Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Turbo failure or loss of boost
Most reported: 2018 Honda Accord with 101 reports. Across the 115 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 1,654.
- 1,654owner reports
- 115model years affected
- 63,000median miles
- 13involved a crash
- 24involved a fire
Turbo complaints describe an engine that suddenly doesn't pull: power drops away when you press for it, sometimes with a warning light, smoke from the tailpipe or a message about reduced power.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of turbo problems reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12018 Honda Accord2 crashes1015% of its complaints110k mi
- 2794% of its complaints19k mi
- 3733% of its complaints11k mi
- 42017 Ford Escape1 firerecall562% of its complaints66k mi
- 5446% of its complaints100k mi
- 62018 Ford EcoSport2 crashesrecall436% of its complaints65k mi
- 72023 Nissan Roguerecall426% of its complaints62k mi
- 82016 Hyundai Tucson1 crash1 fire392% of its complaints50k mi
- 92017 Hyundai Tucsonrecall353% of its complaints53k mi
- 10345% of its complaints80k mi
- 112014 Ford Escape2 firesrecall271% of its complaints80k mi
- 122015 Ram 15001 firerecall252% of its complaints65k mi
- 132016 Ford F-1501 firerecall251% of its complaints92k mi
- 142022 Nissan Roguerecall2510% of its complaints68k mi
- 152020 Ford EcoSportrecall226% of its complaints64k mi
- 162017 Ford Explorer1 crashrecall211% of its complaints88k mi
- 172014 Ram 15001 firerecall201% of its complaints83k mi
- 182018 Ford Escaperecall201% of its complaints54k mi
- 192019 Mazda CX-5recall207% of its complaints40k mi
- 20192% of its complaints48k mi
- 211910% of its complaints40k mi
- 222015 Ford Escaperecall182% of its complaints99k mi
- 232019 Chevrolet Equinox1 fire186% of its complaints5k mi
- 24182% of its complaints14k mi
- 252018 Ford Focusrecall172% of its complaints65k mi
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe turbo problems. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12022 Nissan Roguerecall2510% of its complaints68k mi
- 2446% of its complaints100k mi
- 32018 Ford EcoSport2 crashesrecall436% of its complaints65k mi
- 42023 Nissan Roguerecall426% of its complaints62k mi
- 52018 Honda Accord2 crashes1015% of its complaints110k mi
- 6345% of its complaints80k mi
- 7794% of its complaints19k mi
- 8733% of its complaints11k mi
- 92017 Hyundai Tucsonrecall353% of its complaints53k mi
- 102016 Hyundai Tucson1 crash1 fire392% of its complaints50k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Honda CR-V175
- Honda Accord170
- Ford Escape163
- Ram 150057
When it happens
951 of the 1,654 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 30,000 and 92,000 miles; the median is 63,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of turbo problems, grouped by the model year of the car. 13 involved a crash and 24 a fire. 5 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 1,654 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
A turbocharger is a compressor that forces extra air into the cylinders so more fuel can be burned. The government's fuel economy site explains that's what lets automakers use smaller engines without giving up performance.
It's a small group, about 1,650 complaints across the vehicles on this site, with a median mileage of about 62,000. The 2018 Honda Accord and the 2017 and 2018 Honda CR-V are at the top. About one owner in eight mentions a loss of power or hesitation, around one in eight mentions boost or a boost code, and one in eleven mentions smoke. Firestone ties blue or gray exhaust smoke to burning oil, and a malfunctioning turbocharger is one of the ways oil gets into the combustion chamber.
NHTSA's files show how a turbo problem can hide behind a service bulletin. Its 2013 investigation PE13-018 looked at 95 complaints of reduced power during hard acceleration on 2011 to 2013 F-150s with the twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost, after Ford had already issued three service bulletins about moisture collecting in the charge air cooler. On some Nissan VC-Turbo engines the trouble went deeper: investigation PE23-023 led to recall 25V-437 on some 2019 to 2024 Rogue, Altima and Infiniti models, where defective engine bearings could cause engine failure, and the remedy is new engine software.
Expect a scan for stored codes first, Firestone's standard step for a warning light, and ask whether any bulletin covers your engine. Tell the shop exactly when the power drops (full throttle, merging, climbing a grade, in humid or cold weather) and whether you saw smoke.
Losing power while merging or passing is the hazard. If the engine goes into a reduced-power mode, get off the highway and have it checked rather than driving on at low power. A flashing check engine light is Firestone's signal to stop driving.
Run the VIN on NHTSA's recall site and look at the manufacturer bulletins NHTSA posts, since a fix may already exist, as it did for the F-150s. If you're still under warranty, get the fault on a repair order; the FTC says a defect reported during the warranty period has to be fixed even if the warranty expires before the repair.
Sources
- Advanced engine technologies (turbochargers), FuelEconomy.gov
- White, blue or black: what is my exhaust color telling me?, Firestone Complete Auto Care
- Types of car warning lights, Firestone Complete Auto Care
- NHTSA investigation PE13-018, reduced power during hard acceleration, 2011 to 2013 Ford F-150 (NHTSA investigation file)
- NHTSA investigation PE23-023, Nissan VC-Turbo engine failures, and recall 25V-437
- Check for recalls, NHTSA
- Resources related to investigations and recalls (manufacturer communications), NHTSA
- Warranties, FTC Consumer Advice
- Complaint counts, mileages and phrase shares: NHTSA complaint files as tallied on this site
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.