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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving to the residence, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that while at a traffic light, the vehicle suddenly shut off. After exiting the vehicle, the hood was opened, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact called an independent mechanic and, within two minutes, became aware of the fire. ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

The contact owns a 2026 Honda CBR600RR. The contact stated that the motorcycle was consuming a quart of engine oil every 1,000 miles. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V891000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The motorcycle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The motorcycle was taken to another local dealer, Cycle World (4972 Virginia Beach ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 BMW X4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle caught on fire. The driver was able to exit the vehicle safely. There were no reported injuries. A Police and Fire Department report was filed. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire. The veh... Read more

Fire

Incident date: May 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were on back order. The manufacturer was contacted, and the con... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started, and the check engine warning li... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started knocking. The contact pulled over immediately and contacted an independent mechanic, who recommended continuing to continue driving at a slow speed. The contact resumed driving to the residence. The contact's son, who was a highly skilled mech... Read more

Incident date: Apr 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the check engine warning light started blinking. The contact pulled over and became aware that the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted, with smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA C... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 50 MPH, the message that an update was needed was displayed. The contact selected to complete the update later; however, the computer system continued to perform the update, causing all indicators, screens, and displays to black out. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The following morning... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an engine knock at start-up, and the engine intermittently hesitated and skipped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who performed a PICO test on the engine, and the engine passed. Later, while hauling a trailer, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken ba... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Jaguar XJ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, diagnostic trouble code P0119 was retrieved. The contact stated that the vehicle drove unusually rough and shook erratically. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys, where the contact was informed that the engine oil level was low. The vehicle was then towed to EZ Foreign Aut... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and CVT malfunction warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the electric oil pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the electric oil pump; however, the contact was informed th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 8, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: May 15, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Feb 25, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jan 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and then to an independent mechanic shop, where a full diagnostic inspection was not performed; however, the mechanic suspected that coolant bubbled internally and the contact was informed that the head gasket migh... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle stalled, jerked forward, and the ch... Read more

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2027 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil in the coolant line. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being ... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who performed an emission software upgrade. Later, while driving, the air conditioner blew hot air, the thermostat increased to high, and an engine overheating warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the thermostat had f... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, exhaust fumes were noticed inside the cabin, and the check engine light illuminated before the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Incident date: May 1, 2026

I bought my 2021 jeep in 2023 at Matthew's in Pa and from day 1 my antifreeze has been leaking, I Bought the extended Warranty and they told me I didnt buy it and wouldn't fix nothing, so I took it back down there and other guy told me yes I had a Warranty but it's outdated and nothing they can do, which isn't fair on me! Now my heater core is bad which from get go that was the problem but they co... Read more

Incident date: Feb 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on a busy highway, the engine seized, and the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The local Police assisted in pushing the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road. A mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a failed Camshaft position sensor. The vehicle was not repair... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop on several occasions, an abnormal clicking sound was heard from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed fan belt pulley. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, while parked on one occasion, an abnormal clicking sound and a loud bang... Read more

Incident date: Jul 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting) and 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to complete 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 manufactu... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification letters for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting) and 25V767000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts required to complete the recall repairs were not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that while reversing, an abnormal popping sound emanated from the differential. No warning lights were... Read more

Incident date: Jun 28, 2026

The contact's daughter owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received a notification for an unknown emissions recall. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remained for three weeks, and an ECU software update was completed. The vehicle was then driven to the contact's residence. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle jerked and chugged while driving. The manufacturer was notified... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 RAM 3500. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking sound and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact inspected and used a fire extinguisher to slow the smoke and electrical sparks down. The contact did not notice any fire. The fire department arrived and disconnected the electrical cables to prevent fur... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the engine experienced misfires during cold starts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on three separate occasions, where diagnostic trouble code: P0300 was retrieved, indicating random or multiple cylinder misfires. The dealer advised that no repair was currently available, and the vehic... Read more

Incident date: Jun 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart but would immediately stall again, requiring the driver to wait approximately 10 minutes before the vehicle could be successfully restarted and driven. The vehicle was towed on one occasion and taken to the same dealer twice, but the dealer was unabl... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the engine shut off without warning. The contact safely coasted to the shoulder of the road and requested assistance from 911 to secure the vehicle from oncoming traffic. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where a diagnostic assessment confirmed a total engine failure, requiring replacement. The... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the engine started knocking, and the sound grew louder while making a turn. The Electronic Stability Control and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where one diagnostic trouble code was displayed, but the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal knocking and ticking sound emanated from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with total engine failure, requiring replacement. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the current engine was a replace... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle felt as though it were going to shut off unexpectedly. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that after the spark plugs... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle jerked and lost power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the camshaft, battery, and t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light flashed continuously. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the noise emanated from the middle of the engine. The dealer advis... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced reduced power and hard shifting. Additionally, the steering wheel suddenly became difficult to turn while driving. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 5... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal rumbling sound and stalled. All the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a nearby independent mechanic, who determined that the engine lifter and cylinder had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and co... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine stalled. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinders 3 and 4. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not re... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change at a local dealer, the dealer informed the contact that the cylinder head gasket was rusted. The dealer provided a 60 percent discount, and the vehicle was repaired. Six weeks later, while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled, but the contact was able to avoid a crash. All of the warning ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire. Additionally, the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the spark plugs were replaced. Additionally, coolant was added to the reservo... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

The contact’s parents owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer because the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that shortly after starting the vehicle there was white smoke coming from the vehicle for approximately 5 seconds. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there coolant was leaking intrusion into cylinde... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal metal grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The transmission was shifted into neutral(N) and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with pinion bear... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle started jerking, vibrating, and decelerating before it stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with bearing and push rod failure. The contact was informed that ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated after starting the vehicle, and while accelerating on several occasions from a stoplight. The failure occasionally occurred while driving on the freeway, causing the vehicle to decelerate unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the turbocharger ne... Read more

Incident date: Jun 28, 2026

The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving 25-30 MPH on a curvy road, the steering wheel suddenly locked up, and the vehicle failed to drive in the intended direction, drove down the street, into a yard, and the front end of the vehicle crashed into a tree. The brake pedal was depressed prior to the crash, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The air... Read more

Crash Fire 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Mar 18, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station, exited the vehicle, raised the hood of the vehicle, and added engine oil to the engine. The contact stated that while buckling the seat belt, the air bag warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an inde... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted by letter and informed the c... Read more

Incident date: May 24, 2026

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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to t... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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