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: Jan 6, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the inside of the cabin filled up with smoke and exhaust fumes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact was able to continue driving to the residence and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak into the cylinder. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufa... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 7, 2025
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving on the highway at 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that her daughter was able to pull over onto the side of the road and restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was driving at a reduced speed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and then w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
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 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: Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. 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 with a coolant leak into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle while at a stop. The contact detected fumes underneath the hood and there was oil on the alternator. The contact stated that the tires were replaced, but the vehicle was not aligned. The contact stated that the driveshaft had dropped and was making an abnormal rubbing sound. The oil... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and jerked abnormally before accelerating. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while accelerating from the vehicle idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the crankca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The engine fault service immediately message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder had misfired. The coolant was flooding the engine. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the engine hesitated prior to stalling and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded to pull over onto the side of the road, where the contact attempted to restart the vehicle but failed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was blow... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving at 35 to 40 MPH, the engine stalled. However, the vehicle rolled slowly; the contact stated an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engine. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and received unknown... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experi... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 6, 2025
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the iss... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 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 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 contact state... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
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 confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 13 MPH, there was smoke coming through the vents from the AC unit being activated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor coming from through the vents causing nausea. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the p... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 6, 2025
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and then lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a cracked engine due to a leak in the eco-boost system. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cam phaser and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 6, 2025
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact's customer owns a 2019 Kia Niro LX. The contact stated that his customer stated that the vehicle overheated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the converter. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The owner stated that the vehicle was randomly stopping. The vehicle was taken back to the independent... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 BMW X3. The contact stated that after the dealer had performed the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); the vehicle experienced a significant rough idle, and abnormal whistling and squealing sounds were coming from the engine while the contact was driving from the dealer parking lot. The contact drove back to the dealer, where it wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his son was stopped at the drive-thru, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact's son turned off the vehicle and waited for the engine to cool down before restarting. Upon inspection under the hood, the contact discovered that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact added coola... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended but started decelerating instead. During the failure, the contact would pull over to the side of the road, shift to park, turn off the vehicle, and then wait a while before restarting the vehicle for the vehicle to drive as intended... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced at Jiffy Lube, the mechanic became aware that coolant was leaking from the engine onto the radiator. The vehicle was then taken to AAMCO where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket was leaking oil into the engine and onto the transmission. The mechanic also informed the contact that there was a cord ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, with the "Engine Fault Service Now” message displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed the contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failur... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the engine was misfiring, causing the vehicle to stall occasionally. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact became aware that the coolant level was abnormally low. The contact stated that the vehicle was scheduled to be towed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was noti... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound. The low-pressure warning light illuminated with a message to turn off the engine displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The deale... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assis... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 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 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
GRAND DESIGN
REFLECTION
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 3, 2025
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 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 made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and made an abnormal rattling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC codes: P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold), P0113 (Intake Air Temperature Sensor), P0101, and P0102 (Mass Air Fl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. There was no indication of an oil leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the lo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 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 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
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 3, 2025
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that there was coolant leaking ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failur... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine ne... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine had seized and needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 530I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a coolant-level message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test determined that there was a coolant leak inside the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty and that an undisclosed part inside the coolant system was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine and entering the cabin through the vents. The engine warning light was illuminated. There were unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of N... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the engine was slow to turn over and start. There was an abnormal chugging sound at start up. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle shut off unintendedly and failed to restart. The contact stated that the half-circle symbol to depress the brake pedal was displayed. The engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
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 while her brother was driving approximately 35 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The ... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
SOLITUDE
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 2, 2025
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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: Dec 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact diagnosed a misfire in cylinder #3 and replaced all the spark plugs and coils; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 31, 2024
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
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 not 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 co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that after inspecting the driveway, the contact noticed an abnormal stain on the concrete driveway. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for routine maintenance and the dealer discovered that the oil filter might have been left loose from the last service performed by the local dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure p... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 31, 2024
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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