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: Apr 14, 2023

This vehicle's VSA modulator is faulty. Lots of people have issues with this system. HONDA instead of helping, they have monopoly on parts and no other mechanic will fix it because honda is not allowing them so they can charge 2000$ to fix faulty VSA modulator. It's absurd that consumers doesn't have choice to fix their car from a faulty part that can only be fixed at Honda dealership. Please inve... Read more

Incident date: Apr 13, 2023

2008 INFINITI FX35. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO AIR BAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE AIR BAG DEFECT LIGHTS FLASHING ON VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL AND MULTI POINT INSPECTION DONE. DEALER STATED THE RECALL WAS REPAIRED BUT THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLASH AS WELL AS NO MULTI POINT INSPECTION PAPERWORK WAS PRODUCED.

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

The vehicle will lose power at high altitudes. I will push the gas pedal all the way down and the RPMs do not move nor does the vehicle move. This has left me in dangerous situations at intersections. I have spoken with a Mercedes dealer in Denver and they have multiple reports of this problem. The vehicle only has 1800 miles and this has happened multiple times at altitude.

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

I have never been in a car accident in my entire life. This was my first ever electric vehicle, and I really loved driving it for the one week I owned it before the brakes failed to stop it. On 03/31 I had to restart the software several times because it froze when i was trying to connect it to Apple Carplay, but it was fine the next day. During the crash, I had the brake collision assistance on,... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Apr 10, 2023

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

Electrical system-intermittent failure. While driving or idling, the vehicle will randomly shut off. The vehicle has turned off randomly while being driven down the road with little to no warning, even while operating at high speed. When this happens, you are also left without power steering, ABS brakes, fuel pump, and literally anything that operates electrically. Sometimes it will turn righ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

Incident date: Jan 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The exhaust system, power steering, brake assist, power brake, hill assist, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger and engine needed to be repla... Read more

Incident date: Apr 12, 2023

I purchased a 2021 RAM Big Horn truck for 58k. At 33k miles both exhaust manifolds cracked causing the cab of the truck to fill with exhaust! This exhaust causes me headaches. This exhaust leak also pours into our environment causing a hazard to others. I took the vehicle to Dodge service who confirmed both manifolds are cracked and exhaust is getting into cab if truck. This is under warranty ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2023

Several times since I purchased the car in Jan 2022, the left and/or right front brakes have dragged without brake pedal actuation while I was driving in surface street traffic, typically with speed limits of 25 to 35 mph. This has resulted in overheating of the brake caliper, rotor, and wheel. Typically the car can be driven again without issue after two hours of cool-off time. This phenomenon... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2023

I took the Chevy Equinox to the Chevy dealership to have the oil changed. The House Technician said it was unsafe to put it on a lift. The entire frame was corroded. On 02/28/2023, I had the dealership do a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection. This is their findings: #1-1010: INSPECTIONS INSPECT/CHECK inspect due to customer request Inspected unit due to customers request found excessive re... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2023

Bike stalls while downshifting. Triumph covered the fix of the map sensor under warranty. A couple months later the bike has redeveloped the same issue. It stalls while downshifting. This is a potentially severe scenario for me as the driver in traffic, and potentially for others if an accident causes follow-on crashes.

Incident date: Mar 20, 2023

i am an owner of Mercedes 2022 EQS, living in Westchester, New York. There are a number of flaws in the auto drive software system that the company refuses to acknowledge. 1) the sensors on the passenger side of the car do not register a car immediately adjacent to you. Thus, while the auto steering feature still keeps the car within the lane, if the car to the right lane of my vehicle is adjac... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine was making abnormally loud rattling sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring mainly while starting the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would shudder while idling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer The contact stated that why driving approximately 75 mph when suddenly the power assist failed. The contact had pulled over and restarted the vehicle however the power assist failed to correct. The power assist warning light had illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the power assist module failed and needed to be replaced. The... Read more

Incident date: Mar 5, 2023

On Friday the 7th of April while driving about 40 miles/hr my car lost power in traffic. I pushed gas pedal all way to floor to no avail. Then I was able to get it to move at about 20m/hr for short distance and it cut out and engine lite on as well as a horrible smell like something was burning. It had to be towed into dealer.

Incident date: Apr 9, 2023

I experienced a phantom braking incident yesterday in my 2023 EQS450+ SUV at 3:11 pm PST. Traveling at around 30 mph, no cars within 20 feet ahead or behind us, the car suddenly engaged the automatic brakes very hard with a loud beep but this condition lasted only a couple of seconds. The impact was hard enough to jolt all passengers in the car. The sound was as if something hit us from behind. Cr... Read more

Incident date: Apr 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the passenger’s side door failed to close properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.

Incident date: Apr 9, 2023

While driving 40mph heard a pop, hissing sound and unable to steer vehicle. Stopped at roadside to examine tires, which were ok. Incredibly difficult to steer wheel and to stay on the road while swerving. I was within a mile of Belle Tire for a mechanic to look at my Mazda 6. He showed me how the open recall on the front crossmember was repaired only on the right wheel side, and the left front whe... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2021

There is an open recall on BMW X5D and other BMW diesel models due to a fire hazard, the recall warns of an EGR code warning on the vehicle. My 2013 BMW X5D 3.5 has that warning code, however BMW claims that there isn’t a recall on it. My VIN is [XXX], and for the last 5 or 6 years I was told by the guy who was my rep at the dealership there was a possible recall, but BMW was having issues keepi... Read more

Incident date: Apr 3, 2023

The rear subframe of my vehicle failed at the lower trailing arm mounting point (passenger side). This resulted in the car swerving to the right when I applied pressure to the brake pedal, which was worse at higher speeds. This had been getting progressively worse for a few weeks until I almost spun out on the highway while braking. The next day, I randomly got a flat tire on the rear right side w... Read more

Incident date: Apr 3, 2023

The trim around my windshield on my driver's side blew off of the car. It is totally missing. Upon research, this appears to be a pretty common problem and it is very dangerous. Parts coming loose while driving could injure other drivers. No warning that the piece was loose. I am not sure who to report the problem to, I am going to call the dealership tomorrow and my warranty company. My concern i... Read more

Incident date: Apr 3, 2023

Incident date: Apr 8, 2023

During the time we have owned this car, it exhibits random and sudden deceleration events when operating AutoPilot (adaptive cruise control) on highways and freeways. The events are not explainable by presence of any notable present or potential hazard. The risk presented to and by surrounding (following) vehicles is so significant that it renders this function unusable. Saturday, April 1, was ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 7, 2023

There is a squeaky noise from the suspension, shock absorbers or somewhere in that area. They have fixed the issue multiple times. Kept my car in the workshop for days multiple times but it’s not getting fixed. They probably sold me a lemon. I need help in rectifying this issue.

Incident date: Apr 7, 2023

Experienced “the death wobble” going 68 mph on a highway after hitting a small transition.

Incident date: Apr 7, 2023

Experienced “the death wobble” going 68 mph on a highway after hitting a small transition.

Incident date: Mar 28, 2023

I pulled away from my residence in the city and way generally under 25mph. When I finally reach a location that allowed for higher limits, the bike shut down the display and power to the wheels after it got up to 30mph. After the first occurrence, it would happen periodically without any kind of warning. I had to unlock the bike and restart it for each time it happened.

Incident date: Apr 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated that after a freezing rainstorm, the front driver’s side and front passenger’s side doors would not latch properly and the doors would not remain closed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign N... Read more

Incident date: Apr 4, 2023

Our 2022 Tesla Model 3 has "phantom braked" three times on the highway. During each episode, the vehicle slowed from 75mph to 45mph in about half a second - with no vehicle or obstruction in front of us. This was a 4-lane highway all three times. If a car was behind us, it likely would have collided with us. No precipitation, the car was clean and cameras clear. I took the car to the Latham Servic... Read more

Incident date: Mar 9, 2023

Recurrent crankshaft ventilation valve failures. Replaced 14 months ago and has failed again. This is a common and known issue with vehicles in E class from 2017 through 2019 and Mercedes has not issued a recall. Perhaps because it costs $3500 to replace it if out of warranty. Entire system replaced Feb 17, 2022 and has failed again (April 6th, 2023)

Incident date: Feb 17, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V013000 (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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The con... Read more

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) 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 ex... Read more

Incident date: Apr 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that on various occasions, multiple attempts were needed to start the vehicle after the key was placed in the ignition. The contact also stated that the key fob failed to unlock the doors. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2023

My car caught on fire out of nowhere when i pulled into my grandmother's driveway. I had smelt smoke maybe 10 minutes before I arrived but assumed it was from someone starting a fire while I was driving. No smoke had started forming while I was driving. The smoke rolled out from the dash board area and kept spreading once I had arrived and got out to get my grandma from inside. My entire car was e... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Apr 6, 2023

The Ford Fusion suffered a brake and engine failure. Ford mechanics claim it is due to a plastic part in the vacuum pump. This vehicle is completely unsafe and is prone to mechanical failures that snowball into hazardous driving conditions.

Incident date: Mar 17, 2023

For months have been having two issues with my 2021 F150 Powerboost with the CO2 sensors as well as an issue with the Exhaust Heat Exchanger Bypass Valve A. Which after my bumper to bumper warranty expired now needs replaced even though the same issues have been throwing a CEL for months

Incident date: Apr 3, 2023

vehicle stolen.

Incident date: Mar 29, 2023

The frame has a large rust area and has a large hole near the passenger side wheel well. The body of the truck is in great shape. Truck is washed very regularly including special attention to the under carriage.

Incident date: Mar 29, 2023

While driving my Ford Explorer, the rubber seal trim piece on the driver began to come loose and flap around smacking onto the windshield and side front windows. Luckily, there were no other cars next to me when I swerved slightly after being started by the pieces slamming against the car. Since then, the both the driver and passenger side trim pieces have come completely off. I have not taken ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2022

The car jerks forward when accelerating from a stopped position which throws everyone in the car forward and it could potentially hit something or someone. The car does not stay in position when put in park or even turned off. It rolls back 2 feet and it hit my daughter and knocked her down from the rear and the car door hit my mother because it rolls back too far. Also, it has a major hesitatio... Read more

2 injured

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

The low oil light has come on a total of 3 times already for me and I'm only at 18k miles. I have gotten 4 oil changes already. The 2021 models burn oil like crazy and Mazda has not put out an official recall yet. There's a TSB (01-012/21) and a class action lawsuit (8:22-cv-01055 )

Incident date: Apr 2, 2023

On several occasions, our 2022 Grand Cherokee Summit vehicle purchased in May 2022 from Pearson Jeep in Richmond, Va automatically switches to a lower gear causing the vehicle to have to be pulled over, put in Park before moving again. this is dangerous especially on the Interstate.

Incident date: Apr 1, 2023

At high altitudes and / or cold weather, the vehicle will not move at all until it runs for about 5 to 10 minutes. It starts and revs just fine in neutral, but once you put it into drive, the throttle completely stops responding. This is a well known issue that Mercedes has chosen to do nothing about. https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/111270/

Incident date: Apr 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the message "Shift System Fault" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, she shifted into drive, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle responded on the second attempt. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The dealer was notified ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 25, 2023

The contact’s daughter owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch and the clutch seals needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 13, 2023

The engine keeps burning oil, and is clogging up the catalytic converter causing the car to lose power. The car can’t go above 50mph and cannot go up inclines without the rpm at around 5-6. It has been going on since April 2022 and I bought the car in November 2021 from Paramount Kia of Asheville @ 80,000miles. They have done 5 oil consumption tests and 2 overnight soaks which has still yet to f... Read more

Incident date: Mar 13, 2023

Large fire started at rear of car. Car was parked on driveway and no one was inside. Noticed a burning smell before fire started. Could not locate any smoke. Vehicle rear burst into flames 20 minutes later. Fire department responded quickly and was able to put out the fire before it reached the house. Vehicle is totaled. Vehicle was inspected by fire department and police after fire was extinguish... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Feb 27, 2023

I was driving and came to a stop sign. When I was getting ready to pull off my entire vehicle automatically went into park and shut off. I was almost rear ended by the vehicle behind me. People were blowing at me. I just restarted the vehicle after a few attempts it started and I drove off. Also my entire dash went black while I was driving. I also felt water on my feet why on the passenger side (... Read more

Incident date: Feb 27, 2023

Low beam headlights are so dim. I cannot drive at night. I’ve had the bulbs replaced twice and within a month they are Still too dim to safely drive at night, particularly in the rain. I live in the PNW and that means half the year I can’t safely drive at night. It’s very dangerous and other drivers tell me they can’t see me. I’m over 55 and very concerned, and the cost to replace the he... 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