Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 40,899 complaints - component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Jan 19, 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
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
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
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 21, 2025
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
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 18, 2020
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: Jan 13, 2025
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
Incident date: Jan 6, 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: Jul 17, 2024
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 10, 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: Oct 29, 2024
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: Feb 12, 2024
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: Jan 16, 2025
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 17, 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 17, 2025
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: Nov 23, 2020
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: Oct 31, 2024
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: Nov 28, 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: Jan 10, 2025
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: Jun 17, 2020
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: Jan 12, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 3, 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: Dec 12, 2024
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.
Incident date: Sep 27, 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 13, 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
Incident date: Nov 15, 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 2500
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Oct 1, 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 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: Apr 30, 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
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 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
GRAND DESIGN
MOMENTUM
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Nov 14, 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
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 14, 2025
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
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 1, 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: Jan 13, 2025
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
ASTON MARTIN
V8 VANTAGE
(2010) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 13, 2025
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
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: Dec 27, 2024
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
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 13, 2025
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
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: Jan 13, 2025
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: Jan 12, 2025
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: Oct 25, 2024
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
Incident date: Jan 8, 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: Dec 31, 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
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jan 10, 2025
Incident date: Dec 6, 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
Incident date: Jan 9, 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: Jan 9, 2025
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