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: Feb 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the contact discovered that there was an unknown fluid leaking underneath the vehicle. 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 vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts dis... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion, which caused engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 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
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Coolant Low" message was displayed, prompting the contact to add coolant to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mec... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
Engine coolant leak at the back of the engine, coming from the turbo coolant hose. My truck is in the year range for the recall, and is leaking bad. Recall said could cause fires.
Incident date: Feb 9, 2025
Engine coolant leak at the back of the engine, coming from the turbo coolant hose. My truck is in the year range for the recall, and is leaking bad. Recall said could cause fires.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The low-pressure oil light illuminated. 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. The contact stated that the manufacturer had e... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 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 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. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to lose power. The contact was able to continue driving and the check engine warning light was later illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. Despite the failure, the contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic, and it ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 7, 2025
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the roadway, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact was assisted by a bystander in pushing the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway to a safe location. The low oil and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was to... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
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 not yet available. The contact stated while at a complete stop, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with assis... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 7, 2025
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that upon checking the coolant reservoir, the contact became aware that the coolant level was low. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact used a diagnostic scanner and retrieved fault codes for a misfire in cylinders #1 and #2. The contact resea... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 7, 2025
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and almost shut off. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the vehicle started to lose motive power, started jerking back and forth, and there was white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The contact attempted to depress the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact merged to the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving and came to a complete stop on two occasions. The vehicle was able to restart, and the contact resum... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 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 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: Apr 30, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the new engine not be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 50-55 MPH, the message "Engine Failure" was displayed intermittently. The driver continued driving to a safe location. The contact stated upon noticing smoke coming from underneath the hood, the driver pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood. The contact stated that the driver saw flames... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 71 MPH, the engine lost power with the check engine and stability-track warning lights illuminated. The vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to a local gas station. The contact approached the gas station, and the vehicle shut off. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that the water pump remained running while the vehicle was turned off, causing the battery to drain. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the thermostat, hoses, and water pump were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated upon approaching the vehicle, there was an excessive coolant leak underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was draining abnormally fast. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the water pump was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the check engine and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to exit the interstate, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled off the Interstate, turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The message "Shut off Engine, Check Cooling" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the engine temperate gauge was elevated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cracked coolant line. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact performed an inspection under the hood of the vehicle. The contact checked the coolant level and determined the coolant level was low and the coolant reser... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 5, 2025
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle had dealt with a loss of automotive power. A warning message "Shut off Engine, Check Cooling" had appeared in the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the engine temperate gauge had risen. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 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 part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 5, 2025
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that at cold start-ups, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed and repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was caused by the cam phasers. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that several days later, the vehicle was difficult to start. The vehicle was started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, to be diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to co... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E400
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that occasionally the "Coolant Level Low" message was displayed and after starting the vehicle and driving at various speeds, there was thick white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact decided to replace the head gasket and discovered that the engine block was cracked. The contact researched and became aware that the failure might be ca... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal clicking sound from the engine compartment. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact arrived at the destination and checked under the engine compartment and saw engine oil covering the undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact had recently had an o... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 4, 2025
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the rear suspension. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear suspension. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 4,000 miles later. The contact stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with defective cam phasers and the cam phasers were replaced under warranty. The contact stated that almost two years later, the contact stated t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 74 MPH on the interstate, the vehicle lost motive power while accelerating. The vehicle felt like it was out of fuel. The contact restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Numb... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would not be serviced under rec... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
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 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. The contac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. Additionally, an abnormal coolant odor was detected coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact added coolant to the reservoir, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact rela... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 4, 2025
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, which required the contact to add coolant to the vehicle daily. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Trans Auto Repair... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Feb 3, 2025
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2021
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 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: Feb 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact was notified 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who observed a misfire in cylinder #4, and diagnosed a failure with the head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the sound was normal and was coming from the turbo. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated.... Read more