Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 18,739 complaints for LINCOLN
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Internal Water pump Failed causing immediate shutdown of vehicle. This water pump is internal to the engine and requires half of the engine be taken apart to be replaced. This affect all 3.5 and 3.7 Ford engines through 2021. Unlike traditional water pumps which are belt driven this one is driven by the timing chain. Thereby when failure occurs the engine shuts down. Coolant also leaks into the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Internal Water pump Failed causing immediate shutdown of vehicle. This water pump is internal to the engine and requires half of the engine be taken apart to be replaced. This affect all 3.5 and 3.7 Ford engines through 2021. Unlike traditional water pumps which are belt driven this one is driven by the timing chain. Thereby when failure occurs the engine shuts down. Coolant also leaks into the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Internal Water pump Failed causing immediate shutdown of vehicle. This water pump is internal to the engine and requires half of the engine be taken apart to be replaced. This affect all 3.5 and 3.7 Ford engines through 2021. Unlike traditional water pumps which are belt driven this one is driven by the timing chain. Thereby when failure occurs the engine shuts down. Coolant also leaks into the ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
PTU failing and leaking fluid. Needs replacement. Ford stated it’s a lifetime fluid but the fluid fails due to sitting next to hot exhaust. The unit needs replacement at a cost of $3400. Unit is currently being replaced. This can cause the PTU to fail, lock up, and implode taking the transmission with it. Extremely expensive part to replace. Thousands of people online have needed to replace part... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera occasionally displayed a distorted image while in Reverse(R). No warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagn... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated that the instrument cluster intermittently blinked and flickered. The "Adaptive Steering Fault" warning message was displayed, and the steering wheel became misaligned. Additionally, while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle exper... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated that the instrument cluster intermittently blinked and flickered. The "Adaptive Steering Fault" warning message was displayed, and the steering wheel became misaligned. Additionally, while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle exper... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKT. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V827000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the passenger's side door B-pillar trim detached. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was repaired at the consumer's expense; however, t... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 18, 2025
Date of Incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Vehicle Speed: 0 Description: The right front and right rear doors on my 2017 Lincoln Continental (VIN: [XXX]) became completely inoperable from the outside — the exact same safety defect addressed under recall 19S03. The recall repair was previously performed by an authorized Ford/Lincoln dealer, however that repair has since failed, leaving me with the ... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jun 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 18, 2025
Date of Incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Vehicle Speed: 0 Description: The right front and right rear doors on my 2017 Lincoln Continental (VIN: [XXX]) became completely inoperable from the outside — the exact same safety defect addressed under recall 19S03. The recall repair was previously performed by an authorized Ford/Lincoln dealer, however that repair has since failed, leaving me with the ... Read more
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2021) — STEERING
Jun 8, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator PHEV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with left and right lower control arm and right knuckle failures. The contact was informed that the left and right lower control a... Read more
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2021) — SUSPENSION
Jun 8, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator PHEV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with left and right lower control arm and right knuckle failures. The contact was informed that the left and right lower control a... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2026
Was operating the vehicle around a slight bend at about 45mph. The brakes and steering then stopped working and was non responsive. The vehicle was sliding off the road toward a parked dump truck. After about 2 or 3 seconds the steering and brakes started working again and I regained control of the vehicle. I then fishtailed across 2 lanes of traffic and managed to keep the vehicle straight. Immed... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2026
Was operating the vehicle around a slight bend at about 45mph. The brakes and steering then stopped working and was non responsive. The vehicle was sliding off the road toward a parked dump truck. After about 2 or 3 seconds the steering and brakes started working again and I regained control of the vehicle. I then fishtailed across 2 lanes of traffic and managed to keep the vehicle straight. Immed... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2026
Was operating the vehicle around a slight bend at about 45mph. The brakes and steering then stopped working and was non responsive. The vehicle was sliding off the road toward a parked dump truck. After about 2 or 3 seconds the steering and brakes started working again and I regained control of the vehicle. I then fishtailed across 2 lanes of traffic and managed to keep the vehicle straight. Immed... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The check engine light is on for periods of time and then goes off. Maybe the sensor is faulty?
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal, with the transmission warning light illuminated. Occasionally, the contact was forced to shut off the vehicle and wait a few moments before restarting, after which the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was initially towed to the d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
The panoramic display on the car went black from just left of center to almost the end of the display on the drivers side . Alll information was blacked out speed mileage Etc. I restarted the car no change went back the next day it was working. If this happens while driving it could cause a serious problem
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The blind spot warning and the turn signal marker are the same color so when trying To change lanes the blind spot warning is worthlesss because it is the same color and right next to the signal flasher both yellow. It needs to be changed and have an audible warning . The Blind spot warning is essentially useless because when looking in the side mirror you can’t distinguish between the signal an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
Everytime I start my vehicle the parking brake fault service now light comes on.
Incident date: May 30, 2026
Recently took a trip from [XXX] to [XXX] and during the course of this trip the lane departure, lane keeping and automatic braking would constantly fail during the course of the drive as the facial recognition sensor kept failing to detect my face and would start going into the Resume Control mode which pulses the brakes and turns on the four way flashers. There was also two different warnings d... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2026
Recently took a trip from [XXX] to [XXX] and during the course of this trip the lane departure, lane keeping and automatic braking would constantly fail during the course of the drive as the facial recognition sensor kept failing to detect my face and would start going into the Resume Control mode which pulses the brakes and turns on the four way flashers. There was also two different warnings d... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2026
Recently took a trip from [XXX] to [XXX] and during the course of this trip the lane departure, lane keeping and automatic braking would constantly fail during the course of the drive as the facial recognition sensor kept failing to detect my face and would start going into the Resume Control mode which pulses the brakes and turns on the four way flashers. There was also two different warnings d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Engine has coolant intrusion at 57,000 miles. Mechanic recommends full engine replacement.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2026
Subject: Request for Investigation / Status Update: Unresolved Safety Recall for 2023, Lincoln Aviator To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request an update and urge an investigation into the lack of a remedy for an active safety recall on my vehicle. It has now been 10 months since the recall was officially issued, and the manufacturer has still not provided a resolution or m... Read more
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2012) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 30, 2026
I have a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid 2012 with 88k miles on it. While I was slowing to a stop as I approached a stoplight at a busy intersection, the 'Check Brake' warning on the dashboard lit up without warning and no prior issues, and my ability to brake became near impossible as the pedal softened. I needed to push it all the way to the floor to get the vehicle to stop. I shifted into park and turned of... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle idled and drove unusually rough. In addition, t... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start, the vehicle was , the hood was raised, the contact went back to the vehicle to try to start, the vehicle would not turn over with clicking in the engine. the vehicle began to smoke with very thick white smoke, the contact was unable to exit the vehicle of the drivers side front seat. The battery was disc... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start, the vehicle was , the hood was raised, the contact went back to the vehicle to try to start, the vehicle would not turn over with clicking in the engine. the vehicle began to smoke with very thick white smoke, the contact was unable to exit the vehicle of the drivers side front seat. The battery was disc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the engine experienced rough idling after starting with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the spark plugs and coil pack; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle shuddering while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the engine nee... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
I own a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. After starting the vehicle, I exited without intentionally placing the vehicle in gear. The vehicle began rolling backward unexpectedly after I exited. I was struck and injured by the vehicle, resulting in a laceration to my shin requiring eight stitches. At no point did I intentionally place the vehicle in a position that would allow it to move. The vehicle did not a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
I own a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. After starting the vehicle, I exited without intentionally placing the vehicle in gear. The vehicle began rolling backward unexpectedly after I exited. I was struck and injured by the vehicle, resulting in a laceration to my shin requiring eight stitches. At no point did I intentionally place the vehicle in a position that would allow it to move. The vehicle did not a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
One day, the bright headlamps stopped working. The light on the dashboard indicating that they are on still works but the lights themselves, do not turn on. Yes, it is available for inspection. There was and has been no warning. It has not been looked at by a dealer or anyone else.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
One day, the bright headlamps stopped working. The light on the dashboard indicating that they are on still works but the lights themselves, do not turn on. Yes, it is available for inspection. There was and has been no warning. It has not been looked at by a dealer or anyone else.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Licoln Navigator. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the front driver and passengers seat belts retactators seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed front drivers and passenger seat belts retractor. The contact was informed that the front driver's and passenger's seat belt retractors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
FOR THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, NEAR OR AROUND DECEMBER OF 2025 MY 2016 LINCOLN MKX HAS BEEN SHORTING OUT OR HAVING GLITCHES IN THE CENTER CABIN. THE CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM AND BLINDSPOT SYTEM FAULT HAVE TURNED ON AND OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATING A SHORT IN THE CABIN RESULTING IN THE ac OR hEAT TURNING OFF AND ON. THIS ALSO CREATES A SHORT WHERE THE THE WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN, THE GLOVE BOX WI... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
FOR THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, NEAR OR AROUND DECEMBER OF 2025 MY 2016 LINCOLN MKX HAS BEEN SHORTING OUT OR HAVING GLITCHES IN THE CENTER CABIN. THE CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM AND BLINDSPOT SYTEM FAULT HAVE TURNED ON AND OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATING A SHORT IN THE CABIN RESULTING IN THE ac OR hEAT TURNING OFF AND ON. THIS ALSO CREATES A SHORT WHERE THE THE WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN, THE GLOVE BOX WI... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
FOR THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, NEAR OR AROUND DECEMBER OF 2025 MY 2016 LINCOLN MKX HAS BEEN SHORTING OUT OR HAVING GLITCHES IN THE CENTER CABIN. THE CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM AND BLINDSPOT SYTEM FAULT HAVE TURNED ON AND OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATING A SHORT IN THE CABIN RESULTING IN THE ac OR hEAT TURNING OFF AND ON. THIS ALSO CREATES A SHORT WHERE THE THE WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN, THE GLOVE BOX WI... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
2021 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with coolant intrusion caused by a blown head gasket on cylinder #6. Vehicle would not accelerate properly and lurch forward when the gas pedal was pressed over 25%. The issue was taken to the shop and not found. The issue progressed and was taken to the shop a second time. The issue was found from a misfire code on cylinder #6. Vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
2021 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with coolant intrusion caused by a blown head gasket on cylinder #6. Vehicle would not accelerate properly and lurch forward when the gas pedal was pressed over 25%. The issue was taken to the shop and not found. The issue progressed and was taken to the shop a second time. The issue was found from a misfire code on cylinder #6. Vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
2021 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with coolant intrusion caused by a blown head gasket on cylinder #6. Vehicle would not accelerate properly and lurch forward when the gas pedal was pressed over 25%. The issue was taken to the shop and not found. The issue progressed and was taken to the shop a second time. The issue was found from a misfire code on cylinder #6. Vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle idled roughly, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, and the low coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
2023 Lincoln Aviator was accelerating out of Toll booth to 70mph. Upon acceleration the engine hiccupped but continued to operate. Approximately 2 miles later the low oil pressure indicator and low battery indicator popped up, no prior indications existed. Vehicle stalled within 0.5 miles as I was assessing what to do and to pull off to a safe place. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer at re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Corsair. The contact stated that the turn signal noise was faint and could barely be heard by the driver. The contact stated that this failure could be a hazard to other drivers as the turn signal could be left on and the driver would not have any indication that the turn signal remained on. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was informed that there was no reme... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) 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.
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
May 29, 2026
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while at various speeds, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound, unexpectedly bounced and stalled. The message "4WD Off" was displayed. The vehicle was tow... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
May 29, 2026
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while at various speeds, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound, unexpectedly bounced and stalled. The message "4WD Off" was displayed. The vehicle was tow... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2026
Check engine light came on. Next day had a diagnostic run on it and found the coolant intrusion into cylinder 2. A new TSB 19-2208 was recommended. Talked with dealership and they advised to contact Ford Customer Care, who had Roadside Assistance come and pick up the 2018 Lincoln MKC and take to dealership. Dealership called to advise that the cost to me would be $9400!!!. Called Ford Cus... Read more