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: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. 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 issue... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 17, 2025
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program; however, the vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW Z4. 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 issue... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 16, 2025
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was smoke and oil coming from the engine. The driver was able to pull off the roadway. The check engine warning light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 22V406000 (Fuel Sys... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2017
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to a safe place. The contact shifted to neutral(N), turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that ther... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, with the message "Service Vehicle Now" displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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 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... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owned a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated and the security alarm sounded. Shortly afterward, the temperature gauge began to indicate the vehicle was overheating, and moments later vehicle lost automotive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle then burst... Read more
Fire
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 16, 2025
Incident date: Feb 20, 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 contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment while driving at ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 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 driving temperature, the rattling sound ceased; however, the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 16, 2025
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine oil change. The dealer informed the contact that the oil level was low. The contact stated while driving at 25-30 MPH, the low oil pressure message was displayed. The contact pulled over and there was oil on the ground. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, he observed liquid moving and the message "Engine overheating" was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, turned off, and the hood was opened, and the engine was inspected. The contact stated there was no visible failure with the vehicle, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. The contact stated that there were no visible leaks. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 2,500 RPM. There was smoke coming from the vehicle. There was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH and making a turn in the opposite direction, the vehicle lost motive power and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where i... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER HYBRID
(2008) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 15, 2025
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving 75-80 MPH, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly to 40 MPH. The contact was able to drive 20 MPH to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure recurred. The ABS warning light was i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was black smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the battery was faulty. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that while driving, there was black smoke coming from under the hood, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed coolant leaking from under the vehicle. The message to add coolant was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine was inspected, and the contact became aware of stains of coolant coming from the head gasket. The contact was infor... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service warning light illuminated. Additionally, the heating system stopped blowing hot air. The contact stated that upon checking the coolant level, the contact noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH with cruise control activated, the RPM suddenly increased to redline, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to coast 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 posit... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil, consuming 2 quarts of oil in a short time. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that on several occasions, after driving for several miles, the temperature gauge remained at HOT(H). The vehicle was steered to the side of the road each time and turned off for 10 minutes before restarting. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine and the long block needed to be replaced.The local dealer was contacted, who co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the overheating, parking brake, cruise control, maintenance required, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #2, and that coolant was leaking into the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
See attached document for complaint. Attachment excerpt: RE: Safety Recall Notice 23S64/ NHTSA Recall 23V905 I have contacted your dealership numerous times regarding the recall notification I received for my 2019 Ford EcoSport service (Safety Recall Notice 23S64). It has been one year since I received the notification, and I have not been contacted regarding the replacement. I was told that th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact made a right turn into a gas station and inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the result of the diagnostic test was not provided. The v... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to stall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to a dealer, and the vehicle remained at the dealer for several weeks awaiting a diagnostic test. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and was awaiting the i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart, but the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 45 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle under the hood and discovered that the engine oil was low and appeared to be mixed with water. The vehicle was towed to a local... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 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 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. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, stalled, and was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for towing assistance. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a misfire and coolant intrusion in cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2010) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 14, 2025
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle sputtered while accelerating or making a left or right turn. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a failed high-pressure purge valve. The high-pressure purge valve was replaced. The contact stated that after the rep... Read more
HONDA
CIVIC HATCHBACK
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 14, 2025
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the oil level was lower than expected. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle vibrated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the engine was replaced under the recall in September 2020. The contact stated that 5 years after the rec... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW 430I. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the low coolant warning light was illuminated, and the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was parked at the place of employment. The coolant level was checked an hour later by the contact’s husband, and the coolant level was low. The contact stated that her husband added coolant to the reservoir and o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the heater became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the heater then became inoperable. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced at the dealer, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and spark plugs. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test, the mechanic discovered a defect with the VANOS bolts. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic for a second opinion, and the contact was provided with the same information as the first mechanic. The contact was provided with information on NHTSA Cam... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part needed for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V025000 (SUSPENSION) and 24V635000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact's son was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact was informed that the recall repair had been performed. The contact stated that upon driving off the parking lot at the dealer and coming to a complete stop at the traffic ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally while driving 60 MPH, the message “Engine Overheating" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact checked the coolant reservoir, and the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact arrived at the residence ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated 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 was able to be restarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was coolant intrusion into cyli... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 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