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: Apr 15, 2023
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Incident date: Aug 6, 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another local dealer, Key Scales Ford-Villages, Leesburg (1719 Citrus Blvd, Leesburg, FL 34748), and Ford of Clermont (1101 E Hwy 50, Clermont, FL... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 6, 2024
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that the failure had become consistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil pump valve and the camshaft adjuster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, the engine was making a grinding noise and the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15B39 CPR and Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2091. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with water intrusion from insufficient sealing in certain a... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 6, 2024
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, a message indicating that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The contact stated upon inspecting the coolant reservoir, the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact's husband added coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the failure recurred the following day. The ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. In addition, the contact stated that the coolant level was low. The contact stated that occasionally when the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and after an hour was able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving or while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, the contact became aware that coolant was leaking from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant pipe needed to be replaced. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that every three weeks an oil change was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that low oil level or oil empty messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was consuming 15-quarts of engine oil every 6,000 miles driven. The dealer determined that oil was leaking into the pistons. The dealer... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2024
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle loss automotive power on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the local Midas where the battery was replaced; however, the failure occasionally ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the driver noticed that there was steamy smoke coming out from underneath the hood. The driver pulled to the side of the road and noticed that ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated an abnormal sound was coming from the engine with an abnormal fuel odor entering the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacte... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 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: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking underneath the vehicle. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referr... Read more
FORD
FUSION ENERGI
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2024
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a scheduled service appointment, the contact was informed that the coolant pump was failing. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that the repair was not cover... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 BMW 430I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating with the low coolant warning light illuminated. The contact parked and left the vehicle at a local dealer. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in SIB: 17... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2024
Incident date: Nov 22, 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 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
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 5, 2024
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from under the hood. In addition, the contact noticed a burning odor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the crankshaft position sensor tone wheel had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The con... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe at start-up. The contact stated that the check engine and "Vehicle Overheating" messages were displayed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion in... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The message that the coolant level was low was displayed. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact stated that the failure was related to Global Recall Action Number: N785V2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the coolant pipe needed t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 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 contact stated that the engine overheated and there was white smoke coming from ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel injec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that coolant was leaking underneath the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the heater hoses had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagno... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the engine was making an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts, with an abnormal ticking sound while driving at various speeds. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to report the issue to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact refer... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 4, 2024
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
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 the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine, causing head gasket failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and referred... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking and clicking sound. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced engine hesitation intermittently, and the failure became permanent. The contact stated that the vehicle ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 4, 2024
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was a loud rattling and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started, however, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated the vehicle eventually started. In addition, the contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and the veh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz. The contact stated while driving at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalls until the contact engages the vehicle in sport mode. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V704000 (ENGINE ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 4, 2024
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into limp mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the side. The contact inspected the vehicle with a vehicle scanner and received two error codes p0302 -cylinder misfiring and p1299 – cylinder overhead failure. The vehicl... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 4, 2024
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the vehicle, where coolant was added to the vehicle; however, the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cooling system was replaced. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Entegra Aspire RV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated along with codes indicating that the Selective Catalytic Reduction Unit had failed. The vehicle was taken to the local RV service center who reprogrammed the Selective Catalytic Reduction Unit but later the failure reoccurred. The engine manufacturer (Cu... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 3, 2024
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at undisclosed speeds, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be in working orde... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a misfire coming from ignition coil #3. The dealer replaced the ignition coils; however, the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic trouble codes were cleared. Addi... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 3, 2024
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. While the contact’s daughter was driving at various speeds, the RPM started fluctuating, the vehicle stalled, and lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact's daughter was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. Additional... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 60 MPH, the engine warning light was flashing. The driver pulled to the side of the road, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was a fractured engine valve spring. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle there was a grinding sound coming from the engine compartment. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and waited for the engine to cool down. The vehicle failed t... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 3, 2024
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
The contact owns 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe while starting the vehicle and while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine was running rough, and the vehicle almost stalled while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the cool... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clunking sound while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving a undisclosed speeds, the engine overheated. The contact stated that there was an extremely loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
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 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: Nov 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Eco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine and the powertrain malfunction warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over to a family member’s residence. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine ... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 3, 2024
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact discovered that an unknown substance was leaking from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion into the cylinder, and that the thermostat and several other unknown parts n... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more