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: Nov 13, 2023

Clutch and actuator a&b

Incident date: Nov 10, 2023

PURCHASED CAR USED FROM CAR DEALER. DEALER STATES HIS MECHANIC INSPECTED VEHICLE. I DROVE OFF THE LOT WITH NO ISSUES. LESS THAN 48 HRS LATER, SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IGNITION TURNED ON WHEN LIGHT CAME ON. LIGHT COMES ON, GOES OFF AND REPEATS THIS...

Incident date: Jul 12, 2023

While driving the truck my ABS, Traction Control and red brake symbol come on the dash as a warning. The vehicle once this happens no longer can utilize cruise control nor its ABS system during hard braking. This problem began intermittently and has become permanent. Dealerships are unable to get parts for repair.

Incident date: Jul 12, 2023

The driver side door makes a cracking sound when opening and closing and doesn’t shut correctly. Feels unsafe to be driving it around because I’m worried about door popping out at anytime.

Incident date: Nov 11, 2023

Clutch has overheated during routine maneuvers with a distinctive punjent odor and smoke. According to the recall notice, the clutch pressure plate can overheat which may result in cracks in the transmission case allowing heated debris to be expelled from the transmission case. "Heated debris expelled from the transmission bell housing may come in contact with an ignition source in the vehicle or ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 11, 2023

I had the heat on in my vehicle and as I was driving I heard a loud popping sound which startled me. Once I pulled over, I realized my rear windshield shattered. There were no warning lights before the window shattered. The only thing that kept the glass together was the window tint. This issue has been known and reported by multiple drivers.

Incident date: Nov 11, 2023

After driving on the freeway for about 1 hour, took the exit to the right. Check engine light came on and vehicle had loss of power and was shuttering. Attempts at accelerating were met with little to no power. Tried turning off eco mode, no change. Limped to the first safe place to stop, avoiding any fast traffic behind. Shut off vehicle, and when I started again, no check engine light, vehicle o... Read more

Incident date: Nov 10, 2023

When driving on a highway with cruise control on. If you are in an outside lane and the is a tractor-trailer in the inside lane maybe 100-200 feet ahead of you. If the highway veers to the left even though the truck remains in the inside lane the system seems to think the truck is right in front of the car. Cruise shuts down and it starts to brake. I have almost gotten hit by cars behind me twice.... Read more

Incident date: Nov 10, 2023

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR SENSOR SAYS CAR DOOR IS OPEN EVEN WHEN DOOR IS FIRMLY SHUT. CAUSES DOORS NOT TO LOCK, INTERIOR AND PUDDLE LIGHTS REMAIN ON, DRAINS BATTERY, DOORS WON'T LOCK EVEN WITH CAR IN MOTION. Severe Rust problems under carriage Air Bag light remains on

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

Incident date: Sep 14, 2023

Tesla's forward collision warning issued a false warning, bright daylight afternoon conditions at a no traffic road, no cars parked on the side of the road, very slow traffic (10mph), no car within 100ft, the incident took place: 1. 4:09 PM ET clear conditions, no rain, snow etc 2. Franklin Farm Road in Fairfax, VA 3. Very slow traffic 10mph 4. No cars in front for 100ft

Incident date: Sep 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) 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 ma... Read more

Incident date: Nov 3, 2023

A few years ago the turbo went at 88000 miles, a mechanic felt there should be a recall. Now the transmission needs to be replaced at 109000 miles. The transmission was on backorder because the appears to be many cars needing a rebuilt transmission. There is a recall for othewr VW models with the same transmission. I feel that my car should be included in this recall. It is a VW 2014 Tiguan with a... Read more

Incident date: Nov 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered with blue smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manuf... Read more

Incident date: Oct 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, the front driver's side door made an abnormal popping sound while closing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front driver's side door check arm and welds had fractured while the contact was closing the door. The dealer towed the vehicle to the collision center, where it was determined that the fro... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. 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 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... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the transmission was shifting hard, and the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound while shifting between 1st and 2nd gear. The contact drove to the residence and parked the vehicle. The contact then shifted into reverse (R) and the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The contact stated that the failure re... Read more

Incident date: Nov 8, 2023

Dash is cracked in so many spots and missing peices to where it is unsafe. In an accident those loose and broken peices can hurt a passenger/driver. Can't even get the airbag recall taken care of because the dash is too damaged.

Incident date: Nov 4, 2023

Windshield replaced three times faulty seal, tires defected fell apart within two years less than 10,000 miles on vehicle

Incident date: Nov 4, 2023

Windshield replaced three times faulty seal, tires defected fell apart within two years less than 10,000 miles on vehicle

Incident date: Nov 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign: 20V648000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that fuel was leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towe... Read more

Incident date: Nov 4, 2023

TRANSMISSION TORQUE IS FAILING - THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE YEAR AND MODEL CARS BUT MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED... IM REACHING OUT NOW AND I CAN'T GET ANY HELP!!!

Incident date: Nov 4, 2023

The recline indicator is incorrect. When all the way upright the ball is in the rear facing only section. The manual requires this section for babies with no head control and refers to it as "most reclined".

Incident date: Nov 7, 2023

my vehicle with apparently refurbished engine was purchased certified used through carvana in 2019 & was one of the recalled vehicles from 2017 (which I was NOT informed of at them of purchase)and is exhibiting the same signs as those in the recall, loss of power at acceleration, vibrating, etc & my local dealership, Doug's Hyundai of Edmonds is refusing to service my vehicle. I don't feel safe dr... Read more

Incident date: Nov 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact stated while driving at 6 MPH, the brakes were grabbing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair w... Read more

Incident date: Nov 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side exterior mirror fractured. The contact stated that he noticed that there was water inside the mirror housing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the front driver's side exterior mirror needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the part was ordered. The veh... Read more

Incident date: Nov 7, 2023

On July 25, 2023, I was driving in our town when I heard a noise coming from the rear of the car. I was very close to a repair facility that I sometimes use, so I slowly drove there. They looked at the car and showed me that the rear driver-side wheel was about to fall off. They then raised the car in the shop and told me that the rear upper-control arm had rusted through and broken, causing th... Read more

Incident date: Oct 28, 2023

My 2021 ford escape door started to make popping sounds and my window wouldn’t roll down had it a dealer and they said the welds on my door broke off !

Incident date: Oct 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he became aware that there was water leaking from the vehicle onto the ground. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the fa... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

UNKNOWN ON several occasions the vehicle would just shut off. Another occasion while getting on the freeway I pressed the accelerator pedal and the car pumped the brakes,there was no one in front of me or on side of me upon entering the freeway. Another incident I was in the fast lane on the freeway and the vehicle just shut off Thank goodness the fast lane had a place where I could pull over a... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

Yes components available for inspection/ yes sold by dealership with undisclosed problems/ yes problems confirmed by dealer/ no component inspected. 1st noticed foul smell upon starting vehicle/ failure to start/ chugging/ brakes noise/ smell inside cab. Been Verified noted vehicle was in flood??? all occurred beginning 2022. Could not get the vehicle in till 03/23. All dealerships backed up wait ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V566000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 repa... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The contact owned a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 30 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle suddenly lost all electrical power. She was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. A short time later, the contact's wife observed white smoke rising from the engine co... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Nov 5, 2023

I was parked in my family yard and my dash service symbols just came on 5 at once. I have not been involved in any collision or any trauma to the vehicle.Those lights are the FCM, LFW, AHB, and ASC service required lights. The FCM will come on go off and come back on. I am concerned that these issues can cause a crash or other issue on road. I have not had this issue before and again my vehicle wa... Read more

Incident date: Nov 2, 2023

I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model Y northbound on Interstate 69 in Indiana near the 219 mile marker. The time was around 9:30 P.M. My speed was approximately 70 MPH. I was using what Tesla calls "Traffic-Aware Cruise Control". All of a sudden and with warning, my vehicle braked extremely hard, slowing me down very fast. Luckily no one was behind me. I had no idea what was happening and looked ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

While on the highway, the 2 piece panoramic moonroof exploded. There was a loud pop, and then the glass shattered. There was no indication of any previous issue. The sun guard screen was open to let the light in, so the glass just fell into the car. A small, but unconfirmed observation from other drivers on the highway at the time, made me think the glass also fell unto the highway as the glass ex... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

The window tent is bubbling and warping down my windows impairing my view of the road, unsure of cause and it is available for inspection. Bubbles are visible the warping is harder to see in a photo, but it runs all the way down the window. It is impairing visibility through passenger and driver windows, causing depth perception issues and a risk to myself and other drivers. The Ford Dealership I... Read more

Incident date: Sep 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound and the vehicle decelerated to 40 MPH unintendedly. The vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The wrench and low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty engine. The ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

In a rear end accident the airbags never deployed. The seat belt also didn't catch me and my chest hit the steering wheel. I pressed hard on the breaks but it didn't feel like it was slowing down. I now have a fractured sternum and cannot drive or work. I have filed insurance claims and been to the hospital. No one was in the car with me. There were no warning lights/signs before.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 2, 2022

Purchased a set of 4 custom built forged aluminum wheels for 2017 Ford F350. They currently have less than 5k miles on them. The 1st wheel cracked in the center of the wheel only after a few months of purchase & less than 500 miles, the 2nd wheel cracked in the center of the hoop last year 2022, now a 3rd wheel has cracked in the center of the hoop same as the others. It’s only a matter of ti... Read more

Incident date: Nov 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure) 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 not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue a... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The engine component caught fire spontaneously when car was pulled into a parking lot. There was no warning sign. It did not show any service required notice like it usually does on the dashboard for example if oil is low. There were no recalls pending on this vehicle. The fire was big enough that we had to call fire department to put out. It would have affected other vehicles if not put out. Th... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 and confirmed parts were not ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

The 2.0L Ecoboost leaked coolant into the #1 cylinder, ruining the engine at just over 66,000 miles in my 2017 Escape. I am paying a local Ford dealer $7,500 for a new engine installation. I know that this problem is not unusual, but I wanted you to have this formation so you can add it to your collection. Ford must be held accountable and reimburse its customers for these common incidents. I have... Read more

Incident date: Oct 27, 2023

I purchased this vehicle 05/05/2019 as a certified pre-owned vehicle from the dealership. I have kept regular maintenance on the car. Three same day of purchase, the engine quit as I was driving it. I was making a left hand turn and it quit while I was in the intersection. My children were in the car. Hyundai replaced the engine, but about a year and half later, that engine did the exact same thin... Read more

Incident date: Oct 27, 2023

Incident date: Oct 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the front end shook violently, and the contact lost control of the steering wheel. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. After decelerating to 25 MPH, the vibration ceased. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where... Read more

Incident date: Oct 31, 2023

Abs problems due to HCU

Incident date: Oct 31, 2023

I came to a stop at a red light and the engine turned over to preserve energy, once the light turned green and I attempted to gas, the car would not move. I turned off and on repeatedly to try to get the car to go but with no success, I was causing traffic for at least 5 minutes while I had no clue what else to do but wait until it wanted to turn over. Also on two separate occasions my screen wo... Read more

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Vehicle Safety

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Infrastructure

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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

Read more from our blog