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.
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
Showing 33,200 complaints for MERCEDES-BENZ
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 3500
(2019) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 15, 2021
Incident date: Jun 26, 2021
The van rolled even though it was in park. the first time it hit multiple cars when it rolled. We took it to Mercedes but they insisted nothing was wrong with the van. Issue happened multiple times and each time Mercedes claimed nothing was wrong. Finally one day it just rolled back and turned over and was destroyed
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2012) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 14, 2021
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
I have a Mercedes GLK 350 .When I fill up the gas tank in full I can smell gas. I called the dealer and they refused to fix it because there is no recall in Mercedes GLK 350 and it is not covered by emission warranty. They will charge me $200 just to diagnose the problem
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) — ENGINE
Oct 14, 2021
Incident date: Oct 6, 2021
Check engine light came on. Code P052E. Had this code in 2018 and the pcv valve and line were changed. Currently has the same issue 3 years later. This is a very common problem with mercedes that have this engine.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2018) — ENGINE
Oct 14, 2021
Incident date: Jul 15, 2019
The contact owned a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLS450. The contact stated that after turning the ignition switch off, the driver suddenly discovered flames were coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and later towed away. A fire report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was no... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE350
(2016) — AIR BAGS
Oct 13, 2021
Incident date: Oct 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while stationary a second vehicle crashed head-on into the front of the vehicle causing severe damage to the front end. During the crash, neither the front driver-side nor passenger-side airbags were deployed. The driver sustained a fractured right foot and neck injury and the front passenger who was the driver's son sustained a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2017) — STEERING
Oct 13, 2021
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V663000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed the parts were backordered until May 30, 2022. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reason... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
S550
(2015) — VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Oct 12, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (STRUCTURE) and the dealer declined to service the recall because the sunroof panel was glass and not plastic. The manufacturer was made aware of the dealer's refusal and contacted the dealer. The manufacturer stated that the dealer would re... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG CLA45
(2018) — ENGINE
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
Regarding 2018 CLA 45 AMG: On 9-21-21, while I was driving approximately 45 MPH on a 4 lane road, suddenly the car completely shut down. A message simultaneously popped up that the car was disabled and instructed me to look up in manual. Immediately I turned right into the first driveway where the car came to a stop. I was able to restart car and drive home. At that point, the car's total mileage ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG CLA45
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
Regarding 2018 CLA 45 AMG: On 9-21-21, while I was driving approximately 45 MPH on a 4 lane road, suddenly the car completely shut down. A message simultaneously popped up that the car was disabled and instructed me to look up in manual. Immediately I turned right into the first driveway where the car came to a stop. I was able to restart car and drive home. At that point, the car's total mileage ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG CLA45
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
Regarding 2018 CLA 45 AMG: On 9-21-21, while I was driving approximately 45 MPH on a 4 lane road, suddenly the car completely shut down. A message simultaneously popped up that the car was disabled and instructed me to look up in manual. Immediately I turned right into the first driveway where the car came to a stop. I was able to restart car and drive home. At that point, the car's total mileage ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
A 220
(2019) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Oct 12, 2021
There are no problems with the vehicle but this recall listed on the NHTSA is preventing me from listing my vehicle on Turo.
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2010) — STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes- Benz E 350. The contact stated that while driving there was an undetermined abnormal noise detected. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was informed the sub frame was corroded The independent dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified electronically however no response was provided. The failu... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2013) — SEATS
Oct 12, 2021
Incident date: Apr 19, 2019
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, the headrest inadvertently deployed and hit the contact's husband in the back of the head. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that they continued to drive the vehicle and later veered to the side of the road to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was notified of the failur... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLE53
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 11, 2021
Incident date: Oct 10, 2021
Issue-The car brakes aggressively using cruise control (Mercedes Distronic) with no driver intervention. This dangerous condition can cause an accident. Using my advanced cruise control…the issue is my set speed was changed along with acceleration or braking when a traffic sign is misread. I have turned off the only setting controls Traffic Sign Assist & Route Based Speed Assist but there is no ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLE53
(2021) — SERVICE BRAKES
Oct 11, 2021
Incident date: Oct 10, 2021
Issue-The car brakes aggressively using cruise control (Mercedes Distronic) with no driver intervention. This dangerous condition can cause an accident. Using my advanced cruise control…the issue is my set speed was changed along with acceleration or braking when a traffic sign is misread. I have turned off the only setting controls Traffic Sign Assist & Route Based Speed Assist but there is no ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLE53
(2021) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Oct 11, 2021
Incident date: Oct 10, 2021
Issue-The car brakes aggressively using cruise control (Mercedes Distronic) with no driver intervention. This dangerous condition can cause an accident. Using my advanced cruise control…the issue is my set speed was changed along with acceleration or braking when a traffic sign is misread. I have turned off the only setting controls Traffic Sign Assist & Route Based Speed Assist but there is no ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2009) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 9, 2021
Incident date: Oct 7, 2021
I’m smelling gas fumes inside and outside of the car. I heard there was a 15 yr warranty on E Class with this issue.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C250
(2015) — AIR BAGS
Oct 8, 2021
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes Benz C250. The contact had initially received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V010000 (AIRBAGS). The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had the recall serviced. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, another vehicle made a left turn and hit his vehicle in the middle of an intersection. The contact stated that the air bags did no... Read more
Crash
1 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2007) — ENGINE
Oct 8, 2021
Incident date: Sep 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, the contact heard a loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact called an independent mechanic and was informed that the camshaft balancer was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fai... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG E43
(2018) — WHEELS
Oct 8, 2021
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
I bought this 2018 e43 amg at 24k miles ,still under warranty ,and when I first told by dealer that there's a crack on my wheel I have to replace it ,I thought it was my driving even though I can't think of getting in a pothole whatsoever,so I shop around and found a random shop ,they showed me a picture of the exact same car of same year with the same problem on the same size 20in wheel ,crack on... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG E43
(2018) — STEERING
Oct 8, 2021
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
I bought this 2018 e43 amg at 24k miles ,still under warranty ,and when I first told by dealer that there's a crack on my wheel I have to replace it ,I thought it was my driving even though I can't think of getting in a pothole whatsoever,so I shop around and found a random shop ,they showed me a picture of the exact same car of same year with the same problem on the same size 20in wheel ,crack on... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2010) — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Oct 7, 2021
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that fuel was present leaking from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,0... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2016) — ENGINE
Oct 7, 2021
Incident date: Oct 7, 2021
Re-Seal Upper Timing Covers of the cylinder head timing covers are seeping. 2016 E350 has less thank 19k on it. The fluids can potentially leak onto the roads causing a hazard, it is also a fire hazard, as well as an environmental issue. This was identified by Revolution Mercedes in Decatur, GA. After reading some forums, I have seen where others are having similar issues and believe this s... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLA 250
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 7, 2021
Incident date: Aug 24, 2021
The contact owned a 2019 Mercedes Benz CLA250. The contact stated that while driving into the parking garage the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a brick wall and a parked vehicle. During the incident, the driver sustained head trauma and bruising of the limbs. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A police re... Read more
Crash
1 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
S560
(2018) — ENGINE
Oct 7, 2021
Incident date: Sep 25, 2021
Walk Home Condition -I purchased a 2018 CPO Mercedes-Benz S560 on 8/20/21 from Knauz Continental Autos in Lake Bluff, IL. On 9/25/2, at approx noon, I was driving the vehicle and the engine light came on, the throttle/engine felt sluggish and not responsive. The engine felt very out of balance shaking the entire care when the gas pedal was pressed. 5 mins later in heavy traffic, I stopped at a ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E550
(2010) — SUSPENSION
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
Rear K Frame front part has completely rusted out. Mount ripped trail arm. Both rear tires were ready to shoot off. This was confirmed by a mechanic when the car was being serviced after the check engine light came on one day before taking it to be serviced. The car is not drivable. It only has 60,000 miles on it. It was always serviced at the Mercedes dealers. It appears as a defective part.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2010) — STEERING
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Sep 20, 2021
On September 20, 2021, my steering wheel locked will driving into shopping center in Stockton, CA., I called AAA towing service to tow my car to Mercedes-Benz of Stockton for repairs. I'm glad to say no one was behind me while driving. It locked without any notice, near by customers to the center pushed my car to safety. Thank you.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — SERVICE BRAKES
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
The rear drivers side had a loud chunking/clanking noise while driving and the vehicle was unable to control and break when in motion. Driving was impossible as the breaking component was a total failure and car could not be controlled while traveling down 45-50mph zone. I reduced my speed to 20-25 mph by letting off on the gas to get better control of the car if breaking would need to be suddenly... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
The rear drivers side had a loud chunking/clanking noise while driving and the vehicle was unable to control and break when in motion. Driving was impossible as the breaking component was a total failure and car could not be controlled while traveling down 45-50mph zone. I reduced my speed to 20-25 mph by letting off on the gas to get better control of the car if breaking would need to be suddenly... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — SUSPENSION
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
The rear drivers side had a loud chunking/clanking noise while driving and the vehicle was unable to control and break when in motion. Driving was impossible as the breaking component was a total failure and car could not be controlled while traveling down 45-50mph zone. I reduced my speed to 20-25 mph by letting off on the gas to get better control of the car if breaking would need to be suddenly... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2020) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 5, 2021
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
Upon starting the car, the screen of the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLS 450 remained blank. This includes the portion of the dashboard that reads speedometer, gas, temperature, RPM. The engine was running and truck could still be driven. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This is a major safety issue as the driver does not have visibility to the dashboard with all it's important infor... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Oct 5, 2021
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
Upon starting the car, the screen of the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLS 450 remained blank. This includes the portion of the dashboard that reads speedometer, gas, temperature, RPM. The engine was running and truck could still be driven. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This is a major safety issue as the driver does not have visibility to the dashboard with all it's important infor... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2016) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Sep 16, 2021
Faulty Panoramic Sunroof. I took the car to the dealer service to have the sunroof checked since it won't close all the way that the guide rails jammed and faulty. It is too expensive to get it fixed after taking to Mercedes. I haven't owned the vehicle very long and only used the sunroof maybe once or twice and it stopped working. This should be a recall and I shouldn't have to pay to fix it. I ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2010) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Oct 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the back-circuit board to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
When my wife got into vehicle first thing in the morning after it sitting all night in the garage, she smelled a foul smell. As she was driving, she opened all the windows to dissipate the smell and turned in the heater because wit was cold that morning. After about ten to twelve minutes of driving, she noticed the check engine light came on and the car started shaking. She pulled over and exit... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2020) — ENGINE
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
When my wife got into vehicle first thing in the morning after it sitting all night in the garage, she smelled a foul smell. As she was driving, she opened all the windows to dissipate the smell and turned in the heater because wit was cold that morning. After about ten to twelve minutes of driving, she noticed the check engine light came on and the car started shaking. She pulled over and exit... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2020) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
When my wife got into vehicle first thing in the morning after it sitting all night in the garage, she smelled a foul smell. As she was driving, she opened all the windows to dissipate the smell and turned in the heater because wit was cold that morning. After about ten to twelve minutes of driving, she noticed the check engine light came on and the car started shaking. She pulled over and exit... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2016) — STEERING
Oct 3, 2021
Incident date: Oct 3, 2021
Steering wheel will not adjust up and down, only in and out, Not correct position for driving safely.
MERCEDES-BENZ
E250
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 2, 2021
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
Headliner bubble up and coming loose thus creating a safety issue because abstract both front and mostly rear visibility while driving. Have this vehicle bought 2 months ago and have develop this condition, making hard to see and drive thus is a serious driving hazard. Contact Mercedes Benz dealer refuses to address the issue as safety hazard and did not repair or replace headliner at my cost of $... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E250
(2015) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 2, 2021
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
Headliner bubble up and coming loose thus creating a safety issue because abstract both front and mostly rear visibility while driving. Have this vehicle bought 2 months ago and have develop this condition, making hard to see and drive thus is a serious driving hazard. Contact Mercedes Benz dealer refuses to address the issue as safety hazard and did not repair or replace headliner at my cost of $... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2019) — STEERING
Oct 2, 2021
Incident date: Jan 29, 2021
I brought my 2019 4x4 Sprinter Van in for a campaign recall for the power steering hoses and clamps. The dealership said they made the repairs as necessary and sent me on my way. A few weeks later the power steering hoses blew while driving and almost caused an accident. I was stuck on the side of the road and lost all steering capabilities. Come to find out the dealership lied and never made the... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 2, 2021
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
Every time I fill up the gas tank, I smell gas in the passenger side back seat close to where you pump the gas?
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 1, 2021
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Hi so i woke up this morning and my started my car as usual then noticed the smell of gas all around the car Inside and out. I got worried turned off the car and started sniffing around to see if i can find where the leak was and found out the high pressure fuel pump was leaking i looked up info on this part and it is very common on these car for that part to fail. Im very upset that there is no r... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2021) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
Oct 1, 2021
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the rear brake lights did not function properly when the brake was applied. The contact was made aware of the failure when he noticed that after slowing down to stop, other vehicles from behind were stopping close to the rear of his vehicle. The contact tested the rear brake lights and noticed that they did not illuminate as soo... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — SUSPENSION
Oct 1, 2021
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
Rear suspension is rusted and the arm to the wheel has disconnected. This vehicle can’t be driven and is a major safety issue - per the Mercedes dealership. From Mercedes : The rear sub-frame serves a number of purposes. It adds to the rigidity of the rear body structure and supports the vehicle's cabin and some chassis components. Most importantly, the sub-frame helps to protect occupants in... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) — ENGINE
Sep 30, 2021
Incident date: Sep 13, 2021
The engine stalled at idle numerous times when at a stop light or stop sign. This was dangerous as the other cars could have ran into my car in anticipation that I should be moving with traffic. The car was taken to the Mercedes Marin dealer service center and diagnostic was done indicating a cracked piston in cylinder one was causing loss of compression and could also cause engine failure at spee... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GL450
(2008) — STEERING
Sep 30, 2021
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The vehicle has a steering problem resulting from the pin.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C450
(2016) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 30, 2021
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The part attaching the sunroof to the rails comes off and could cause the sunroof to come detached.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2020) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 30, 2021
Incident date: Jun 14, 2021
I have received recall notice 3 months ago for software update. The update was supposed to happen over the air which it didn't. I need this update to finish asap because i need a recall clearance letter. This update took way too longer than it should have. Please solve this issue for me. Regards,
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
Sep 29, 2021
Incident date: Sep 29, 2021
2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. CONSTITUENT WRITES REGARDING SUBFRAME CORROSION SAFETY RECALL ON VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WOULD NOT TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A GOOD WILL INCENTIVE OF $500.00 TOWARDS A USED VEHICLE OR 1000.00 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE.