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: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to maintain the speed while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained injuries upon pre-existing injuries from the failure and sought medical attention. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic signal, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shuddered and then stalled. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 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 message "Low Oil Pressure" was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to move over to the side of the road. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact waited to restart the vehicl... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 14, 2025
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that START/STOP warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle but was unable. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the starter motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that upon starting and driving the vehicle at various speeds, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The de... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 14, 2025
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 14, 2025
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the diagnostic test showed that the fuel rail system was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle repaired; however, several days... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket, and coolant intrusion into cylinder #4. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 not made aware of the issue. The c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 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 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. Parts distri... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was briefly stranded in the middle of the roadway, but the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the radiator fan was cycling on max, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. No warning lights were i... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 13, 2025
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Fire
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed and it was determined that the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and exiting the highway, the abnormal sound turned into a screeching, grinding, and squealing sound, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving and decelerating to 10 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 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 not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue 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... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a tune-up, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 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 not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had caused a misfire in cylinders #2 and #3, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the lower end of the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 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 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, the vehicle stalled without warning. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on the first attempt. The contact stated that once the vehicle was started, there was a white-colored smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illumin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was a puddle of oil underneath the vehicle whenever the vehicle was parked. There was a burning fuel odor coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that there was oil and anti-freeze between the cylinder head and engine block, causing the head bolts to be stripped. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X1. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, there was smoke coming from under the hood. In addition, the contact noticed smoke inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was no coolant leak found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and loss automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two separate independent mechanics who both stated that the exhaust manifold was warped due to a fractured bolt. The contact was informed that the exhaust manifold needed to be replac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure because the MIL was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 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 dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reas... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 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 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 not made aware of... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 11, 2025
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while that while the vehicle was in for service, the independent mechanic discovered fuel leaking from the fuel filter heater assembly. The contact was advised that the fuel filter heater assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was of... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E300
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 11, 2025
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was misfiring and hesitating to respond. Additionally, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that cylinders #2 and #3 were misfiring due to ... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 11, 2025
Incident date: Jul 6, 2022
See attached document for complaint.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 11, 2025
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
See attached document for complaint
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 11, 2025
Incident date: Feb 26, 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 parts to do the recall repair were 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 not made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer on several occasions for abnormal oil consumption and a burning odor on the exterior of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where the PCV valve, valve cover gasket, sealant, drive belts, ribbed-V belt, RTV silicone ga... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a scan of the engine determined that the failure was related to a misfire. An independent mechanic replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils; however, the check engine warning light returned soon after the repa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V169000 (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 burning odor coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle near... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Engine oil too Hot” was displayed. While driving 60-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while driving uphill. The vehicle failed to shift into neutral. The contact went underneath the vehicle and removed the drive shaft. There were no warning lights illuminated. The c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that there was coolant underneath the vehicle inside the garage at the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon attempting to accelerate on a neighborhood street at 10 MPH, the vehicle started losing automotive power, and the vehicle proceeded to slow down, and then shut off. The engine coolant light was illuminated, with the low coolant message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
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