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: Sep 6, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and there was black exhaust smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact called on behalf of his son who owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the temperature gauge had risen significantly to hot, and the vehicle started to shut down. The contact stated that his son was able to pull over onto the side of the road, to allow the engine to cool down. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X5. 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: Jun 15, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V704000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diag... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the vehicle was overheating, after which he observed excessive white smoke emanating from the exhaust prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2013) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ The contact stated while driving 35MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was in the number two cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2172 (Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would not properly accelerate, the engine experienced misfiring and the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that coolant was present inside the engine cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. T... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO EV
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, he heard an abnormal squealing sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an in... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2012) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The timing belt was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer determined that the connecting rod bearing in the engine needed to be ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon pulling to the side of the road and checking the oil level, the contact noticed that the oil level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to the nearby Jiffy Lube, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil cooler had failed and... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became regular. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into multiple cylinders had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle began to shake, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into multiple cylinders damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the eng... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 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 stated that while driving approximat... Read more
OLDSMOBILE
ALERO
(2004) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 14, 2024
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was designed with the engine Auto Start/Stop system. The contact stated while at a complete stop and releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to restart automatically. The contact stated that upon depressing the Push to Start button, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diag... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328i. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming out from the exhaust pipe, and there was a burning smell coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan was leaking near the water pump. The dealer replaced the thermostat gasket... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the "Engine Coolant Overheating" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed back to the home. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there was a recall on the vehicle for the failure(recall unknown); however, the co... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when starting the vehicle from a cold start the vehicle was vibrating and idling roughly. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the vehicle was again running roughly and he was smelling the odor of coolant in the passenger cabin. The contact stated that the c... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was running roughly after a cold start. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the vehicle was losing power. The contact said when she depressed the accelerator pedal the check engine light was flashing and the vehicle was not gaining forward momentum. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a burning odor in the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2010
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically. In addition, the contact stated that the engine ran excessively rough. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine assembly. The contact was informed that the engine assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. While the contact’s son was operating the vehicle, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed, with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the vehicle started shaking before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted and later driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the engin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the heating system was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic at the gas station, where the contact was informed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The mechanic added coolant to the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the head ga... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that vehicle was taken to the local dealer for routine maintenance, and the contact was informed that the plastic oil pan brass drain plug had loosened, and oil was leaking. The dealer informed the contact that the oil pan assembly, PN: 11110-6RC1B; needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. There were no warning lights illuminated. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The contact was then informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the contact discovered that there was water leaking from underneath the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer whe... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 13, 2024
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the knocking sound coming from the engine became louder to take the vehicle back for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The appro... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Eco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle began to shake. The driver decreased the speed to 30 MPH. There was an abnormal rattling noise detected. The low oil pressure light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined the failure was due to the drive belt. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 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 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 contact stated while driving at an un... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that his wife was driving at 35 MPH when she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed by an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the engine would rattle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant leaked into the cylinder causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25–30 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was jerking and losing motive power. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle shook and stopped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the short-block engine needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that there was a coolant intrusi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wagoneer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes had failed to operate as needed. The contact was able to coast to a stop. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo V60. The contact stated that after changing the engine oil, one week later the message "Engine Oil Low" was displayed. The contact later discovered the engine oil was low and the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provi... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER VELAR
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 12, 2024
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System; Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that after the repair was performed, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact was eventually able to start the vehicle and the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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 while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started decelerating unintendedly, with the message “Engine Hot – Stop Drivin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X1. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change and was informed that the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the contact became aware that there was coolant on the ground underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer determined that the water pump had failed.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528I. The contact stated that there was water leaking from the vehicle. There was an undisclosed electrical failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving 65 MPH, the driver came to a stop... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 8, 2024
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating and then lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was cracked, and there was a cooling leak within the cylinders. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was able to drive the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made not aware of the issue. The cont... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 8, 2024
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While driving uphill, the vehicle was chugging. The vehicle was difficult to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who test-drove the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: P0420 was due to the catalyst system. The contact was also made aware of NHTSA Cam... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLA 35
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 8, 2024
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2024
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine overheated while driving. The contact was able to pull over and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant in the combustion chamber, engine block, and cylinder head, and the low... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering significantly and the engine overheated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving at 20 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant intrusion in th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking and vibrating violently. The contact released the accelerator pedal, and the shaking and vibration nearly ceased; however, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact was able to drive ... Read more