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: May 24, 2023

Car was in autopilot multiple times and sharply applied brakes with nothing in front or obstacles. This is dangerous and almost caused an accident.

Incident date: Oct 5, 2022

Edge was running fine first trip of the day. Second trip, it lurched several times when placing it in drive. Drove to a gas station, filled tank, car barely got out of the parking lot and on to a busy street before transmission failed. Took it to a repair shop who states it needs a new transmission. 2019 Edge with under 90,000. Bought used 3 months ago.

Incident date: May 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Walton Trailer. The contact stated while towing the empty trailer over a bridge at approximately 40 MPH, the single axle detached from trailer and bounced onto the roadway. The contact stated he towed the trailer off the bridge and had the trailer towed back to his shop. The contact had not taken the trailer to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The trailer had not bee... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2023

Upon starting my vehicle today the center screen did not power on. The vehicle displayed several messages indicating various safety features were unavailable, including blind spot assist, lane keeping assist, parking assist, etc. Additionally, the exterior cameras (e.g., reverse camera) were inoperable as well. Since the center screen controls the sound system and climate control system, those... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2023

Drivers side and passenger side rear axle end bolt. I called my local FORD dealer and was told that the truck in not safe to drive and to call Roadside Assistance and have my vehicle transported to the nearest FORD dealer for repair. This is somewhat of a common problem as reported on the F150 vehicle user groups and this is the second time that it has happened on this vehicle. My local FORD de... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2023

Power steering keeps coming and going. Usually drops at the worst time. Making turns pulling in and out of drive way. Nearly impossible to turn.

Incident date: May 15, 2023

Normal driving, daily driver. The rubber around the inner and outer sidewalls seems soft and tears easily. I have a matching set of these tires on my car, same brand and type, 4 altogether. I have multiple large torn chucks & tears in the rubber around the sidewall of these tires. The middle section (non-sidewall) seems fine with normal wear. I have lifetime alignment and rotate and balance on the... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an uncovered driveway, a crack was observed extending from the bottom of the windshield to midway up the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,400.

Incident date: May 14, 2023

The Jeep has the auto start-stop system that turns off the engine when stopping for a prolonged amount of time but the car is still in drive. When I use this, the car often will lose all power when trying to restart and will take a moment before regaining power while I am at the stoplight. I also had a problem with the car starting in general. It will often lose power for a moment when starting. T... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera failed to display the rearview of the vehicle correctly. The image appeared upside down or was flashing the image quickly. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was not able to find the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The app... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

Incident date: Dec 10, 2022

First week, the car would take off fast as soon as the brakes were released. Then first time I used the heat there was a crackling sound coming form the side of the center display and it got extremely hot, I was on the FWY driving in the rain. Brakes: Intermittently, when braking, the car speeds up as if shifting to N, problematic in the FWY traffic behind another car, sometimes the brake peda... Read more

Incident date: Dec 10, 2022

End Cap at rear roof of Recreational Vehicle American Eagle 2017 fell off of the unit while driving Interstate 40.

Incident date: Dec 10, 2022

My vehicle is involved in the vulnerable Kia's lack of a theft immobilizer. I just contacted Kia service to make an appointment for the software update and was advised that my vehicle is not listed on the recall list though I was eligible for a steering wheel lock. I purchased a steering wheel lock in early 2022 because of the news of the KIA vehicle vulnerability due to the tiktok theft instruc... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2017

Hybrid battery overheats after an hour of driving at high speeds. Car battery shuts down and becomes immobile.

Incident date: May 15, 2023

seat collapse. Available to be inspected. Unable to see over wheel or reach the acceleration and break pedals. Airbag light comes on due to the collapsed seat either cutting the airbag electrical cable, or puncturing the airbag itself. Vehicle has only been inspected by our fleet manager, our in house mechanic, and the dealership. No prior warning(s) before the failures.

Incident date: May 1, 2023

Mercedes has acknowledged and agreed to repair at their cost the defect in the subframe connections to the wheel control arms. This structural weakness, once snapped, results in the loss of control, wheels falling off and suspension components dropping to the ground. MBZ agreed to fix this issue on all R107 and C107 cars (US Models 450SL/SLC) from 1973 thru 1980- Mercedes Recall#191185120001, SIL ... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

a Ford Dealership informed me my water pump was severely leaking and needed to be replaced. The water pump is located inside the engine, which is EXTREMELY costly to repair. After digging into it I realized that this is common in this type of engine but Ford has not issued a recall in the US, but Canada has a recall. Now we have to come out of pocket to fix this issue when it is well know to Fo... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

Brakes seem to stop suddenly Must brake slowly to avoid a sudden stop Seatbelt locks up if I do not pull it forward and leave room in the belt so that it isn't completely holding me in Also the driver seat will only adjust sideways.

Incident date: May 16, 2023

While I was driving my BMW X1 1 to 3 weeks ago, frontal collision warning malfunction, pedestrian alert and request service flashed. It was a distraction and not safe. When My husband brought it to the dealership, they were not certain how to fix it. They took a video while doing diagnostic. The right bumper is pop out a little bit because it got hooked to a protruding rod in a concrete parking bl... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2023

1-)I was driving 30 mph and the car stoped 2-) The motor oil consuming very fast 2000 m 3-) The backup cámara is not working

Incident date: May 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH, the hood latched inadvertently released and the hood raised up and struck the windshield, causing the windshield to crack. There was no warning light prior to the failure. The hood and upper frame were dented. There were no reported injuries. The driver slammed the hood closed and continued to... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2023

Backed out of my driveway yesterday morning on way to work, 5/17/23. Driving down my street approx 15 mph to stop sign. As i approached stop sign I pressed on my brakes to stop and my car would not stop, it immediately accelerated and proceeded toward my neighbors house which was directly in front of me. I kept hitting the brakes and it would not stop. I was able to steer away from the home, went ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

A recall has been made on May 10, 2023 for the driver's airbag deployment and the possibly of death being caused by metal pieces flying into the person driving. Recall has been made, yet parts are not available. I am very concerned of injury or death in the event of an accident.

Incident date: May 10, 2023

Engine leaking coolant due to a cracked cylinder head. 55,000 miles on car. No indications of a problem other than odor. Problem was confirmed by an independent service center and dealer. Dealer says engine needs replaced.

Incident date: May 15, 2023

UNKNOWN; once the car started, it would not accelerate, the EPC and Engine warning lights came on; car still starts up The Tire Pressure sensor light has been going off/on, regardless of the tire pressure being correctly set

Incident date: May 1, 2023

My vehicle started throwing an error with the stability track. This causes the whole car braking system to make my vehicle not go over 35 mph and vibrates the whole time. During this error, unable to turn on air conditioning.

Incident date: Apr 21, 2023

Pulled into a parking space at the Village Green strip mall, applied brakes and immediately, the engine accelerated and lunged my vehicle into another car that was parked in the parking space in front of my car. When the car accelerated, the brakes did not work. I reversed the car since it continued to accelerate into the parked car in front of me and the car went back as fast as it was accelera... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

Everyday over the last two weeks, the minivan will just completely shut off while driving down the highway. I have to try to pull over and restart the minivan. This is particularly dangerous here in the southern California area.

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

Incident date: Sep 9, 2022

Recall on Air bag system in 2014 GMC Acadia. My safety and my children safety is at risk every time we ride in vehicle. I have a warning light illuminating the airbag needs repair. When i purchased this vehicle it wasn't any issue to the system. I'm paying insurance on a vehicle that hasn't found a remedy for the issue and I cant afford to go without transportation. There isn't a time limit on whe... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2023

Per the technician: "the rear subframe is rusted out and the lateral strut arm is starting to break away". Because of this issue, the car unknowingly presented a safety risk to occupants and other drivers. A failure of the subframe or connected components could have resulted in a serious accident. Photos are attached. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. There were ... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a tire center and was informed that the front passenger’s side rim cracked, causing the tire to deflate. The tire center repaired the original rim. The failure recurred with the rear driver’s and rear passenger’s side rims. The c... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster intermittently went blank for several minutes. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was a... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2020

THE AUTO STOP SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS SHUTS OFF AT RED LIGHTS AND DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN BRAKE RELEASED AND GAS PEDAL PUSHED. THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY AND HAS TO BE PUT IN PARK AND RESTARTED IN TRAFFIC WHICH CAN BE DEADLY. THERE'S NO WAY TO DISENGAGE THIS IS NOT A GOOD FEATURE.

Incident date: Sep 9, 2022

The steering is sticky. When this issue is happening, the car will not drive in a straight line without the driver actively trying to hold it in place but in trying to hold it in place, the steering sticks and you have to give it a slight jerk of the wheel to get it out of the correction. It's a constant battle with the steering. Any lengthy turning (on-ramps, etc) results in the steering holdi... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2023

While driving on the freeway at approximately 40 mph on May 10, the yellow check engine light came on. I was approximately 200 miles into the current tank of gas, I stopped and checked to make sure the gas cap was properly secured. There were no obvious drivability issues. I immediately dropped the car off at Mercedes of Ontario, California, and they were able to confirm the problem, but could not... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2023

Master Cylinder failed, causing all fluid to go into the booster, which resulted in no braking ability at all. fortunately I was in a parking lot when the occured, the vehicle was traveling at slow speed and was stopped by coming up against a curb. the low brake fluid warning came on at the time of total failure, this would have resulted in a serious accident had it occured on the roadway. the ve... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear windows failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2023

Passenger Rear Seat Belt is Jammed and will not extend properly. It is completely useless and will cost $940+ to fix.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2023

I was at the ford garage and they told me my lug nuts are swollen! Which can be very hazardous!!!

Incident date: May 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at 50 MPH, a vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into both the contact's vehicle and another vehicle. The contact stated that air bags did not deploy , the seat belts did not lock and no warning lights appeared upon impact. The contact and her daughter both sustained a headache and other aches to their neck and ... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: May 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Nitro. The contact received recall notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V396000 (Air Bag, Steering) however, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair where the emblem was removed however, the emblem was then replaced due to parts were unavailable to complete the recall . The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amoun... Read more

Incident date: Feb 21, 2023

Windshield wipers stopped working in every mode including auto rain detection mode.

Incident date: Feb 21, 2023

Rear limited slip differential actuator failure. Vehicle became unstable while driving although dashboard feedback did not indicate an immediate need for service. Genesis unable to remotely diagnose. Dealer has reported multiple incidents with the same issue.

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

The 2022 Mercedes EQS 450 has been an ongoing dangerous driving experience for me. I have been jolted and frightened over and over as the car's autonomous emergency system fully engages when driving as well as when it does not engage when I’m stopped at a light. I have expressed my safety concerns on numerous occasions to the management at the dealership. As I am writing this I see on your web... Read more

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

I am [XXX] from [XXX].It said from the Part 573 SAFE Recall Report 22V-307.OMB CONTROL NO: 2127-0004.FROM THE NHTSA NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISRATION.This is a settlement that I was approve for you can email me at this address [XXX]. Mycome track number is [XXX].Address is [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

While driving reduced power light came on. On Highway speed reduced to a crawl.

Incident date: Jul 3, 2009

Body frame terrible

Crash

Incident date: Nov 8, 2022

We were driving in the street and just suddenly the front of the car was on fire. We stopped the car and we had almost no time to get out because the flames got very big in just minutes. Good thing the doors weren't locked because we safely got out of the car. This incident happened in rush hour and there were lots of cars around us. This put not just the passengers in our car but other people aro... Read more

Fire

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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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