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: Aug 21, 2023

Rearview camera goes out intermittently increasing risk of collision.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

The contact rented a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the vehicle started swerving to the left and to the right. The failure occurred while driving towards oncoming traffic. The contact stated that his wife was able to regain control of the vehicle and pulled into the nearest driveway. Hertz Rental Car was contacted and had the vehicle... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that while their daughter was diving at highway speeds (mph unknown) in the rain with the cruise control turned off suddenly the vehicle began excessively turning to the left. The vehicle began spinning out of control and hitting the guard rail approximately 3 times before stopping on a bed of grass. The air bags did not deploy. The co... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Aug 29, 2023

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Aug 29, 2023

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

Something is wrong where it will stall out when you start driving. Soon as I put the car in gear and start rolling forward it dies. And I’ve looked online and it’s quite common.

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

Related to recall V54, Engine Cooling Fan abruptly stopped working causing the vehicle to overheat and having to have costly dealer repairs. I was told that my VIN # was not included in the the recall but did experience the exact Issue listed in recall. Replaced Fan not knowing about this recall only to still have engine computer issues now with vehicle related to overheating. Currently at a deal... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

Subframe is completely rotted. Taken to several mechanics who were unable to diagnose handling problems and severe tire wear. After research this is a common problem, we were never notified this could be an extremely dangerous and hidden issue. Car is unsafe to operate without expensive repairs. Unacceptable.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with rear differential failure, all-wheel drive failure, and clutch unit failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

Wrench indicator warning light led to diagnosis that transmission replacement is needed. Verified (twice) by Ford Service Department and Reputable Ford Mechanic. Defective 10 speed automatic transmission: shift solenoids cause gears to shift up and down erratically, occasionally shifting with a jolt or bang.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle that failed to stop at a red light. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact stated that he had suffered minor injuries to his jaw but had not sought medical attention. No warning lights were illuminated. The v... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 23, 2023

*What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Replace both front lower ball joints with proper front alignment as advised in TSB: Replace both of the front lower ball joints with updated service parts made to address this specific symptom. If the ball joints were previously replaced, then replace both front knuckle assemblies. *How was your sa... Read more

Incident date: Feb 7, 2023

Car would not start warning lights on dash unable to start car

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

Vehicle has a knocking noise and struggles to start up and when it does it shakes. When driving the vehicle it can lose power to the wheels. In one instance I was driving on the highway around 75 mph when it suddenly lost power and could not go about 35 mph. Now the vehicle will not start at all.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2023

Our 2 year old son broke his left tibia after the falcon door automatically closed on his left foot/leg and it got caught between the door and his car seat. We believe he had his leg dangling off the car seat when we closed the door from the front command station. The door sensor did not stop or give any warning that there was anything in the way. He was seen in the emergency department after the ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Driver side head rest air bag deployed completely on its own while I was sitting at a red light. It slammed forward with such great force hitting me in the back of my head and caused a horrible headache. It is available for inspection. My safety is at risk everytime I get in my car due to the fact it is a safety feature put in place by Jeep to prevent whiplash or any type of head or neck injury. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

My lcd screen constantly goes black. A couple times the steering wheel locked the wipers and washer fluid went off at the same time. I had to hit the brakes and power the car on and off to reset it while making a turn. When having my window motor replaced for the SECOND time my dash where the speed is at all when black while driving on the freeway. I had to pull over and restart the car. My pain... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Incident date: Aug 23, 2023

As I was driving on a heavily trafficked freeway, my engine shut off completely slowing down the car to a stop. I had to make an emergency exit, stop the car and restart it. After a restart I was able to keep driving for a few miles. Then it happened again, I got stuck at a roundabout in a dangerous location so I had to contact authorities for help on guiding traffic away. My car would not start a... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2023

I recently was forced to use the pry-off cap and manual key entry to get into my 2013 Volvo XC60. This was due to the vehicle’s lack of response to the fob, there was no communication between the fob and the electrical system. Once inside, inserting the fob, the engine started but the entire instrument cluster was flashing intermittently the various warning lights, and the windows could not be l... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2023

This is a report of a RECURRING problem commonly known as "phantom braking." When I take long trips in this vehicle at legal freeway speeds and with the Adaptive Cruise Control and Auto Steer (lane keeping) functions engaged, the vehicle will occasionally reduce speed suddenly and violently (emergency braking) even if there are no vehicles ahead and no visible hazards whatsoever. This occurs wit... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2023

My vehicle has (2) serpentine belts, and (2) Belt Tensioners. (1) Tensioner is for the belt that engages the Water Pump, Alternator, Power Steering and then has (3) Idler Pulleys. The other one is the AC Tensioner, that belt routes from the AC Compressor to the Crank and the AC Tensioner. The AC Compressor is a dual belt pulley. So the AC Tensioner is suppling the power for the Accessory Belt to s... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2023

Hybrid System Warning – Safely Stop And Do Not Drive Notification Notification has been going on for two weeks and no resolution has been provided. No error codes show up but I lose control of the vehicle

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

The rear trailing arm broke loose from the frame causing the wheel to twist back into the wheel well. It is now at my garage and could be inspected. This happened at about 45 miles per hour causing me to take evasive action so as not to cause an accident. There was no warning lamps affiliated with the suspension system.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric. The contact stated that the battery had discharged. The contact stated that the 12-volt battery and “Bring in for Service, and key not detected messages were displayed. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled on two occasions. The vehicle flickered, and the vanity lights dimmed and flickered.... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

I've owned my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3L V6 since late 2021. I haven't noticed it using oil. Stopped at a traffic light, the engine lost power. It was so scary! No warning lights were on my dash. I was thankful to not be rear-ended...although I could have filed an insurance claim if I had been. As it is, my insurance says it is a 'mechanical failure.' The car would not start but luckily some stran... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2023

While driving home from a trip , the car suddenly lost power . and engine light came on an then transmission light overheating light came on . I was near a town pulled over and had car towed to nearest Hyundai dealer. after waiting a week they finally looked at the vehicle, and said that mice had eaten the transmission electrical harness. Days later they repaired the damage, their was only 6000 m... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2023

I called the dealer to let them know of steering issue, not being able to turn wheel, then message came on dash board of "power steering assit fault". Dealer said my 2013 Flex was not covered under recall. Dealer said I could need to pay out of pocket, estimated $600.00.

Incident date: Aug 25, 2023

Electrical burning smell and buzzing coming from car entertainment system speakers. Did not stop even when entertainment system was turned off. Had engineer diagnose and issue is the rear subwoofer. Had to remove fuse or disconnect cables to stop issue.

Incident date: Jun 9, 2023

Rear electrical sunshade stopped retracting causing poor visibility at night.

Incident date: May 5, 2023

While driving on the highway at 70 mph, cruise control engaged, there was a sudden loss of drive power. I could not accelerate, or return to the cruising speed. The speed just dramatically fell. The only remedy was to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, and start it again. This VIN was not included in the initial similar recall earlier this year.

Incident date: Aug 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was exiting the vehicle, she opened the front passenger’s side door and heard a clicking sound, and the front passenger’s side door extended open with force. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he opened the front driver’s side door and heard a clicking sound. Upon inspecting the front driver’s and p... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2023

Upon light acceleration of the vehicle, a rough gearshift occurred followed by a check engine light and the vehicle continued to shift roughly and idled roughly. After months of diagnostic work and attempts at repairs, it was determined the lifters were the issue. From independent research I understand this is a somewhat common (and pricey) issue. I’m not sure why there is not a recall for the c... Read more

Incident date: Aug 26, 2023

I've received several letters about Motor Vehicle safety since last year. I contacted the Ford dealership last year for it, and instead of fixing my car, they hit it while waiting in the dealer, so they focus more on fixing the hood that was damage and body of the car, and pressured me to sign a document to agree to fix it, while I had my husband at the hospital in ICU. But, the recall problem was... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2023

When turning on the radio, there was a very loud pop like a gunshot or firework going off in the cab followed by sustained white noise coming from the speaker system at full volume. The volume and radio buttons did not impact the volume of the sound requiring the driver to pull over, shut the vehicle off, and open the door in order to make the sound stop. The volume of the sound was loud enough ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

Battery drained overnight after a day of normal use. Upon trying to start the vehicle, there is a message that states the key is not present and to get it near the push-button. After multiple attempts, the battery was checked with a voltmeter, the battery was bellow 9-volts. The vehicle had to be jump started and taken to the dealer. Battery was replaced, the report says the electrical system is i... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

My car lock and unlocks when I did not hit any buttons. The remote start does not work sometimes. The battery loses connection from time to time with a brand new battery.

Incident date: Aug 28, 2023

Car is unsafe to drive due to rusted out frame. The car has less than 100,000 miles on it.

Incident date: Aug 28, 2023

I was driving down a straight road on Sunday, August 27 going 50 mph in a 55 mph zone with no other cars on the road around me. My foot was on the gas. My car automatically braked with no warning. We went from 50 mph to stopped in the middle of the road and even with our seatbelts on, we almost hit the windshield it stopped so violently. As soon as it happened the car started to go again. We were ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C built on a 2022 Ford F-53 chassis. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH, the front shade suddenly unfurled, preventing front-view visibility. No warning lights were illuminated. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the shade unfurling motor. The RV was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2023

Yesterday 8/27/23 at 5pm I pulled into a parking lot and then into a parking space. As I came to a stop my Jeep lunged forward into the vehicle that was parked in front of me. At the time my Jeep Wrangler 4XE was operating in Hibrid mode running on electric with 49% charge left. As my Jeep came to a stop the gasoline engine started and the Jeep lunged forward striking the vehicle in front of me ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 27, 2021

Twice now the A/C has quit, and a short time later the Hybrid battery severely overheats and the van shuts down. This happens at highway speeds, and the vehicle loses power and shuts down. This is dangerous to have a sudden shutdown at 75 MPH. When driving in hot weather for a couple hours, the electric A/C compressor quits. On this van, the Hybrid battery is cooled by the passenger HVAC system. ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2021

My safety was a risk on August 25th as I was driving back home from work. As I was about to make a right turn, the wheel was hard to turn for second which resulted in me making a wider turn. Thankfully no other cars were around. As I parked, the wheel would swing back and forth and make a swishing sound when touched. A couple of weeks prior to the incident, I had a family friend conduct an oil c... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2023

The dealer removed tires and broken axel bolt was found. It is my understanding that this is a safety issue and Ford has no parts to fix the problem.

Incident date: Mar 30, 2023

When I start the highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once.

Incident date: Mar 30, 2023

My young daughter got the seatbelt caught around her waist. The seatbelt was unable to give any slack and was locked up. It could retract a little bit but that would only squeeze around my daughter’s waist tighter. The seatbelt would not pull forward. We eventually had to cut the seatbelt to release her. It caused red marks around her waist and had we tried to retract it any further could have s... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

I was pulling into a parking space at my work parking lot, where I have been parking my car for the past 2.5 years. I was slowly parking the CRV, my foot was not applying any pressure on the gas, I was slowly easing into the parking space and as I was putting my foot on the brake to stop, it was very hard as if it was locked and the car kept going. I couldn't stop the SUV and it jumped the curb/... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

Crash

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

Crash

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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