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: Sep 12, 2022
My 2014 Lincoln MKT has two moonroofs. The first one exploded on 9/12/22 while driving the car on a sunny, wind free day. Sounded like a gunshot hit the glass and was frightening. Car is 8 years old at time of incident. I see this has been an ongoing issue with Ford/Lincoln since 2007. These parts need t be recalled. The glass alone is $3300 with total 3 day repair over $5K! Had to find a glass ve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
My 2019 Lincoln MKC has a coolant leak internal the engine. It is a known issue listed on the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin), however, Lincoln does not want to knowingly issue a recall. It has been informed as well per a Lincoln Dealership Service Advisor that several Lincoln’s have been in the dealership with this specific issue In which they feel that Lincoln should issue a recall, however, ... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2022
I was driving and started smelling toxic fumes come inside my car, steering wheel started jerking. I didn’t think much of it until my 2 year old daughter in the backseat was looking as if she was about to pass out. Her eyes started rolling and her words were slur, more slur than normal. I immediately pulled over and saw the fumes were coming from my tail pipe. It was a huge cloud of smoke. It wa... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 3, 2022
When accelerating onto the interstate the traction control engages without a warning light. It occurs on dry pavement. The acceleration is not excessive and there is no loss of traction. The traction control disengages when the accelerator pedal is released.
LINCOLN
CORSAIR PHEV
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:PORT
Sep 13, 2022
Incident date: May 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Corsair. The contact stated that the charging port cover had detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the charging port cover needed to be replaced. The dealer ordered the replacement part; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failur... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact's husband replaced the battery, and the vehicle restarted; however, the failure reoccurred twice. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repair... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2022
My engine is overheating, causing my steering wheel to jerk while on the highway. Took to dealership and they said loss of coolant and could potentially cause a fire if not treated. Looked online and saw that Ford is aware of the problem but will not correct it. The dealership is asking me to pay $8,000 to fix it for Ford initially putting in a faulty engine. I had to stop my car because smoke was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2016
The contact owns a 1994 Lincoln Town Car equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire line: Assurance Comfortred Tread Touring, Tire size: 215/70/R15 DOT: PJ343912 and PJ340214. The contact stated that all four tires were showing signs of cracked sidewalls and treads. The contact stated that the failure was discovered while cleaning the tires. The contact stated that the tires were purchased new from Walmar... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
On Tuesday, March 1 2022, as I was attempting to stop at a stop sign, I noticed loss of pressure on the brake pedal. As I accelerated and applied my brakes again there was no pressure feedback on the brake pedal and my vehicle took a prolonged time and distance to stop. After a few minutes, a warning message appeared on the dashboard to let me know of low brake fluid. After I got the vehicle home,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2022
Vehicle dies while in Drive. Message shows "AUTO STARTSTOP SHIFT TO P, THEN RESTART ENGINE". Dealer advised low battery voltage causing it, but vehicle starts without issue when shifting to P. Battery is only 2.5 years old.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2022
Vehicle dies while in Drive. Message shows "AUTO STARTSTOP SHIFT TO P, THEN RESTART ENGINE". Dealer advised low battery voltage causing it, but vehicle starts without issue when shifting to P. Battery is only 2.5 years old.
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2019) — STEERING
Sep 6, 2022
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
Recently purchased this vehicle, it’s got a different problem all the time usually electronics. The other day I was in a fender bender because I’m driving with the steering wheel 30-45 degrees to the right just so I can drive safe. Essence ford in Stuart FL where I purchased it, two different gentlemen thought it really bizarre but didn’t seem too concerned regarding my life at stake [XXX] ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while attempting to close the front driver's side door, she heard a beeping noise. The contact then stated that when she placed the shifter in reverse(R), the screen failed to display an image and the defogger failed to operate. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that the vehicle was overheating and that the hood was disco... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while attempting to close the front driver's side door, she heard a beeping noise. The contact then stated that when she placed the shifter in reverse(R), the screen failed to display an image and the defogger failed to operate. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that the vehicle was overheating and that the hood was disco... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2022
Fuel gauge says zero miles to empty and will not take any gas more than a few gallons before kicking pump off. Gauge shows it's over heating but if you turn ignition off and turn right back on it resets and is fine. Codes come back saying nothing about fuel or cooling, but only something about speed control in the hub. Sounds like an electrical issue but no where to be found.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2022
Fuel gauge says zero miles to empty and will not take any gas more than a few gallons before kicking pump off. Gauge shows it's over heating but if you turn ignition off and turn right back on it resets and is fine. Codes come back saying nothing about fuel or cooling, but only something about speed control in the hub. Sounds like an electrical issue but no where to be found.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2022
Fuel gauge says zero miles to empty and will not take any gas more than a few gallons before kicking pump off. Gauge shows it's over heating but if you turn ignition off and turn right back on it resets and is fine. Codes come back saying nothing about fuel or cooling, but only something about speed control in the hub. Sounds like an electrical issue but no where to be found.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2022
The 2011 through 2013 Lincoln MKS were recalled for the electric power steering assist suddenly going out and it is the same on this car and could have gotten someone seriously hurt these need to be added to the recall thanks for looking.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2022
The 2011 through 2013 Lincoln MKS were recalled for the electric power steering assist suddenly going out and it is the same on this car and could have gotten someone seriously hurt these need to be added to the recall thanks for looking.
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2012) — AIR BAGS
Sep 2, 2022
Incident date: Apr 1, 2021
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reaso... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2022
I had several instances and two minor collisions now where the back up camera glitches as well as the warning alert. I’ve come close to hitting object only to stop just in time, however in these two collisions I was I situations where I needed to maneuver faster and needed accurate guidance. I dont recall the screen ever showing up until after the collisions and the louder long warning tone went... Read more
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 1, 2022
Incident date: Aug 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine was misfiring, the coolant level was extremely low, and coolant had intruded into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dea... Read more
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2017) — ENGINE
Sep 1, 2022
Incident date: Aug 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine was misfiring, the coolant level was extremely low, and coolant had intruded into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
I have had fairly issues with overheating and have had several repairs done including: 12/29/2019 - Radiator Fan Assembly and Electric Fan Motor Replacement 10/02/2021 - Replace Thermostat and Gasket & Replace Coolant Recovery Tank 8/9/2022 - Installed Module, Control, Sensors and Fuel Filler (all done with regards to presumably fixing the overheating and RPM fluctuation while overheating) I paid... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
I have had fairly issues with overheating and have had several repairs done including: 12/29/2019 - Radiator Fan Assembly and Electric Fan Motor Replacement 10/02/2021 - Replace Thermostat and Gasket & Replace Coolant Recovery Tank 8/9/2022 - Installed Module, Control, Sensors and Fuel Filler (all done with regards to presumably fixing the overheating and RPM fluctuation while overheating) I paid... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
I have had fairly issues with overheating and have had several repairs done including: 12/29/2019 - Radiator Fan Assembly and Electric Fan Motor Replacement 10/02/2021 - Replace Thermostat and Gasket & Replace Coolant Recovery Tank 8/9/2022 - Installed Module, Control, Sensors and Fuel Filler (all done with regards to presumably fixing the overheating and RPM fluctuation while overheating) I paid... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
For a number of years, since purchasing vehicle new, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" light would come on upon engine startup. The MKT had only about 20,000 miles on it. I had NO POWER STEERING. Per different Lincoln mechanics, the "remedy" was to turn the car off & then restart it to clear light & restore power steering. This worked every time until this past week when after several attempts res... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2017
8/31/22 While I am driving, at 25 miles per hour in my neighborhood, or 45 mph through town, or 65 mph on the freeway, without any warning there occasionally will be an EXTREMELY LOUD BANG!! I actually duck down and cover my head for fear a huge rock has come through the windshield. Or a double-barreled shotgun was aimed at my car, or a major jetliner had fallen out of the sky and landed on my roo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
Vehicle loses power, steering and braking without warning. Orange wrench alert illuminates. Car must be shut off and restarted. Very dangerous condition. Several other complaints online. This has happened twice, luckily at low speeds and little traffic.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
Vehicle loses power, steering and braking without warning. Orange wrench alert illuminates. Car must be shut off and restarted. Very dangerous condition. Several other complaints online. This has happened twice, luckily at low speeds and little traffic.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
Vehicle loses power, steering and braking without warning. Orange wrench alert illuminates. Car must be shut off and restarted. Very dangerous condition. Several other complaints online. This has happened twice, luckily at low speeds and little traffic.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2022
4th time in 12 years that the moonroof has broken and the side shields that hold each side in place need to be replaced. This is a recurrent issue at least with me on this vehicle causing my roof to stay open until fixed. Not sure if tis because the roof is so big or if its just faulty equipment/engineering. But I think every three years is a bit much
Incident date: Mar 25, 2021
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) 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 had... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The All-Wheel Drive (AWD) warning light and the power train warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that he veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and waited for 15-20 seconds. The contact then continued drivin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and steering the steering wheel, the steering wheel was resistant and was emitting abnormal metallic sounds, and the accelerator pedal was making clicking sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. However, the failure reoccurred increasingly. Upon inspecting the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln Town Car. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and steering the steering wheel, the steering wheel was resistant and was emitting abnormal metallic sounds, and the accelerator pedal was making clicking sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. However, the failure reoccurred increasingly. Upon inspecting the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
My car will intermittently (more times than not) lose its power steering assist, making it almost impossible for me to drive. I've had the car looked at, replaced the rack and pinion assembly, put on new tires, ran a diagnostic, and the car still lacks power steering most of the time. When starting the vehicle, the wheel will lock up, and the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" displays, no matt... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
My car will intermittently (more times than not) lose its power steering assist, making it almost impossible for me to drive. I've had the car looked at, replaced the rack and pinion assembly, put on new tires, ran a diagnostic, and the car still lacks power steering most of the time. When starting the vehicle, the wheel will lock up, and the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" displays, no matt... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that on several occasions while the brake pedal was depressed, extreme pressure was needed to stop the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Mr. Tire to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
2014 Lincoln MKT, approx 80,000 miles, excellent condition. For the second time in two years now our factory installed panoramic roof has spontaneously exploded. First incident was January 21, 2020 and the second was July 15, 2022. Both times my husband was driving on the freeway and heard a loud explosion, sounded like gunshots inside the car. Both times the sound startled us so badly that a ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while driving approximately at 55 MPH, the contact lost power steering. The contact stated that the "loss of power steering" warning light was illuminated. The contact managed to steer the vehicle off the side of the road, however, the vehicle steering remained locked. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
I experienced unintended acceleration upon entering a highway. The vehicle accelerated normally in first gear, but upon shifting into second gear, acceleration exceeded pedal input, as though the cruise control 'Resume' function had activated. Acceleration continued with my foot completely off the accelerator pedal and with full brake application. The event stopped when I kicked the accelerator pe... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V346000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted after receiving the recall notification and the contact was informed that parts were not available because the cause of the defect was not yet determined. The contact was then notified that the... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the steering wheel was vibrating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact safely pulled over and exited the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The next day the vehicle started; however, the failure reoccurred and the check engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
The instrument cluster gives multiple message fault. Navigation and voice activation inoperative. Lincoln cannot resolve the issues. Lincoln has reprogrammed and reset the system and the issue still exist for over 3 months. Lincoln stated the APIM must be rework and they do not know when this will be provide with new date. The phone, radio/sirius sometimes won't change and the screen freezes... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) 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. An unknown dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
Front left brake line split open and lost brake fluid. This was not caused by any damage from outside items ...there was a failure of the tubing right near the end crimp.
Incident date: Aug 2, 2022
Had one headlight issue for months that I knew about. Told BCM issue but the BCM for this vehicle has been discontinued. Was pulled over by the police only to be told the taillights are out. Took it back in and was told electrical issue that the dealer needed to address. Already knew it was the same issue, the BCM. Unfortunately, I have to get rid of this car, and it is still being sold. This car ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2021
2016 LINCOLN MKC parked on driveway for over 24 hours, when my father was outside gardening he noticed smoke and flames coming from under the hood, the Fire Department was called who out the fire out and stated it was "totaled". Fire Department conducted their own investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The report returned indicating the "Engine" was the origin of the fire. Thank the ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 14, 2021
2016 LINCOLN MKC parked on driveway for over 24 hours, when my father was outside gardening he noticed smoke and flames coming from under the hood, the Fire Department was called who out the fire out and stated it was "totaled". Fire Department conducted their own investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The report returned indicating the "Engine" was the origin of the fire. Thank the ... Read more
Fire