Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 1, 2026
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Pathfinder. While the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that coolant was on the garage floor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant line leak with coolant going back to the third-row seat, and the leak was near the passenger’s side rear tire. The contact was informed that the coolant lines needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle was idling rough while driving. While inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the engine coolant was extremely low. The contact stated that coolant was constantly added to the coolant reservoir but there was no coolant leaks found. The veh... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine temperature gauge was increasing. The engine overheating warning light illuminated, the vehicle was turned off, and the contact exited the vehicle to open the hood and immediately closed it when the fire was discovered. The contact stated that there were flames coming from the back of ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS AMG 4MATIC. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. While exiting the vehicle, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle automatically locked after closing the door. The contact's child became locked inside the vehicle on several occasions. The contact's husband was able to unlock the doors with his phone. ... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-35 MPH on the highway, the engine and oil check warning light was illuminated. The Kia App alerted the driver to check the engine when convenient. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There was a loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was ta... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Reduced Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the turbo actuator and wastegate position sensor A-circuit were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was advised that another diagnost... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after an unknown Emission recall was performed on the vehicle, the vehicle started sputtering at start-up and then while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure after the Emission recall repair. The contact was informed that the manu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that the coolant was leaking from the radiator. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the radiator needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the dealer was replacing a lot of radiators for similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop the vehicle stalled. There was low voltage message displayed. The contact stated that there was metal inside the oil filter. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the part to ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated that while driving on two occasions at undisclosed speeds, the check engine, oil, and the Automatic START/STOP System Unavailable warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer twice; however, on the first occasion, the failure was not duplicated. During the second visit, the contact was informed that the coolant was mix... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 29, 2026
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended while driving to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, while driving 75 MPH with an 18-wheeler behind the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 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 do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reas... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine constantly overheated. An unidentified warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. One month later, the same failure reoccurred. A second independent mechanic inspected the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. There was an oil message flashing on the screen instructing the driver to pull over. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed about the GM Customer Satisfaction Program: N212326940. The local dealer was contac... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 - 25 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle stalled and was towed to dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the engine had sei... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the drain plug detached, and oil started leaking from the oil pan. The accelerator was depressed, but the vehicle failed to move and stalled while driving on the highway. The vehicle failed to restart. The oil light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who d... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 25, 2026
Incident date: May 8, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the right side of the road, exited the vehicle, raised the hood, and became aware that the coolant in the coolant reservoir was low. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was t... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2014) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 25, 2026
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine sputtered with the check engine warning light illuminated. There was heavy white smoke coming from the tailpipe. Upon arriving at the destination, the vehicle hesitated to restart, and the contact observed a significant loss of coolant. The vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. Upon... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a major highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Sienna. While the contact’s wife was pulling into the parking space, the transmission shifter was shifted into park(P), and the vehicle suddenly rolled forward approximately four feet. The parking brake was activated, preventing the vehicle from crashing into a parked vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. While examining the vehicle, the contact determin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low engine oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the recall repair was completed several months ago; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly shift into gear. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic who determined that coolant had leaked into the engine cylinders. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who confirmed the coolant leak into the cylinders and ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and metal shavings were found in the oil pan. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V4370... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, there was a rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, while driving on several occasions at undisclosed speeds,... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 24, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal sound while driving. Upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, it was discovered that there were metal shavings inside the engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced, and the contact was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V687000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact associated the failure with the recall. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights and the EPC and engine temperature warning lights were ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that par... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, and 3 quarts of oil were added every 1,000 miles. The Check Engine and Low Oil Pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption. The mechanic determined that the valves in the engine or ... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40-45, the engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal sound coming from the fan. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant flow valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in a special coverage program. The vehicle was not rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528XI. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the "Drivetrain Malfunction" message displayed. The contact later received a notification for an unknown recall, and a diagnostic test was performed however, no failure was found for the drivetrain. The recall repair was performed. Recently, the contact stated... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated before the vehicle stalled. During the failure, the check engine, oil, and coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the engine bearings had failed, causing c... Read more
TOYOTA
COROLLA CROSS
(2026) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 22, 2026
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed and the vehicle decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was pulled over onto the shoulder and failed to restart. Roadside Assistance was called to the scene, and the vehicle was towed to the local service center, diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine Cam A... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Jaguar F-Pace. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed, forcing the contact to turn off the vehicle. The contact was picked up to purchase coolant. The contact returned and added coolant to the vehicle. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE and ENGINE COOLING). ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac CT4. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, there was an abnormal engine oil burning odor around the exterior of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a camshaft carrier reseal leak. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated, the tires were dragging, and the engine temperature was high. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's father performed a diagnostic scan on the vehicle and retrieved a diagnostic trouble code indicating a PCM and engine cooling system failure. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that the vehicle was intermittently overheating and losing motive power while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the spark plugs and ignition coil packs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to an independe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH at night, the message “Press Engine Start Button” was displayed, and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was coasted to an exit ramp. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle started to operate as intended. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGI... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The conta... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the lock panel with the numbers on the driver’s side door, the seat unintendedly moved forward, and the seat belt retracted, and the driver was squeezed in the seat. The contact turned off the vehicle and seat belt to returned to the original position. The contact stated that coolant was added to the coolant reserv... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the odor was like antifreeze. The contact attempted to locate and stop the leak using online fixes, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with heat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact associated NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); with the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. ... Read more
MITSUBISHI
MIRAGE
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 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). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that an engine was ordered. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the remedy for the recall repairs... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud pop coming from the engine department. The contact became aware of a severe drop in the oil level while driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #4, and that the engine needed to be rebuilt... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 30 MPH and the vehicle loss motive power. A dealer was contacted. An undisclosed warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced, and that the engine was consuming an ex... Read more