Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound, jerked, and then stalled. The contact's husband was able to pull over to the side of the road. The ESC warning light was illuminated. The vehicle towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the dr... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not con... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was an exhaust odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle, which was most noticeable when the heater was activated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormally loud sound as if the exhaust was releasing in large amount of fumes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact called on behalf of her son, who owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while her son was driving on the highway at 60 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle lost automotive power; however, there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where the vehi... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 13, 2025
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, her husband noticed white smoke coming out of the mufflers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine short block had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for a... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 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 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. The... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal rattling coming from the engine. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repa... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle started and driven to a service center where the battery was replaced; however, the contact became aware that the battery was draining abnormally... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 13, 2025
Incident date: May 13, 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 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: May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to start as intended; however, the vehicle then functioned as needed after being started. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Upon further investigation, the vehicle was scanned and diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #4, due to coolant intrusion. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer recommended that the engine be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was a... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound and started losing motive power. The contact was able to pull into SRT Auto Center parking lot, where the vehicle... Read more
TOYOTA
COROLLA CROSS
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. Additionally, the contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle responded after several attempts and was significantly sluggish while responding. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the engi... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade. 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 not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was idling rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The dealer related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2229 (Coolant in C... Read more
NORCOLD
REFRIGERATOR
(9999) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: Apr 19, 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 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 manufacturer was ma... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that there was scoring in cylinders 1-4 due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the head gasket was blown due to not being properly manufactured. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine. The contact was informed ... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start 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 advised that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The conta... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion leaking into the engine, which caused engine failure. The conta... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 3500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 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 avai... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: May 12, 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
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: May 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was driving rough, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the engine and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to start immediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the starter motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts we... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the temperature gauge remained at hot (Hot) location, with a dinging warning notification. The check engine and "Transmission idle temperature high" messages were displayed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road each time and turned off for approximately 45 min... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston oil rings had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the recall had been placed on ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the message "Coolant Overheating" was displayed. 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 there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that upon driving and coming to a stop, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle, and there was smoke coming front the A/C vents. The contact stat... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the contact discontinued driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the push rod in cylinder 5. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failur... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message that the starter motor was overheating was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the starter motor. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the fai... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 12, 2025
Incident date: Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that "Engine temperature" message was displayed on the instrument panel with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that steam on the radiator, and a coolant leak. The contact removed the cooling fan and shroud and discovered that the wiring from the electric water pump w... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X7. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The message "Starter Motor Overheating" was displayed; however, there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the starter motor and battery were faulty and needed to be replaced. The... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 9, 2025
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and driving roughly. The contact stated that the odor of burning metal was present inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the messages "Service ESC and Traction Control" were displayed. The contact was able the slowly drive the vehicle back to the residence, and later the vehicle was tow... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 9, 2025
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned, and after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to automatically restart as designed. After shifting back to park(P), the vehicle restarted and operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure.... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at speeds of 70-75 MPH or faster, the vehicle failed to ac... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact's son discovered that the coolant level was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where mechanic discovered coolant intrusion into several engine cylinders. The contact's son was then informed that the engin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V126000 (Power Train) and 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made awar... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2014) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 9, 2025
Incident date: Apr 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light was displayed, and the vehicle was driving rough and failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was slowly driven to the nearby local dealer who examined the engine and discovered metal shavings inside the oil pan. The contact was informed that the engine rod b... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine oil light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil; however, the contact was informed that there was no repair available because the oil consumption had not met the requi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the message "Low Oil" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine was damaged due to low oil; however, the extent of the damage was not y... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and lost motive power. The “Service ESC” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the connecting rod had punctured the engine block, allowing fluid to leak out from the engine. The dealer reques... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the contact and to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant expansion tank recovery hose had failed causing engine coolant to leak from the hose onto the PCM. The contact stated that the hose needed to be replaced. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 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 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: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The m... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2025
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother-in-law had experienced a loss of motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother-in-law had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils, and fuel pump. The vehicle was r... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the lifters, resulting ... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. Th... Read more