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 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam shaft, rod bearings, and lifters had failed, and the engine ... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Apr 17, 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 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 made aware of the issue and opened a case. The co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Pull Over Turn Off Vehicle Immediately" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, who determined that the engine had seized. The dealer replaced the engine. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number:... Read more
QUALITY VAN
FORD TRANSIT 350
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Apr 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of automotive power. During the failure, the message "Shift into Neutral to Restart" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the piston bearings had seized, causing damage to the engine. The engine was replaced along... Read more
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Apr 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the crankshaft position sensor tone w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated that when the engine had warmed up, the rough idling stopped; however, when the vehicle slowed down for a traffic signal or traffic sign, the vehicle started idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was take... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on, the contact attempted to change the spark plug; however, the spark plug was stuck. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that there was a hairline fracture in the engine, and there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine was overheating and there was oil leaking from the top of the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and scheduled an appointment, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Apr 28, 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 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 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 manuf... Read more
AUDI
A4 ALLROAD
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from the vehicle at start-up. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine, 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 confir... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, sev... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 68 MPH, the vehicle shut off unintendedly. After the failure, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V925000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined there w... Read more
TOYOTA
LAND CRUISER HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2025
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a misfire from the engine and the engine was overheating. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the highway and observed that the engine temperature gauge was returning to normal. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the low engine oil warning light was illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the lifters and camshafts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger oil supply tubes had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. In addition, the contact noticed a burning odor on the interior of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that later in the day, the contact's husband was driving the vehicle and the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to start as intended. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 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 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: Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered an oil leak coming from one of the turbochargers. The contact later discovered oil leaking on the floor of the garage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the turbocharger and turbocharger oil lines needed to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 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 while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Take 5 oil change, wh... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 25, 2025
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a misfire in cylinder #1, and coolant leaking into the engine. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis and that the engine needed to be repl... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 25, 2025
Incident date: May 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion, and the engine needed to be replaced. The... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 25, 2025
Incident date: Apr 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. 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. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no associated recalls. VIN tool search showed: NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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 contact stated that while her husband was driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked, and there was coolant leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehi... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 25, 2025
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. 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 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 repa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in a parking lot, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle after several minutes. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs, and ignition coils ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly. The contact stated that once the engine had warmed up, the vehicle ran smoothly; however, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that the vehicle was lunging forward while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact had taken the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The oil change soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the independent mechanic informed the contact that the oil and coolant needed to be replaced or could cause damage to the engine. The independent mechanic informed the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light 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 that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After in... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle later had white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
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 not made aware of the issue. The contact h... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs, and starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illumina... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, a warning chime sounded, and the "Low Oil Pressure" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The message disappeared after depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test; however, no fault was found with the vehicle. However, the contact was informed that... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that during start up, the vehicle was shuddering and vibrating abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the purge valve and spark plugs but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The con... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the heater was activated but failed to operate as needed. The message "Engine Coolant Overtemperature" was displayed. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3 and that th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 750I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H) with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that thermostat, thermostat sensor, and the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact sta... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 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. The contact had not experienced a failur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that parts were not available for th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 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 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 failu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 430i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Coolant Leak, Refill Coolant" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the thermostat, oil filter housing, upper radiator hose, front engine block plug, water pump, turbo coolant line, and gasket were faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the oi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 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 contact stated that two dealers were contacted; however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. T... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2008) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. 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 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 mad... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning oil odor detected. Additionally, the contact noticed that engine oil was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine oil cooler lines were leaking. The mechanic replaced the engine oil cooler lines. The co... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking excessively and the vehicle briefly hesitated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. T... Read more