ProblemsByVin Engines / All Families
21 engine families · 252,137 owner complaints
Engine families with documented problems
Engine families with widespread defect patterns — class actions, NHTSA investigations, manufacturer bulletins, or thousands of owner complaints across the affected fleet. Click into any family for the full reliability picture across every model that uses it.
See the unified reference: known engine & transmission defects, ranked — or the mileage these failures tend to hit.
Hyundai/Kia Theta II 2.4L
30,273 complaints 42 vehicle applications 1 critical recalls
GM 3.6L LFX/LLT V6
24,571 complaints 81 vehicle applications 5 critical recalls
Ford 3.5L EcoBoost (1st gen)
22,942 complaints 40 vehicle applications
Ford 5.4L Triton V8
20,798 complaints 60 vehicle applications 7 critical recalls
Toyota 2GR-FE V6
19,119 complaints 57 vehicle applications 1 critical recalls
Hyundai/Kia Theta II 2.0L Turbo
18,196 complaints 36 vehicle applications 1 critical recalls
Honda J35 V6 with VCM
15,324 complaints 48 vehicle applications 10 critical recalls
Ford 1.6L EcoBoost
14,600 complaints 18 vehicle applications
Honda 1.5L Turbo (L15B7) - Oil Dilution
12,351 complaints 17 vehicle applications
Chrysler 2.7L V6
10,821 complaints 26 vehicle applications
VW/Audi 2.0T (EA888)
10,697 complaints 82 vehicle applications 9 critical recalls
Ford 4.6L 2-valve Modular V8
9,450 complaints 51 vehicle applications 2 critical recalls
Mercedes M272 V6 / M273 V8
8,710 complaints 61 vehicle applications
GM 5.3L V8 with AFM
7,695 complaints 36 vehicle applications
GM 2.4L Ecotec (LAF/LEA/LUK)
7,620 complaints 22 vehicle applications
GM 1.4L Turbo (LUV/LUJ)
7,013 complaints 46 vehicle applications 1 critical recalls
Subaru EJ25 (head gasket era)
3,899 complaints 27 vehicle applications 6 critical recalls
Ford 4.0L SOHC V6 (Cologne)
3,587 complaints 23 vehicle applications 7 critical recalls
Subaru FB (oil-consumption era)
1,956 complaints 11 vehicle applications 7 critical recalls
BMW N20 / N26 4-cyl Turbo
1,407 complaints 35 vehicle applications 5 critical recalls
Ford 6.0L Powerstroke Diesel
1,108 complaints 25 vehicle applications
Engine family selections are curated by ProblemsByVin editorial based on documented widespread defect patterns. Complaint and recall data sourced from NHTSA public records.