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: Dec 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to momentarily discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in dama... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2006 Scion TC. The contact stated that after performing a vehicle inspection of the engine compartment, he became aware that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low; eventually finding a leak near the rear of the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the cylinder head bolts resulting in a coola... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 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 contact stated that while attempting to st... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle began misfiring. When the contact reached their destination the check engine light turned from flashing to solid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion due to coolant leaking in cylinders 1,2,3 and 4. The dea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the residence. The following day, the vehicle was towed to SLM Auto Care LLC - Audi VW BMW Porsche, where it was diagnosed that the N63 engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also info... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, a RED message that “Engine Overheating” was displayed and to pull over to prevent engine damage. The contact immediately pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon resuming driving, a yellow message advising to proceed with caution was displayed and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The contact stat... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The Check Engine Oil warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the VIN not being under recall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon fu... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated with the radiator fan running at high speeds. The contact pulled over and allowed the engine to cool down before restarting the vehicle and continuing to drive. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and DTC: 348A, 387F were retrie... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and then while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed failure with cylinder #7. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2020
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds or while the vehicle was parked, the message “Engine Coolant Level Low" and "Top off Soon as Possible - See Owner’s Manual” were displayed. Additionally, the message “Possible Engine Damages - Attention Scudding Hazard" was displayed. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an abnormal amount of coolant. Additionally, the contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed previously for an engine coolant leak. The vehicle was left parked at a gas station wh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test showed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was given an estimate fo... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing coolant, but there was no indication of a coolant leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was cool air coming from the heater vents. The contact called an independent mechanic for orange coolant, who informed the c... Read more
GMC
YUKON DENALI
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his son was driving 50-60 MPH, the engine started overheating. The driver pulled to the side of the road and added coolant to the vehicle. The driver then drove to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start the following day. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle and drove to a nearby inde... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine and oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to get off the expressway safely. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's son drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact's son noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a fracture... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. There wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a Ford mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and recommended that the spark plug and ignition coil be replaced. The parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. The... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, prompting the driver to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway where the vehicle then stalled and was unable to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine due to metal fragments being fo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the Service 4WD message was displayed and remained displayed. The contact stated the vehicle jerked while driving at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine cooling, engin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 550I. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who declined to service the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. No additional assistance was provided. The fai... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 17, 2025
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle idled roughly, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated on the vehicle. The contact stated that over time she became aware that the oil level was gradually getting lower than normal. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact stated the check warning engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve sensor had failed. The sensor inside the valve failed due to condensation getting into the valve and short-circuiting the sensor. The EGR valve sensor had been replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact had to add one quart of oil per week. The battery was replaced on three occasions. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 57 MPH while driving. There was an abnormal creaking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact also stated that there was no oil in t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated that the failure had increased significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic,... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting up the vehicle, there was an abnormal shaking coming from the engine. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated, and drove at a reduced speed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 430I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven to a local parking lot and then to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the infotainment system screen was blank. The contact stated that the failure persisted. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that upon completing a routine inspection of the vehicle, he noticed that the thermostat housing was leaking. There was no warning light illuminated... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was no... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
MOMENTUM
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 16, 2025
Incident date: Nov 24, 2024
The contact called for her partner who owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the dashboard had warped near the passenger side's glove compartment when purchased. The dealer had been informed of the failure and informed the owner that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped and idling at a traffic light, the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the fan was running excessively. The contact stated that the engine and coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was caused by the thermostat. The thermostat was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechan... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving out of town at 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle jerked and vibrated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact continued driving 35 MPH to the destination. The check engine warning light illuminated and blinked. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Worrall Carburation & Machine, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormally loud rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N03 because the campaign had expired. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving on the expressway at approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The driver turned on the hazard lights. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 50 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, and decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, with the “Low Coolant” message displayed. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact of a coolant leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed of repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 15, 2025
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle started to vibrate, and almost stalled. The contact’s daughter safely drove to the residence, and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were two engine c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 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 contact stated that while driving at 30-50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and the engi... Read more
MINI
COOPER COUNTRYMAN
(2011) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it was difficult to start the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered, and there was grey smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was ta... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Jan 1, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started making a ticking sound. The che... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that there was an engine misfire, and coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to diagnose the vehicle or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
The contact called for an elderly friend who owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4, causing an engine misfire and damages to the engine. The owner of the vehicle was informed that the engine neede... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
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 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