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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 28, 2024
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but failed to shift into gear. While driving 55 MPH, the speedometer decreased, the vehicle failed to accelerate and then stalled. The contact was able to veer over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to shift into gear. There were no warning lights illuminated.... Read more
MAZDA
CX-50 HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 28, 2024
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the axle and was lodged inside the wheel well. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a parking lot and then had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determin... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #2. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that while in the process of removing the spark plugs t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the powertrain control module (PCM) was flashed under Ford Campaign Number: 21N03; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be left with the dealer for three w... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 25, 2024
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage it was discovered that large amounts of oil had leaked from the engine onto the garage floor. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had been damaged due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred several times while driving on the same day. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and d... Read more
POWERSTOP
BRAKE HOSE
(9999) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 25, 2024
Incident date: Oct 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 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: Sep 16, 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 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
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was driving rough, and the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was di... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure recurred several times while driving; requiring the contact to pull over to the side of the road several times for several minut... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly's Service Center which diagnosed that the vehicle had experienced a #3-cylinder misfire. The spark plugs were replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2016
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (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 contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was pushing his foot upwards. The contact had to step on the brake pedal very hard to stop the vehicle to prevent a crash. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated prior to the failure, the oil was changed 2-months prior at approximately 27,000. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking so... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 25, 2024
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to drive to the contact's residence. Additionally, the contact stated that while his daughter was driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering, and there was smoke comi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The driver drove to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced difficulty in starting. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine over heated with the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle shut off and failed to rest... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ignition coils and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic again and... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning illuminated. The contact slowed the vehicle down below highway speed and drove to the residence. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle; however, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the part would only be replaced if the vehicle experienced failure in the recall. The contact received the notif... Read more
CUMMINS CLEAN FUEL TECH
CNG FUEL SYSTEM
(9999) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2024
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
The contact’s mother owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that occasionally while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated with a message to “Drive with Caution” displayed. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the failure was remedied; however, the failure persisted. The contact rec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 con... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The vehicle failed to start. The contact added additional fuel. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V027000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2024
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NH... Read more
FOREST RIVER
FLAGSTAFF
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2024
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the RPM raised to high with heavy white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The check engine light warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to another i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 con... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2020) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 24, 2024
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigati... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed condensation under the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that unknown parts neede... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine, coolant, and oil warning lights simultaneously flashed on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the vehicle had failed to start after several attempts. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact checked the coolant level in the coolant reservoir a... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failur... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the engine temperature and "Pull Over - Stop Vehicle" warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and let the vehicle cool down and drove to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The mechanic advised the contact that... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
The contact owned a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, and while at a complete stop, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the A/C only blew hot air. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the ti... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW. 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 failure. ... Read more
GMC
YUKON DENALI
(2016) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 23, 2021
The contact owned a 2016 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at 30 -35 MPH with the windows down, there was a smoke odor present. The contact pulled over into a parking lot and smoke was discovered coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle suddenly engulfed in flames as the contact was still seated in the vehicle. The contact was able to safely exit the vehicle. The fire depart... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the noise was coming from cylinder #3 and the lifters. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. T... Read more
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Sep 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact scanned the vehicle and retrieved a DTC code for cylinder #2 misfire. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the same ass... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Oct 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 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: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 had not experienced a failure. The m... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
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 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: Aug 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failur... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2010) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 23, 2024
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was knock in the cylinder. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the cam was overwor... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle hesitated with an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was ... Read more