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 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that coolant would evaporate from the engine without warning. The contact stated that no warning lights or visible signs of a leak were present. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that upon a warm start of the engine, a "System Overheating re-starting engine possible after cooling" message intermittently appeared on the instrument panel. The contact would be forced to open the hood to allow the engine to cool for several minutes before the vehicle would start up and resume normal operation. The dealer was notified of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall re... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine experienced excessive oil consumption. Eventually, while at a stop light with the Auto START/STOP activated, the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the local dealer. The dealer indicated that the engine failed due to a loosened oil filte... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering assist and brakes failed when the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that a message that the coolant level was high was displayed on the instrument panel and immediately after the message was displayed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. Additionally, the windows failed to open and close, the doors failed to lock and unlock, and there were other unstated electrical malfunctions. The contact coasted o... Read more
BRIDGESTONE
ALL SEASON
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 10, 2025
Incident date: Mar 10, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated while cranking and was shaking abnormally. The transmission and oil warning lights were illuminated. A message "... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shuddered and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact scanned the vehicle with a scanner and retrieved an unknown c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW Z4. 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 t... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 10, 2025
Incident date: Feb 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the left cylinder head and the A/C condenser needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of an ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 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 made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 65-70 MPH on the highway, the engine seized after pulling into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 10, 2025
Incident date: Mar 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed heat around the exterior of the front of the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal odor around the exterior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer wher... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH, the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a flaw in the engine design. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine, causing engine failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because it was not under reca... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud cranking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failure related to the intake manifold. The mechanic informed the contact that the intake manifold needed to be inspected or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 7, 2025
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was an abnormal odor outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate and experienced a loss of automotive power. Additionally, the temperature gauge raised abnormally and was almost indicating that the engine was hot(H). The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diag... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection. The contact stated that the message "Fatal Error - Service Vehicle Immediately" was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that an independent ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the engine temperature gauge went to HOT, the vehicle decelerated, and the engine went into LIMP Mode. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. The water pump... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the intended destination despite the failure. The vehicle was then driven to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic test indicated that there was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15-20 MPH, the message “Do not Drive” was displayed. The vehicle sat overnight; however, upon starting the vehicle the next day, the messages “Do not Drive” and “Add Coolant” were displayed. There were no visible leaks found. The contact added additional BMW coolant. The contact received notification of... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning oil odor while idling and while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that as a former inde... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and started losing motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the transmission failed to shift as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted after several attempts. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The contact was informed of Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03; however, the ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E 300
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the cylinder head-over temperature message was displayed. The contact stated that the engine started to vibrate while depressing the accelerator pedal. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and de... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2004) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was smoke and vapors emerging from underneath the hood and the engine became hot. The low oil warning light was illuminated. The oil level was extremely low. The contact added oil, but the oil dissipated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooli... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle intermittently shuddered. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 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 there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the engine compartme... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that upon his wife attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The contact's wife stated that she had previously heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment in the days prior to the failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Feb 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was condensation underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the "Engine Malfunction" message was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 6, 2025
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle failed to immediately start. Additionally, while the vehicle was idling the vehicle shut off and had to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the starter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were in... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated 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 check engine warning light... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owned a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning electrical odor. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 5, 2025
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the battery had been replaced, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted several times. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH and attempting to overtake another vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact returned to the initial lane. The contact stated that the fa... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 5, 2025
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer informed that contact that 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 not ma... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later while in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator ... Read more