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: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the fan and performed an oil change a week before the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who determined that the engine needed to be r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Lexus LX600. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experien... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an oil leak coming from the upper oil pan. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the dealer attempted to repair the leak with a seal. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where an oil pan bolt was repl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that 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. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low oil warning light w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after adding coolant to the coolant reservoir, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact used an electrical starter and became aware that there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. While opening the vehicle, the contact became aware of a strong chemical odor coming into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced hard shifting and shuddering, with a pinging sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the message "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" was displayed, and the temperature gauge warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted after 20 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a de... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 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 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the overheating and engine fault warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and became aware that the engine had a cracked cylinder head. The vehicle was not diagnosed or ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered an abnormal odor coming from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a cracked cylinder head and that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was no... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Feb 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart but was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured valve in cylinder #1. The dealer ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. T... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There was an abnormal knocking sound while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had to add oil to the engine after an oil change. The oil level had been low by one quart, three quarts, or even more on several occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Feb 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at high speeds, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment and from the exhaust pipes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a handheld scanner to retrieve DTC: P1299 (Cylinder Head Temperature Sensor Detected Engine Overheating Condition). The vehicle was not diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal coolant consumption was noticed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximat... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, there was a puddle of liquid with an abnormal odor underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an unknown recall repair, and a message was displayed. The message “Stop vehicle immediately to prevent engine damage” was disp... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, after which 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechan... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2025
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the "Engine Coolant Overtemperature" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The accelerator was depressed and failed to respond as intended. The vehicle started losing motive power. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that ther... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the stability control, head start, TSA, and other warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel injectors had failed. The fuel injectors were replaced. Approximately one month after having the vehicle repaired, while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, there was a rumbling noise com... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was topping off the oil weekly. The failure had become more persistent. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and was making a knocking sound at the front-end by the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact coasted ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 228i. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the electrical connector underneath the hood. The master warning light was illuminated. 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... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 18, 2025
Incident date: Mar 2, 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 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 ... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 18, 2025
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
The contact’s father owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine overheated, with the message “Engine Overheated – Stop Vehicle” displayed. The vehicle was shaking and hesitating while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir weekly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that a leaking gasket had cau... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine 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 and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failur... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to leak oil. The contact stated that the oil was seeping onto the floorboard and the passenger's side floor mat. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 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 not yet available. 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... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, with white smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder lane and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact became aware of an oil leak underneath the vehicle that smelled like coolant. While merging into oncoming traffic, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact released the accelerator pedal and coasted to the side of the road, and slowly depressed the accelerator and drove to a nearby parking lot. The contact pu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally upon starting and while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local AutoZone, where a diagnostic test retrieved DTC: P0304. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the engine and the exhaust. 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 the turbo and the engine had experienced coolant intrusion... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while servicing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the coolant level was low. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an abnormal coolant odor was coming from the exhaust pipe. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that there was an unknown liquid leaking underneath the vehicle. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a leak in the water pump and that the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact researched and became aw... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon having the vehicle serviced by an independent mobile mechanic, the contact was informed that the engine oil level was extremely low after a recent oil change. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to provide a specific diagnostic result for the failure; however, the con... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke and an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 17, 2025
Incident date: Mar 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact found information regarding Technical Service Bulletin: SIB 11116 (Engine and Engine Cooling released in July 2017). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer linked the failure to the Technical Service Bulletin; howe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the engine overheated, and the drivetrain malfunction warning ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle or while accelerating, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust, with droplets of oil. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the piston rings had failed due to oil build-up and the accumul... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that after stopping the vehicle and raising the hood, the engine was very hot. The contact stated that the coolant level was not checked. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The con... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 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 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
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 17, 2025
Incident date: Jan 17, 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, 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... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 17, 2025
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormally loud rattling sound on cold starts. The contact related the failure to TSB Numbers: 23-2143 and 21N03. The dealer and Ferman Ford (727) 797-2277); were notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with the cam phaser failure. The contact was informed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not r... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 17, 2025
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a nearby parking lot. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and Battery warning lights were illuminated. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
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 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: Sep 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 local dealer was contacted and refused to service the vehicle if the vehicle had not experienced a failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that on one occasion the warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions, the temperature gauge warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken t... Read more