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: Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Engine Coolant Level Low" and "Engine Overheating" warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an Auto Parts store and purchased a gallon of coolant. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir and became aware of a puddle of coolant underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the messages "Engine Hot - Stop Safely" and the "Engine Fault" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced, and the engine needed to be disassembled and reassembled and coolant needed to be added. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, "The High Engine Temperature" message was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for AAA to tow the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road to allow the engine to cool down. The contact opened the hood and checked the fluids. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, ... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
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 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 a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 228I. 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: Sep 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH or above, the front end and the steering wheel were shaking abnormally. While driving at various speeds, there was a metallic grinding sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard and the braking distance became ext... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 13, 2025
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and upon inspection, the contact became aware that there was coolant leaking from the exhaust system. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was coolant leaking from the bottom of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the "Low Coolant" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer w... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 13, 2025
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, she noticed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was vibrating. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that coolant began to leak from the engine without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a leak was discovered in all of the hoses connected to the radiator. The contact had the vehicle repaired by the mechanic. Approximately a year later, the "Low Engine Coolant" warning message appeared on the inst... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2008) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 10, 2025
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however parts were not available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
The contact's partner owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon the start of the engine, the vehicle would shake when idle and while driving as the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they discovered a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where a pressure test was performed;... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. 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 and confirmed that the parts were not available... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 10, 2025
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the oil reservoir was constantly needing to be refilled. The contact stated that he had to have the oil changed and added every 4 weeks. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed due to eng... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 45 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power, causing the acceleration to be reduced to 25 MPH, while also causing the vehicle to shake aggressively. The vehicle was driven to the residence and then towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the "Engine Overheating" message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
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 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 fa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak into the engine. The contact was informed that the engin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the fuel module and fuel tank. The failure eventually reoccurred, and the fuel rail sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 10, 2025
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was white exhaust smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while inspecting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 48 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot, and the “Warning – Pull Over - Engine Overheating” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to allow the engine to cool down. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the message that the engine was overheating was ag... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to lose automotive power and reduced speeds and smoke was present coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the home and while parked in the garage the temperature gauge indicated that the engine temperature was extremely hot. The vehicle was later towed to the local de... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GL450
(2010) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2025
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the "Engine Overheated" message was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle shut down. The vehicle failed to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak intrusion i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as coolant intrusion leaked into the cylinder which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution d... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 9, 2025
Incident date: Jan 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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, sh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 330E. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, stalled, and restarted independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (ELECTRICAL SY... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the engine RPMs would sporadically increase and decrease between 500 and 2,000 RPM and the vehicle would not properly accelerate when pressing the accelerator pedal. Also, the check engine light began to intermittently blink on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at various undisclosed speeds, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engine and a fuel-burning odor leaked into the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The transmission jerked while driving. The failure occurred on several occasions. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (FUEL S... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plug failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinders one and four result... Read more
HYUNDAI
IONIQ ELECTRIC
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 8, 2025
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact's son stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and white smoke emitted from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several different occasions and the coolant level was abnormally low. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 35 MPH, the engine stalled, and all of the warning lights were illuminated. The contact proceeded to pull over onto the side of the road where she attempted to restart her vehicle however the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had exper... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 8, 2025
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact that the engine coolant over temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine coolant system failed and needed to be repaired, The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge began to indicate the vehicle was overheating after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independen... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle he saw that the check engine light had illuminated and was idling roughly. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that there was a manufa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was scanned for codes and the failure was related to the coolant in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired The manufacturer was notified of the failure, opened a case, and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The VIN was not included... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the temperature was 45 degrees or lower, the vehicle failed to start properly, and the engine failed to warm up properly. The coolant light was illuminated, and the engine temperature gauge failed to rise above COLD. The vehicle occasionally failed to start or while started and driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled while an... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 7, 2025
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 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 local dealer was not 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 contac... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 7, 2025
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was smoke coming from under the hood and entering the vehicle through the A/C vents. The contact waited a while before driving to the residence. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The failure reoccurred while stopped at a traffic light with smoke coming from under the hood on... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 7, 2025
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for an oil change and the contact was informed that there was coolant leaking from the water pump and that the water pump needed to be replaced to prevent further damage to the internal components of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
The contact owned a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the A/C became inoperable and made an abnormally loud sound. The contact then noticed an abnormal burning wiring odor, and there was smoke coming out of the A/C vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she attempted to pull to the side of the road, but could not safely do so. The contact co... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floor... Read more