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 7, 2023

While driving all dash lights come on and steering locks up. Been in shop for weeks and they cannot find out the reason. There are several videos on YouTube of same issues. This is very dangerous, especially if driving at highway speeds. How do i file to get this on recall list? My wife was driving at low speed when it happened and was able to get to side of road.

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING MAKES VEHICLE LEAN TO THE RIGHT. AND WHEN PARKED, IT LEANS ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, LOCKS UP AND THE STEERING CAUTION LIGHT COMES ON.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2023

Steering wheel stuck in straight position, unable to turn. Also, A/C line supermanifold defect present, needed to be replaced. Steering rack and harness both needed to be replaced. Tesla model 3, only had 40 miles before needing to be towed.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2023

Apple Carplay does not function posing a safety hazard. When connected, volume is unable to be lowered via the steering wheel controls or the factory installed radio. As such, in an emergency, the volume could not be lowered to communicate with emergency services. Dealer updated radio to latest software on 8/3/23 but the problem persists. Apple is aware of the problem but does not have a solu... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2023

Incident date: Aug 3, 2023

The power steering appeared to fail, and the wheel is locked in a semi straight position. It requires tremendous force to turn the wheel. This is a major safety issue to have this happen while driving.

Incident date: Jul 4, 2023

Steering suspension has been failing over and over for months. Several severe incidents while driving 70+ mph down the road. Complete loss of control of the vehicle, uncontrollable death wobbles. One incident put me in a ditch, while the others were near collisions. First incident - was no longer able to drive above 30mph without sever death wobble. After “repairs”, recreated the issue at 75... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal had extended to the floorboard causing the braking distances to become extended. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the brake valve had become stuck. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted regard... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures and would fail to start due to a faulty battery. The contact stated that after the manufacturer remotely completed an unknown electrical update on the vehicle, the vehicle started experiencing several failures including a rearview camera, door locks, brakes, and power steering failur... Read more

Incident date: Jan 8, 2022

I bought my vehicle in 2010 Brand New I did not have the vehicle less the 5 years when the volume on the sterring wheel stopped working , then my horn stopped working and someone backen into me, my cruise control does not work sometimes the wheel locks on me turning then the airbag light Pop on and they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars to fix to and sometimes when I Start the vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the control board needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2023

anti lock brake system failure, has been inspected by dealer and at dealership now, unable to repair as parts are not available for replacement. The dealership will not even try to put thru extended warranty really be hush hush about this issue. The vehicle can be inspected anytime. There where no warnings signs just started one day with the messages and lights flashing. This should be a recall be... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2023

I was driving on interstate 95 when the trim that covers the driver's side A pillar began to flap for a few seconds before flying off the car. It smashed the B pillar and cracked it before ultimately flying directly at the car behind me narrowly missing it. It was difficult to maintain control of the vehicle due to the sudden noise, it felt like the car was suddenly under attack.

Incident date: Jul 23, 2022

My 2014 Jeep Cherokee Impreza is stalling and lurching from a stop position as I press the excelerator to enter a street. This is especially problematic since I have to enter a Highway ( Oregon Coastal Highway 101) from a stop position turning right to go into town.This has been a problem for approximately 1.5 years and is a safety issue that could result in a fatal accident and is becoming more f... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2023

I was driving down the street after filling up my fuel tank. I drove approximately 1/2 mile when I heard a sound, felt a clunk and stopped immediately. My fuel tank was hanging down on the ground. I called AAA and requested a flatbed and to bring a strap. He did not bring a strap and when my truck arrived at the mechanic the fuel tank had completely separated from the vehicle. The other complaint... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2023

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

Front windshield camera, controls adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure mitigation, front collision mitigation, auto high beam, all the lights came on and all the features stopped working. We were 1500 miles from home when this happened had it repaired at a dealership $1300. I called Honda corporate and after 2 days a customer service representative called me back. He told me t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

I recently moved so I am traveling on the interstate more. In doing so, I've noticed after about 15-20 minutes at higher speeds, my steering wheel starts sticking. I have to fight to stay in my lane. It's scary as well as exhausting. I've researched and see other complaints just like mine. Why has this issue not been addressed by Honda? It makes me scared to go visit family or do any traveling at ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2023

December 2022 two weeks after I leased the vehicle from Roush Honda, due to severe cold weather the driver side mirror cracked and I immediately reported to the dealer with photos via email communication. For 4 months I drove the car unsafely unable to use the driver side mirror, this caused anxiety, stress and dangerous especially merging on the free way and change left late. 4 months after, in ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2023

Day of purchase (Feb2020)Nox sensor went out on way home. Check engine light came on took back to VW dealership they fixed for free. Next component to go bad or become faulty was and still is the fuel door actuator when raining or washing off the car will get wet and fuel door will not open. Reported it to VW dealer after the issue arose at which time I was told it was not covered under the emissi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

Engine maintenance notification came on and car was taken in for diagnosis. It seem the coolant bypass valve was the issue and this seems to be an issue for Camry's, Corrolas, and the RAV4s. Toyota wanted to charge an outrageous amount to fix this when it is a known issue across the board and is widely talked about online through research.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2020

Brake pedal became loose became inoperable and landed on accelerator

Incident date: Jul 31, 2023

Vehicle is terrible. Truck is in the shop every 2-3 months due to engine or electrical issues and constantly causing me hundreds if not thousands of dollars every time. I will never buy a Nissan product ever again.

Incident date: Jul 31, 2023

During my ownership of a 2018 Ford Escape equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine, a series of catastrophic engine failures occurred, jeopardizing my safety and that of others on the road. The specific components that failed this time include the short block, crankshaft, and other critical components within the long block, such as the pump and converter. Additionally, the torque converter and flex pl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2022

My 2018 CRV began idling rough so I scheduled an appointment. When I arrived, indicated that it sounded like I needed fuel injectors which they see alot with the CRV. After diagnostics on 7/17/2023, I was given a repair estimate of $2067, then told the parts were backordered until at least 8/13/2023. I have never had to replace fuel injectors on any other car I've owned. This issue has been reca... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2023

Brand new car, picked up July 19 2023, 1st issue) July 22, 2023: 3 Days after i picked up my car, went for a long drive to Phoenix AZ from Tucson AZ. Parked in a corner mall for an hour, drove out from parking lot and we smelled strong gas odor. Checked A/C recirculation and it is set to RECIRCULATION. Drove for a couple miles and it was gone. 2nd issue) July 25, 2023. Going to work, already dri... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2023

When the vehicle is wet (after car wash or when it rains), the breaks start screeching and the breaking jerks suddenly. It’s a terrible sound and terrible feeling because it’s unexpected and abnormal

Incident date: Jul 21, 2023

My Hydraulic Control Unit for my ABS has failed this is the second time in 24 months it has failed and needing service. The part is on backorder and it seems to be a major known issue by the manufacturer with repairs costing near 2k dollars to the consumer because Ram does not want to cover it under warranty.

Incident date: Jul 21, 2023

The component that has failed is the abs modulator system. The problem with the abs modulator failing on me puts me and my family at great risk including death because the abs modulator works alongside with the brakes, power steering and the vsa system all of which are the main components to a cars safety. Yes I have take my Honda to a certified technician who informed me that the and modulator ha... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2023

o2 sensors

Incident date: Jul 28, 2023

Dash light warning lights come on and causes the cruise control to stop working. A total of 6 fault lights comes on and also causes the Adaptive Cruise Control to not work. This is the 3rd Freightliner Cascadia that I have driven in the past 3 and a half years and every single truck has had the same problem. Freightliner has refused to acknowledge that there is a problem. Nobody seems to know what... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Drivers seat seatbelt receiver will not accept and/or lock seatbelt

Incident date: Jul 12, 2023

Every single dash warning light is showing up on my car and I've had it looked at and claimed to be fixed but it has popped back up and I'm unaware of the problem and it's been this way since I've bought my car and I've read online a few others have had this problem

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

While driving sometimes even the speed is below 40mph pushing the accelerator will not accelerate the vehicle making a loud engine noise for 4-5 minutes deaccelerating the vehicle. And again, working fine. It happens random and had happened 5-10 times after I purchased the vehicle in 2020. The frequency of the problem is random.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2023

The driver side sliding door is not latching fully. The door will be shut and the indicator in blinking, the lights are going inside the car and the door is repeatedly trying to latch. The consumer stated that they brought the car to a certified Chrysler dealer to inquire about repairing the sliding door latch. At this time, the consumer is expected to cover the full cost of the repair.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2023

While traveling approx 15 mph, I pulled in the clutch lever to change gears and the engine lost all power, I had to pull over immediately and put the bike in neutral and turn the bike off and on again. I was in heavy traffic when the bike lost all power. It’s only happened the one time and I haven’t ridden much since then, and the dealer rode the bike and couldn’t reproduce it. There’s ap... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had misfired, and spark plug #1 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that at start-up, the engine rumbled, and the chec... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

I was traveling on the 8 freeway in Az going around 80 passing a tractor trailer. I had the cruise control on. Then the car breaks for no reason dropping me to 50 mph. It happened maybe 3 other times on that trip. Maybe 10 times since I purchased the car 5 months ago

Incident date: Jul 27, 2023

The car will completely shut off while in drive and while driving. Not the auto shut off feature as that is off at the time the car shuts off. This has happened multiple times and isn't safe. There is no indication as to when it will happen, but it will randomly shut off after a short drive or long drive. Once I turn the car back on there is nothing that displays on the dashboard to indicate what ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

Engine burned two quarts of oil between scheduled oil changes. Vehicle has 88,200 miles on it. Engine could sieze up on the highway and cause an accident.

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

I was driving on the highway on Tesla enhanced auto pilot when traffic came to a stop I’d notice my Tesla model X was not about to stop nor slow down for the stopped traffic so at the last minute I had to slam on my brakes and swerved to the right lane where I was hit by a truck pulling a trailer which subsequently rammed me into the truck I was trying to avoid rear ending after Teslas forward c... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

The vehicle is a hybrid and so with no warning present on the dash the vehicle was being back out of garage and when the hybrid battery Failed which led to loss of power including steering and brake and hit brick gate and after impact the vehicle is unable to drive has all warning lights on and displays "check hybrid system" and low voltage park immediately, and the hybrid battery is constantly on... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Took 2017 Q7 to dealer to check brakes. Dealer found both rear coil springs broken. Will cost $2k to replace. Searching internet I find many examples of this same safety related failure. The VW ATLAS with the same frame does have a recall for this issue. Why is the Audi not included. I have the inspection video and will attempt to add here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

The active hydraulic booster(AHB) failed while I was driving. While driving 70 mph down the highway the car began to beep and immediately the breaks began to lock up and brake pedal went all the way to the floor. All I could hear was grinding and it was hard to stop. A car came close to hitting me because the deceleration was so abrupt. I towed it to hyundai dealership and they confirmed the issue... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver side door latch detached from the vehicle making it difficult to properly close the door. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the front driver’s side door ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2023

The steering wheel will get stuck when turning into a curve,

Incident date: Jun 15, 2023

I was traveling approximately 50 mph on a highway when we were rear-ended. The car spun around and we were both thrown forward due to the malfunctioning of both the driver and passenger seat belts. Further inspection found the rear seatbelts as well did not function properly. Both the driver and front passenger seats reclined and broke during the impact of the accident. The passenger sustained hea... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Jun 15, 2023

Was driving on highway when the sun roof exploded. Was able to pull over at nearest exit. Called nearest dealer and Was told to drive it to dealership where purchased which was around 150 miles away. The glass fell on all occupants of the vehicle but fortunately no one was hurt.

Incident date: Jun 15, 2023

A/C compressor in 2007-2011 Honda CR-V has a known defect in the A/C compressor clutch. The clutch component of the compressor includes the pulley which turns the compressor motor. When the clutch fails, the compressor motor seizes up and stops the pulley from turning. The pulley on the compressor is driven by one serpentine belt on a tensioner which turns the alternator, the power steering motor,... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2023

Starting on July 12th, 2023, my audio control module stopped working, so there was no sound in my car. I took it into my primary dealership (Bob Maxey Ford of Howell) on July 19th, 2023, they deemed that it was the ACM and order a new one. My navigation and my adaptive cruise control acted funny as well, with my navigation not lining up with my actual location. Fast forward to the weekend just a c... 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