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.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 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 2,215,138 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

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 33,200 complaints for MERCEDES-BENZ

Incident date: Jul 5, 2023

When I make a forward sharp right or left turn, the tires "shudder". It feels like they are skipping or I'm hitting little bumps in the road. Crown Subaru in Chattanooga, TN, told me the center differential was bad, so I would need to replace the transmission for $11,000. I took it to a mechanic for a second opinion who specializes in Subaru repair. They scoped it, fully checked the transmission, ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2023

I was driving and all of a sudden we heard a loud pop and the passenger head rest deployed on its own. There was no accident, just was driving. Looked online to see if I could push back together, but learning about all the pieces, the plastic parts that hold the pin in broke as it was deployed. Will need to call the dealership now to get it fixed/probably entirely replaced.

Incident date: Jun 13, 2023

The Ioniq 6 is supposed to be able to charge at 48 amps. I bought a new Ioniq 6 in early June 2023. June 12 I had the level 2 Juice Box 48 amp charger installed. At least twice (I think three times), it would stop charging after about twenty minutes — the charge port appears to be overheating in certain situations. Please have Hyundai either fix the port (or other hardware) and/or software. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

The problem is the fuel pump control module is faulty and broke twice now. The car was purchased in 2021, new. Within months the fuel pump control module failed while I was driving in traffic, in an elementary school zone with children all around. I tried to drive through an intersection when without warning the car abruptly stopped causing the cars behind me to swerve to avoid a collision. Goo... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

On a relatively short trip I experience problems with the automatic Transmission. It was not shifting properly. Downshift from high gear to low gear way to quickly. RPMS up above 2500. Also too many rpms at stop; had be sure to hold down brake. Very poor deceleration. Danger to merger. This happened one day before we received "Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02" from Ford. Which offered to replac... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

Loss of brakes and lights due to short at junction box and axles. 50amp short causes arc and burning of foam insulation. There are multiple complaints and photos of all models in 2021 and 2022 with same issues across internet and social media.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2023

I’m hearing squeaking noise from the steering column when steering left or right slowly of my Audi SQ5 2018 model. I noticed the noise can be heard loud after driving the vehicle for 30 min on the road or longer time driven. The squeaking noise from steering wheel column is often heard when taking the vehicle out from parking lot or moving the vehicle from stationary while turning the steering w... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2022

225/60R18 100H Mileage on car when tires purchased 33,410(11/4/2021 mileage when tire failed 40,702.(6/8/2023) These tires have a 50K warranty. At 40,846 (6/26/2023) two more tires failed. I was told tread separation was issue. This dealer put my family at Risk! When the car went in for shaking they said the tire was defective. They replaced it and charged me $214, the tire only cost $150 new. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

2019 Chevy Camaro transmission is shuddering. In other words it feels like my car is running over rubber strips on the road between 40 mph to 80mph. I know there is several TSBs that GM has put out on this issue with the A8. Went to Lynn Smith Chevrolet on 07/06/2023 and was told since my car is out of warranty it would cost me 625 dollars to have the transmission flushed and have the new syntheti... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2022

Only one day old, 3000 series Solera Lippert (serial number2021125707-RA ) awning material tore away from camper and support arms fell down. Awning was glued to light bar and did not have any other support. The power arms fell within range of hitting a person if they were there at the time. No one was injured in our case but very dangerous none the less.

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

The airbags is displayed as not working/off. The blind spot warning, and the lane keeping assistance does not function. There was an incident that happened where I hit a pot hole and ended up hitting a construction cone. No warning signs went off and my car wasn’t assisted yo avoid the cone.

Crash

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

Crash

Incident date: Jan 11, 2023

1. The rear hatch has opened while the car was left unattended. 2. If the hatch opens it could possibly cause a safety issue: a.By opening while driving. This has not happened and I do not know if Mercedes has a safety lock to ensure this could not happen. b.Open while parked and unattended. The vehicle would be unsecured with items being subjected to being stolen. c.Open while parked at th... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2023

Vehicle states glow relay stuck on (p1326) vehicle has gone into limp mode. Not able to drive over 60mph. All recommendations by Kia has been completed and vehicle still in limp mode.

Incident date: Jul 3, 2023

The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after her husband entered traffic at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was struck on the front driver's side by another vehicle at 45 MPH. The air bags did not deploy as a result of the collision. No warning lights were displayed on the instrument panel. A police report was filed, and three individuals were treated for injuries: th... Read more

Crash 3 injured

Incident date: Jul 3, 2023

When driving the car and when stopping at either a stop sign or stop light, turning a corner the car will lose power and will not go for at least 10-15 seconds. when letting the brakes go and pressing the gas pedal the car does not move, pressing all the way on the gas pedal the car will take about 10-15 seconds before moving. It’s like the engine lose power and the car will not accelerate.

Incident date: Nov 5, 2022

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized and made an abnormal grinding sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistanc... Read more

Incident date: Nov 5, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

Incident date: Jul 4, 2023

Vehicle started to downshift while driving at highway speeds a few months ago. Also a loss of power and acceleration with instrument failure. Later learned this was a common problem with the 11-13 f-150s that Ford knows about. They did give everyone a 10 year, 150k warranty but my truck is just barely out being a 12 with 151k miles. I took it to dealer where it cost me around a $1000 to fix. Was ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2023

Catalytic converter went out at 101,650 miles and the dealer has no replacement part. This is the diesel engine, almost every other year was recalled and they extended the warranty to 100,000 miles. And they stopped making this engine. Seems like they should at the least have a replacement part for a car 5 1/2 years old. They also said the 2017 were recalled, this vehicle was built Jan 2018. ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2023

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the ABS module was replaced. Since the initial repair, the part had failed an additional three times. After the recent failure, the contact was informed that the part to repair the ABS module was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while shifting into gear, the vehicle failed to move. Upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was fluttering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the repair parts were on backorder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V13200... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2023

Cruse control will sometimes disengage and display these error messages: "Active Distance Assist Inoperative" "Active Brake Assist Functions Limited See Operator's Manual" Cruse control kicks out and the power cuts off abruptly. After some variable time the cruise control function will work again. This is an intermittent problem that occurs without warning. When cruise control set to 65-70 m... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the instrument panel went blank without warning. The contact turned off the vehicle and after several attempts was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacte... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2023

The contact owned a 2015 Chrysler 300. The contact stated that upon pulling out of the driveway and driving downhill, the engine shut off inadvertently, and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into a tree. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a bump and soren... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 30, 2023

Before I parked, all was fine and the car felt safe, two hours later, I start the car and it has four warning lights on. Now I don't have Hill Start Assist and the car feels like it might 'go out' on me, I think something will keep it from running soon. About two weeks prior, even with keys in the car and with a full battery in both the keys and car, the car doesn't start with the first push of th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

Our Sprinter 2500 is equipped with Mercedes Benz autonomous cruise (Distronic Cruise). It fails repeatedly for unknown reason, and when it does it also disabled related safety features (collision warning, emergency braking) as well as standard cruise control. The manual suggests checking for bugs, snow, or other obstructions on sensors, but they’ve been clear. Forums note that their vans also ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

The rearview mirror detached from the windshield due to heat. When this happened, the metal button removed a chunk of glass from the windshield, so the surface is not able to be cleaned to reaffix the button that holds the mirror. The rearview mirror is currently dangling by the electrical cord. Note that nothing was hanging from the rearview mirror prior to this incident, so additional weight is ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

My one year old is able to press the chest clip and it unlatches. So now the only thing holding him is the buckle. He has been able to undo the chest clip. While driving in traffic. This should not happen. Could be terrible danger if got in a car accident.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

When stopped at a red light, the car started beeping, the check engine light turned on, "steering power low" was displayed, the brake pedal could not be pushed in, and the steering wheel was locked. After putting the car into park and pressing the engine start/stop button, the beeping stopped and the car was able to drive again. The car had a full tank of gas and it was raining outside. Not only d... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

Incident date: Jun 25, 2023

Sunday, June 25, when I was driving the car on the road, the engine shut off and the car stopped running. 3 warning lights show on screen: engine light; 48v Battery Service Required; 12v Battery service required. I used the break to park the car on the roadside after that. I tried many times to restart the car, Waited over one hour and 40 minutes it finally started again, the engine warning light... Read more

Incident date: Jun 25, 2023

I am writing to report a safety concern with my Tesla Model 3 vehicle. The issue pertains to a persistent warning message that displays "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault". This warning suggests a potential malfunction in the safety restraint system, which could pose a significant risk to the passenger in the event of an accident. The warning message first appeared in July 2019 and ha... Read more

Incident date: Jun 25, 2023

Incident date: Jul 1, 2023

Snow white pearl paint on my 2013 Kia optima isn't sticking to the primer. Started to flake off in 2019 on the metal that goes around the top of the side windows, both sides. Also flaked off on truck. I've repainted spots several times but it continues to peel off in the above areas and on the passenger rear door. I've seen many Kia snow white pearls -different models with the same issue.

Incident date: Jun 16, 2023

Rear back up camera fails. I’ve noticed there is an active recall, on newer Lincoln’s, for this same problem.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2021

"Travel Assist Not Available" alert ding repeatedly goes off while driving and feels like wheel fights left turns. Easily every 10-30 seconds. This is a wide spread issue with 2022 Tiguans.

Incident date: Jun 29, 2023

The issue is UNKNOWN. On may 23,2023 I exited my car… maybe less than 10 minutes returned to car to go on with my day pressed the start button and it burst into flames.

Fire

Incident date: Jan 1, 2019

The transmission locked up while driving such that we came to a stop in traffic with our newborn and toddler in the back seat and were required to call 9-1-1 because the vehicle was stuck in a gear and would not move while we were in the middle of a road in traffic. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer that the transmission blew due to metal getting into the transmission from failure of tran... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

The wiring harness for the seatbelt pretensioner wore through in its normal factory installed location and shorted out, causing the air bag light to come on. No modifications have ever been done to the vehicle to disturb this path and causing wire chafing. It is highly doubtful the pretensioner would have worked either, as 3 out of the 4 wires had their insulation worn through. This was diagnos... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

I was driving my new 2023 Mazda CX5 with approximately 1,300 miles in the center lane of a divided highway of the suburbs just north of New York City. I was driving with all windows closed, A/C turned on and the weather was clear, hot and sunny. Without any warning there was a loud and abrupt explosion from within the vehicle. As I looked in my rear view mirror I saw glass blowing in the wind b... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

Vehicle is not throwing a code or check engine light but is sputtering and stalling or losing power while driving. This can be when I’m slowing down or accelerating. It’s done it on the interstate and while approaching a red light. I have taken it to the dealership and they said there is nothing wrong with my vehicle and they can not find the issue. I had them check the fuel pump since that wa... Read more

Incident date: Feb 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine misfired, causing the vehicle to jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that white colored smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe with the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that coolant had lea... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and released. The contact then depressed the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately, and the transmission failed to shift into neutral (N). The vehicle coasted to the side of the roadway and was able to come to a complete stop. The ... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: May 30, 2023

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: May 12, 2023

Mercedes 2015 C300 crank case ventilation hose has a defect and it is well-known to the manufacturer. This causes recurring engine and exhaust problems for a large number of car owners, and it should be part of a recall.

Incident date: May 12, 2023

I have taken my Explorer in twice to have the infotainment system repaired. It will randomly shut down and go blank. Nothing will work to include the camera/backup assists. Sometimes an ignition cycle will clear it, but there have been times it will not. Both local dealers claim they could not duplicate despite bringing in and showing the service advisor during an event. Ford has also performed a ... Read more

Incident date: May 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where spark plug #3 and engine coil were replaced. The failure recurred and the same parts were replaced a second time. The contact then disco... Read more

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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