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: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH and approaching a light, there was an abnormal ticking and knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 25 MPH. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Eng... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, where an oil consumption test was performed. The contact stated that the oil consumption test was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
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 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 a... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power when the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was cool... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft. The contact was also informed that there was a misfire in cylinders #4 and #8. The vehicle was not repaired. Af... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 5, 2025
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine overheated, with a message that the engine was overheating displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the same message displayed. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was not diagnose... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 5, 2025
Incident date: Apr 11, 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
AUDI
A4 ALLROAD
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 5, 2025
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the lifters and camshaft, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. and no warning lights were illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the crankshaft was faulty, and that the engine needed to be replaced... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 335I. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was self-diagnosed, and the contact stated that the camshaft timing bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by the contact. The contact related the fail... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 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 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 had... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud rattling sound. The contact stated that her husband had noticed that the rattling sound persisted while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side engine cooling fan had melted. The contact pur... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 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 dealer informed the contact that parts for the recall repair were unavailable. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer advised the contact that the manufacturer had placed the recall on hold. The contact stated that the engine was not replaced, and that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the contact noticed an unusual clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with camshaft fa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights remained illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that DTC: P0016 was retrieved, and it was confirmed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. While the contact’s wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to coast off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. ... Read more
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: Apr 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the connecting rods needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not... Read more
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: Apr 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine compartment, which became extremely loud while accelerating. Upon arriving at the intended destination, the vehicle stalled and was unable to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
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 not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a scanner, the contact retrieved DTC: P0597. The local d... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 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 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 manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. 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 taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure, but informed... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact’s daughter owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting, with the message "Coolant Level Low" displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The cont... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 3500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: Feb 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damage to the engine. Th... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 5301. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the warning light that the engine was overheating was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the failure had occurred at various speeds, and the vehicle stalled due to the engine overheating. The contact was constantly refilling the coolant reservoir monthly. The contact had taken... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2012
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the hood. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speed, the failure recurred. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phasers needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and parked in a safe location. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinders #2 and #4. The dealer stated that there was metal inside the cylinder head and pistons. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling roughly. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine that nearly caused the vehicle to stall while driving. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed tha... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact 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 m... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were 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 not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 2, 2025
Incident date: May 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust, and the radiator fan had become excessively loud. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 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 vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a re... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, 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 dealer, who determined that the engine had seized. The contact was informed that the engine neede... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 1, 2025
Incident date: Apr 4, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The message "Loss of Oil Pressure" was displayed, and the vehicle made an abnormally loud banging sound. The contact was able to continue driving at slow speeds with the hazard lights engaged. The contact drove to the dealer, where he was em... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling ) and 25V126000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. T... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 1, 2025
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 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. While the contact’s partner was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started making a rattling ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle independently shifted into neutral. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the engine had seized, resulting in damages to the engine. The ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 1, 2025
Incident date: Apr 16, 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 not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the recall remedy was still under engineering review. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated while he was stopped at a traffic signal, he smelled a burning plastic smell. The contact observed that smoke was being emitted from under the vehicle's front end. The contact pulled off the road and parked. As he exited the vehicle, he observed that flames were shooting from under the vehicle. The contact stated that in a few minutes, the fla... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 29, 2025
The contact's husband owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact was informed that upon starting the vehicle, a message indicating high engine temperature was displayed, stating to pull over as soon as possible. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for a long time after the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving the vehicle around the neighborhood, the failure recurred. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the intercooler pipes and turbo intercooler hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine before the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over immediately and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a local dealer to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the air conditioning system was inoperable, and the vehicle was overheating while driving. The contact stated that the failure had increased, and the engine overheated upon starting. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start and was undrivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. Additionally, the remote start failed to start the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact’s husband was able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that 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 ha... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a red light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that later, while making a right turn, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the local mech... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold starts, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 76,000.