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: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was ap... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN wa... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
A few months ago, I tried to get the above-referenced recall item taken care of at BMW of West Houston (Texas). I was told by the dealership service advisor that it would take at least two days to get the work done. The recall notice, of course, says the work should take about four hours. I was also told that in many cases the valve cover gets bent when performing this work and the cost of the rep... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2018
The contact owns a 2023 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. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and passing another vehicle, the vehicle stalled... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 8, 2025
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW M340I. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure from occurring. The contact stated that shortly after the recall repair was completed, the vehicle hesitated to start. The contact stated that several employees at the local deale... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 8, 2025
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by her son that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the engine block. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 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 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 manuf... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle started shaking excessively and then lost motive power. The contact 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 take... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated while accelerating to overtake another vehicle at 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over safely; however, the vehicle was difficult to restart. The electronic throttle control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to slow down, the vehicle started to jerk abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the camshaft adjusting unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was intermittently shuddering while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the timing belt and exhaust camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact checked the coolant level, and the coolant lever was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagno... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: May 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding oil occasionally. 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... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 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 various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant into the cylinder. The contact was advised t... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts for the recall repair were... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The engine misfired and the transmission shuttered. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the de... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced rough idling. The vehicle taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine cylinder misfire in cylinder #3. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
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 vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amoun... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the oil level was lower than expected; however, oil was being constantly added. There were no warning lights illuminated. While driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The dealer determined that the bottom part of the engine needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking violently. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and contacted an independent mechanic. The check engine warning light was then illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #5.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, there was smoke coming fro... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 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
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V5... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine while starting the vehicle. While inspecting the vehicle, the coolant level was extremely low. 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 of coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN too... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
S400
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: May 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the camshaft and cylinder #7 connecting rod, resulting in damages to the engine. The con... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Mazda CX-90. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V815000 (Power Train, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and shuddered abnormally. The message to "Please Pull Over to a Safe Place" was displayed on the instrument p... Read more
RAM
PROMASTER CITY
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and then suddenly jerked forward. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban. 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 there was a knocking sound coming from the engine while remotely star... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2025
Incident date: May 5, 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 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
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 6, 2025
Incident date: May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle randomly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, and an engineer was sent to examine the vehicle and wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
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 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 and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTS... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
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 not yet available. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon driving the vehicle, the low oi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated after an independent mechanic had performed an oil change on the vehicle, the vehicle was moved and parked. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine had seized and there were metal shavings in the oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, whe... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 6, 2025
Incident date: May 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (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 approximately 25 MPH, there was smoke and a burning odor enterin... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 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 not yet available. Two local dealers were made aware of the issue, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 6, 2025
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal roaring sound coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the abnormal roaring sound was persistent and became louder over time. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact discovered that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who determined that the engine oil cooler lines were faulty and needed to be replaced. The engine oil cooler lines were replaced, but shortly after retrieving the vehicle, while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stall... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights were illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was discovered that the engine oil pump belt needed to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the message that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted after the contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact stated that after adding coolant to the reservoir, the failur... Read more
Incident date: May 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the manufacturer had put a hold on the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC300
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power with an abnormal ratting sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle into a parking lot and then had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact later towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Acura TLX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that ... Read more