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: Nov 1, 2024
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 contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the turbo and other unknown parts were ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and then towed to a certified mechanic. The contact believed that the mechanic had diagnosed a failure within the transmission and had completed a repair to the transmission; however, the contact was unaware of what parts were... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who d... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was running abnormally rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinder four was causing a misfire, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sedona. The contact noticed a green puddle underneath the vehicle with the low coolant message displayed. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that either the head gasket or the entire engine needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where t... Read more
HYUNDAI
KONA ELECTRIC
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2024
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and making a left turn, the vehicle began shaking violently. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected, and the contact became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2008) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2024
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal fluttering sound and the vehicle hesitated to start. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, while driving, the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the spark plugs and starter; however, the failure persis... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who observed that the coolant reservoir was empty but was unable to determine if there was a coolant leak. The contact inspected the engine b... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2024
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking noise and then stalled. The contact stated that the battery and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the vehicle stalled several times while drivin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a routine oil change, and the mechanic observed that there was an internal water pump leak. The mechanic provided a diagnostic test and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2020
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 contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound comi... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 7, 2024
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. After the first failure, the contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle and then drove to a dealer. Despite the failure, the contact was informed that no defect was found in the vehicle. During the second failure, the contact stated that a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had caused a misfire in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would eventually need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which required quarts of oil to be added to the vehicle weekly. The contact stated that there was no indication of an oil leak. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who performed an oil consumption test. The dealer informed the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaire... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 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 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 contact had no... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated that upon adding coolant to the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant con... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 6, 2024
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The low oil pressure and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2018
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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the high engine temperature and low coolant level warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #2 and #4, and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X1. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the message “Engine Overheated - Drive Moderately" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no coolant in the reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the residence and the contact observed condensation underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light and the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the thermostat had recently been replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an excessive amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust. The driver pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the turbo charger. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the t... Read more
CHRYSLER
PT CRUISER
(2009) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 5, 2024
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was below the recommended coolant level. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for additional coolant maintenance and inspection. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with faulty spark plugs and failed ignition coils. The contact was informed that... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder head. The dealer related the failure to Ford TSB Number: ... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 5, 2024
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the temperature gauge moved to Hot, and the message "Engine Overheating, Pull Over Safely" was displayed. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon pulling to the side of the road and parking the vehicle, the temperature decreased completely. The vehicle was taken to ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 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 contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning smell coming through the A/C vents. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local was dea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start after several attempts. The message "Low Coolant" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had le... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 325I. 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 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 re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced rough idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the fuel injector in cylinder #3 needed to... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning light illuminated. The contact noticed a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was able to restart however the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit had faile... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 5, 2024
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Volvo XC60. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently and then stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed back to residence and then towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a burning odor coming through the vents into the interior of the vehicle. 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... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated while cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating and was idling rough. The contact stated that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phase... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and turning out of a parking lot onto a road, the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The mechanic replace... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 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: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while her husband was starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact turned off the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been driven the day prior without any issues. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine was b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at or above 50 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle began shaking and running rough. The check engine warning light flashed on and off during one occasion and then remained illuminated. Additionally, on two occasions while stopped at a red light and a stop sign, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the veh... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
IMAGINE
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 4, 2024
Incident date: Nov 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-550. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced NOX sensor, but the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 83... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the top of the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phaser had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light continued to flash off and on, and the vehicle had experienced a loss of motive power. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 4, 2024
Incident date: Jun 3, 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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. Parts distrib... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started to overheat. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was raised beyond the hot level. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked head gasket and a failed sensor. The contact was informed that the he... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Nov 1, 2024
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
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 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: Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle; h... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a faint burning odor. The contact stated that the odor was noticed directly after the vehicle had been driven and then parked in the parking garage. In addition, the contact stated that the odor had begun during the summer months. The contact stated that it was a burning odor. In addition, the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact's fiancé owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for sale. The contact stated that while the dealer was test-driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer determined that the head gasket and engine block had failed, resulting in coolant intrusion into cylinders #1 and #3. The dealer also... Read more