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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 33,654 complaints for MERCEDES-BENZ

Incident date: Jun 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine. Additionally, the brakes were firm while being depressed. The contact stated that the battery was replaced. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated that th... Read more

Incident date: Nov 11, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was m... Read more

Incident date: Nov 11, 2022

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then firmly shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2023

Car has a red warning light come on that says engine control error park vehicle in a safe place. This happened on the freeway 4 times took it in to Porsche they claimed they fixed it. When the light comes on you have to stop the car and restart it. You can not accelerate. After it was claimed to be fixed it happened again but this time applied braking intermediary aggressively. The car behind me ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2023

Steering wheel becomes sticky after 40mph and at highway speeds. The steering wheel is very hard to adjust and the smallest movement will cause it to jump, stick to either side. The car is constantly swerving because there is no smooth movement or adjustability on the steering wheel. When parking and steering there is noise coming out of the steering column when the steering wheel is moved.

Incident date: Dec 6, 2023

I have been getting my Tundra alignment done every other month since I purchased it brand new and have actually run out of warranty on the alignments and have been coming out of pocket ever since. The vehicle pulls quite aggressively to the right unless extra pressure is applied to the left side of the steering wheel. It has steadily gotten worse after every alignment and I can’t even pull an em... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2023

The vehicle had an intense loss of power and slowed down to a few miles per hour even with the gas pedal pushed down all the way. This put us in harms way until we could get out of the way of moving traffic. In a parking lot, the vehicle stopped and would not start. The engine light came on briefly before the event. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The service department indicated that the eng... Read more

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the message "High Temperature - Stop Engine" was displayed. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle temporarily. The contact stated that she restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the deal... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 conta... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35–40 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the steering wheel was vibrating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the engine was replaced under a Customer Satisfaction Program at approximately 45,000 miles. The v... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2023

Incident date: Jul 11, 2022

The crankshaft or cam shaft sensor is malfunctioning and my engine stalls while I am driving. This has happened about 10 times now. I found a recall for this issue on 2016 Jeep Patriots, but my VIN does not come up with any recalls. I believe this recall needs to be expanded.

Incident date: Jul 11, 2022

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the transmission made an abnormal sound, and the vehicle shook before moving forward. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine and the transmission warning light had illuminated a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2023

I am writing about the recall on the Hyundai vehicles that apparently are at risk for catching fire. Hyundai sent a letter that told us to park it away from our house and garage structures. We got this letter in early November and I called customer service as well as emailed to find out when we would hear about a fix. First of all, to get to a human being takes a minimum of 4 minutes. Then, th... Read more

Incident date: Dec 5, 2023

The radio and all audio functions (including hand free communication) will stop working and making a constant static noise. The issue make noise the entire time. It is distracting and I cannot communicate using handsfree technology. This vehicle was diagnosed by a master technician at Acura (dealer at which it was purchase) as needing a new audio unit. The issue just began a few weeks ago. I've re... Read more

Incident date: Dec 5, 2023

Incident date: Mar 13, 2023

AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

The contact owned a 2024 Kia K5. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle abruptly crossed into his lane. As a result, the contact's son collided with the rear of the other vehicle. Although equipped, the forward warning collision and automatic emergency braking systems failed to activate, which could have possibly prevented and/or lessened the sev... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Dec 4, 2023

All three brake lights stayed illuminated during car operation regardless of brake pedal pressed. I was able to shift and start my car without pressing the brake putting my family and other pedestrians at risk of being run over if the car shifted out of park unexpectedly. Also no warning lights were on at all, so I drove on the road with my brake lights illuminated increasing risk for injury or de... Read more

Incident date: Dec 4, 2023

Power Steering. Yes it is available for inspection. Yes my safety along with passengers and other drivers were / are at risk. The power steering will sometimes work and suddenly stop working while making a maneuver. Rendering the steering wheel useless. This makes it difficult / impossible to avoid obstacles. And makes it hard to make a common maneuver such as making a turn. It has been diagnose... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2023

My car enters a reduced engine power mode causing my car to slow down during high speeds with a potential acciden…. the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) will illuminate, the ‘Engine Power is Reduced’ message will display. I have called GM and was told it wouldn't be covered, I have talked to the dealer and taken it in before but I can't afford to keep paying a $150 fee to ha... Read more

Incident date: Dec 2, 2023

Since purchasing my 2023 Tesla model Y in May, I have intermittently experienced highway phantom braking when either in self-driving mode or just using the cruise control. I would estimate it happens once a month. Just recently it happened 2 days in a row, at night and during the day. The experience is very scary because when the brakes slam on at 70 mph, I'm afraid I will get rear-ended. I ha... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

Becm module is failing currently we have an engine check light that illuminates every other drive. Started November 26th. We experienced reduced propulsion message . We have experience the car not going into gear to drive or go reverse. It seems these issues occur at random. Check light codes are u2619-u2624. A dealership will be taking a look at the car on Monday

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

Was driving on 2 lane highway when truck suddenly decelerated, started shuddering, so I pulled to side of road. Dash lights started cycling through warning lights, ultimately settled on saying it was an emission system problem. Car would not accelerate beyond 30-35 miles an hour after that and would even then suddenly lose power then regain it. But still could not get above 30 or 35 miles an hour.... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

Incident date: Nov 29, 2023

Both of my rear tires have the inner tread (closest to the center line of the vehicle) separating from the sidewall. Tesla blames the issue on Michelin because the alignment is within specification, and Michelin blames Tesla claiming that the problem is the rear alignment. Every single Tesla Model S Plaid owner I know that has the factory 21” wheel option is having this issue somewhere between... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

Dashboard lights flashing, Brake lights Traction control Cruise Check engine

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

Dashboard lights flashing, Brake lights Traction control Cruise Check engine

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

Severe Oil dilution with gasoline and heavy gas smell.

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

I put car into park to use the atm and then could not get it back into gear it gave a lot of different issues system fault error oil pressure errors battery error collision error and I ended up replacing the gear shift bushing which had deteriorated and broke off and that fixed most of issues now car makes loud blaring alarm sound that is not the normal car dinging it's loud and high pitched and a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

On July 1st, 2023, I purchased a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 from Orielly Chevrolet in Tucson, Arizona. On July 2nd, 2023, an error message popped up on the dash, “Park Assist Blocked See Owner’s Manual”. It continued to happen on and off til this very day. The dealership "attempted" to fix the issue, but it obviously hasn't been resolved. Due to equipment being faulty, the chances of an a... Read more

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

2019 Ford Fusion 1.5L Ecoboost engine. Flex plate cracked at 78000 miles. Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 22N12 covers this issue for my make and model, but dealership claims it does not cover my engine as it is a 1.5 and not a 2.0. The vehicle was produced at the same time and place as all the other listed vehicles, with the same faulty flex plate, yet somehow mine is not covered.

Incident date: Nov 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Pull Over and Shut Down Vehicle" was di... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failed. Initially received check engine light, reduced propulsion power, and battery not available warnings but was able to drive via the internal combustion engine. Within 24 hours, car was completely dead in my driveway and would not drive at all on either propulsion system. Ended up having to have it towed to the dealership where the faulty BECM was diagnose... Read more

Incident date: Nov 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to push the vehicle off the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not... Read more

Incident date: Nov 30, 2023

The truck left me stranded on the side of the road resulting in a total engine failure. Zero warning signs. Truck was towed at my expensive resulting in 29 days without the vehicle while nissan replaced the engine

Incident date: Nov 30, 2023

LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON EVEN AFTER GETTING AIR AT DISCOUNT TIRES. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY HAD A BLOWOUT. ONLY SIDE WALL CAME APART. FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE3 265/60R18 110T M+S

Incident date: Jun 27, 2023

I have been forced to park my car outside in case it catches on fire due to the faulty brake system that cannot be fixed. This puts my car in danger of vandalism and harsh winter conditions. This is unacceptable that Hyundai has not yet found a way to fix the dangerous brake system!!

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and jolted with the transmission shifting into gear. The contact stated that the jolt was more violent when the vehicle was first started and shifted into drive(D). The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated before moving forward and then jolted into gear. The contact state... Read more

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

These are observations over the past couple of months that I have owned the car. They have been consistently observed and have occurred at speed between 35-70 mph. There are four main issues I’m having with my tesla. 1) I cannot use cruise control because it requires automatic windshield wipers. The automatic windshield wipers cannot sense when it’s raining and just turns on randomly when i... Read more

Incident date: Nov 29, 2023

Subaru Eyesight will turn off randomly while driving or while parked (turn the vehicle off, unlock the door, sit for a minute or two and when restarting the vehicle, eyesight indicator is orange - off. Example - getting fuel at a full service gas station. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. Our safety is put at risk. Once Eyesight is off it will not reset/restart, so you are driving w... Read more

Incident date: Nov 14, 2023

This model of the Ford Ecosport needs to be recalled due to a faulty engine. My engine had to be replaced at 70k miles because of a design flaw. As I was driving, the car indicated low oil pressure and stopped accelerating. The engine had to be completely replaced.

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down, the brake pedal required an abnormal amount of pressure to slow the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the brake pressure modulator valve. The vehicle was not repaired. After investi... Read more

Incident date: Nov 25, 2023

The contact owned a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, it caught fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. There were no reported injuries. A police report was filed. The air bags did not ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Sep 7, 2022

My Jeep has the 3.0 ecodiesel engine and there are two batteries. One battery is huge and powers all the components on my vehicle. The second battery is tiny and considered an auxiliary battery. It is located in a place that I can not get too, and can not check to see if its good or bad. However, as soon as it has any issues it will keep the Jeep from starting up. If you are out in the country or ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2023

UNKNOWN It can cause a safety hazard to me as well as other drivers if the oil is gone and I'm not aware of it while driving the car. The car repair shop that provides maintenance to my car stated that my car is burning oil too fast (in 1000 miles or less) and it shouldn't do that. The shop owner stated that I should call to see if there's a recall because this should never happen as often as it's... Read more

Incident date: Nov 24, 2023

I can't see far enough at night with the low beams on. I drive to work on coastal roads and have had several near misses. I have been to Tacoma Subaru twice to get this fixed. The first time one if the parts was broken then when I went again this morning I was told that the Subaru Corporation would not approve the work. It has been almost 16 months since the recall was issued and I think that's m... Read more

Incident date: Nov 8, 2023

The backup camera often is not available, or the screen is badly distorted, cuts in and out, or image looks like ghost. There was a recall for 2015 to 2018 Mustang, but my 2019 Mustang EcoBoost Convertible Premium does the exact same thing as the 2015 to 2018 Mustang. I took it to the dealer for repairs, and was told that it is not covered by the recall. I tried to fix the problem myself, but ... Read more

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Vehicle Safety

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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