the vehicle was restarted, the failur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment; however, the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair 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: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where an unknown sensor was replaced; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact informed t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a continuous swishing sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notif... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH and driving up an incline in the road, the check engine warning light had illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while driving uphill. The contact had only recently taken the vehicle to a local dealer because the check engine... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. The driver drove the vehicle back to the residence. While driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal ticking and knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the sound went away and came back. While driving at an undisclos... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cyli... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine vibrated abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was slow to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to turn on the air condition or heating system, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vents. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to Meineke Car Care Center where it was diagnosed and determined that the Oxygen sensor threads ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a mechanic inspected the vehicle and used a scanner to scan the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that there was coolant intrusion into the engine due to the head gasket coolant leak. The vehicl... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 15, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that when the vehicle it was purchased, the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V633000 (Trailer Hitches) and was repaired. The contact stated that after the recall repair was completed, the radiator suddenly failed, and the vehicle would overheat, and the heater failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal banging sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was taken back to the residence.... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 14, 2025
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a diagnostic scanner to retrieve DTC: P0302 (cylinder #2 misfire). The contact replaced the spark plugs and the ignition coils; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was... Read more