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 ›

Clear

Showing 33,654 complaints for MERCEDES-BENZ

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

The vehicle is scheduled to return to the dealership again. Multiple safety-critical systems are affected. I believe this is an ongoing electrical system failure in a new vehicle, putting both the driver and passengers at risk.

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

Incident date: Jun 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Exterior Lighting, Interior Lighting); 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 availabl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 16, 2025

When driving down the street car shuts off lights flicker on and off continuously sometimes it don’t turn back on sometimes it does but I usually just coast until it turns back on very dangerous if on freeway or heavy traffic also the brake light and and trac lights go on when this happens. When stepping on gas the rpm’s go up really high like the transmission is going out

Incident date: Jun 16, 2025

Incident date: Nov 19, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Assist feature steered the vehicle to the left while the vehicle was driving inside the lane. The Lane Keep Assist warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle also experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle d... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2025

FORWARD FACING RADAR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. IF VEHICLE IS PARKED IN THE SUN AND WINDSHIELD IS HOT THE FORWARD FACING RADAR IS OVERHEATED AND WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE THE SAFETY SYSTEM FAIL TO BOOT UP. IF THIS ISN'T ENOUGH OF A SAFETY CONCERN THE ERROR MESSAGES OBSTRUCT YOUR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SCREEN SO YOU CAN NOT SEE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE YOUR SPEEDOMETER. YOU CAN CANCEL THE WARNING BUT WITH IN A ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

Several warning lights, which included: ABS failure, Parking Assist Failure, Lane Avoidance Failure, Traction Control Failure, as well as having steering difficulty. ( mileage 24500 ). The problem was found by dealer to be an eletrical connector underneath the vehicle at the mid point, with their belief that it was corrosion, which I believe to be a defective component and design. I contacted For... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the rear driver’s side control arm detached from the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle momentarily. However, the contact was able to control the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe had corroded ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while idling and while driving at various speeds, there was a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to A1 Auto 3 Brothers Car Repair, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to piston rings failure, and the turbo charger also failed. The dealer d... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2025

Squeaking of lower control arms arms around 70k miles. Upper & lower require replacement, per Tesla Service Center

Incident date: Jun 13, 2025

When going down hill while braking, the brakes will release causing the car to lurch forward and then they grab again. It’s intermittent and Toyota has a TSB on it but the dealership with not fix it because they can’t duplicate the problem. It can cause people to take their foot off and of the brake pedal and trying to apply it again. Which can cause someone to rear end another car.

Incident date: Jun 13, 2025

C1391 - Abnormal Leak in Accumulator

Incident date: Jun 13, 2025

Infotainment system went dark and I cannot get it to come back on. I’ve read that this has been an ongoing issue and is covered in Mazda cx5 models up to 2020 thru a class action lawsuit, but my one is a 2021 (manufactured we’ll before 2021 though) with a virtually identical system.

Incident date: Jun 21, 2025

My front gas tank mounting strap pulled through the frame. The gas tank was almost touching the ground and the strap was rubbing on the driveshaft. Said the recall is for up to 2012. Mine is titled as a 2013 but manufactured in November of 2012. What can be done? 13 year old truck shouldn't have a frame rusted that bad, even in Ohio

Incident date: Jun 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was distorted or blue. The message "Rearview Camera Unavailable" was intermittently displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the con... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2024

My 2018 Audi A3 began having fuel-related issues after receiving the recall service for campaign 20YF (Suction Jet Pump Seal) at an authorized Audi dealership. I first took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, because the check engine light came on, and there was a strong fuel smell. Most concerning, fuel leaked heavily from the front part of the engine, posing an extreme fire risk. who perfor... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

All of a sudden my liftgate in the back will not stay up. The pistons for the liftgate are no longer working on either side, so kind of strange as they don't usually go like that Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

The car has had an electrical issue ever since taking to to get a recall around may of 2023. It will randomly brake and shift the transmission badly while downshifting. I feel as if my make and model falls under the theta II campaign they had to replace certain engines for having a knocking rod be fault and release shaving into the engine causing it to misfire. Not only that but the electrical iss... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2025

Incident date: Jun 20, 2025

My Car 2017 Honda CRV with 57,000 miles started having the check engine light in the dashboard and bunch of lights came on in my dashboard. I took it to the Mechanic, and diagnostic was faulty fuel injectors I had to get it Repaired in order to pass the smoke check. I paid $1300. How does a car with low mileage had this kind of problem.

Incident date: Mar 3, 2025

My car has 50,000 miles on it and is just over 4 years old. The steering column has failed causing it to not be able to steer. The service for this is a new steering column at a cost of over $5,000.00. The Y models and 3 models had a recall on this issue. Now it looks like the X models are having the issue as well. The consumer should not be responsible for this. It is dangerous. It is exp... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2025

Driver side airbag deployed with over power at the time of low speed front collision with flying from opposite direction of the parkway car wheel. Caused neck and back spinal cord disc herniation, damaged shoulder, torn muscle, concussion. Still going for PT every day for over a year. Car taken by insurance - total loss.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 18, 2025

Battery had to be replaced during 1st oil change. Transmission failed at about 30,000 miles and was replaced. Transmission light went on again we were told it was the transmission it was the gear shift assembly (claiming something spilled in it - not true). Not covered and would cost $1350... charged $260 for diagnostic. Had repaired separately, Transmission light is still on. Claiming not co... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2025

The problem first appeared in May 2025 when multiple system failure lights illuminated simultaneously. After confirming the battery and alternator were in good condition, I took the van to Honda of Cleveland (2701 S Lee Hwy, Cleveland, TN 37311) for a diagnosis. Their service department confirmed that the ADAS Front Camera (36160-THR-A91) had failed, which disabled the following safety systems: Ad... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2024

This Car have a lot issues we the computer in the car, the car I was missing oil in the engine ,the piston. Blows out No light 💡 engine On the car have a lot problems we trans mission No light On,I Have problems we transfer Case No light on, Now still having problems if backups sometimes is No light on,I don’t know if Normal but if have a lot safety concerns in this car.

Incident date: May 31, 2023

Brand new car came with warped rotors and rattling noise unresolved. Major safety issue due to brake failure. A few times braking due to red light, upon braking the car would stutter stop and at times not start stopping until brake pedal fully stepped on, had a few near accidents. At a McDonalds and Wendy’s drive through, foot on brakes but car would still move forward even though was at a compl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

Recently, my 2020 Ford Explorer showed a front passenger TSMP failure followed by the rear driver TSMP failure light about 3 weeks later. Within a day or two of the second TSMP light displaying, I had multiple codes lighting up my dash: 4WD fault, hill-start assist unavailable, service advance track, pre-collision assist unavailable, check manual, etc. I found my car was not accelerating every tim... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

Check engine light is on, code reads emissions fail due to the Evaporative Emissions leak detection pump.( EVAP PURGE PUMP UNDERSPEED) P1467. I see this was a recall on several Chevrolet vehicles but not yet on mine.

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

-Electric power steering system. Yes, it is available for inspection. -My safety is high risk with this issue. -No. -No. -Yes. A message saying "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" few time would pop up and the steering wheel couldn't move. I would turn off the vehicle and turn it back on, the message would go away.

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

At 1400 miles the truck was running and I put the truck in reverse and the engine light came on and the truck died. The truck started back up but the engine light stayed on. The engine light was for random cylinder Miss fire p0300. And about once a week of so the engine light will come on for a day is so and go off. Since this has happened the fuel milage has been affected. Also sometimes when tru... Read more

Incident date: May 19, 2025

Went to buckle Driver’s seatbelt and the assembly where the seatbelt retracts came apart for no reason.

Incident date: Jun 17, 2025

Coolant, leaking from jeep wrangler overheated, took it to my personal mechanic, who pointed out that there is a known issue and handed me the customer notification ZD8 coolant leakage, which states that the vehicle should be taken to a dealership and that the repair would be covered. I took it to the dealership. I was told that it is not covered and now I'm being charged over $500 for something t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2025

As I was driving onto the highway I reached to about 70 mph. The vehicle said “service electric system” on the dashboard and instantly the vehicle lost power and turned off. It then shifted from drive to park without warning as I was still on the highway. I pulled over safely without causing an accident and turned the vehicle completely off.

Incident date: Jun 17, 2025

The contact owned a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact opened the door and noticed that the interior of the vehicle was completely burned. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated the exterior of the vehicle had no signs of fire. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. In addition, the contac... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jun 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while parked and occupying the vehicle, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. Neither the independent mechanic nor dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a c... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2025

The issue appears to involve the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) system or the transmission fluid/lubricant pump. The vehicle jerks or hesitates when accelerating from a stop, as if struggling to shift properly. The check engine light comes on repeatedly. This issue is ongoing, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The jerking and hesitation when trying to drive, espec... Read more

Incident date: May 22, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal felt stiff while depressed. Additionally, the vehicle failed to slow down as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the brake pads and rotors were replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel turned approximately 90-degrees counterclockwise unintendedly while the vehicle continued driving straight. The message "Adaptive Steering Fault - Service Now" was displayed. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle later, the steering wheel returned to the cente... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2025

While backing up, the vehicle’s rear camera and sensors failed to alert me to a low object. There was no audible warning, and the object was below rear window visibility. This resulted in a dent to the trunk. The camera system typically provides audio warnings, but it was silent during this event. I am concerned this could indicate a defect in the backup safety system. There have been similar re... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. Additionally, there was a whining sound coming from the engine compartment while attempting to accelerate and the vehicle was jerking and vibrating abnormally. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and man... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2025

Message "Shift to Park" even though the car is already in Park, preventing shutting down the car.

Incident date: Jun 11, 2025

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious concern regarding my vehicle’s sunroof drainage system. Recently, a professional repair shop confirmed that the sunroof drain hose had become disconnected behind the firewall. As a result, water leaked into the interior of the vehicle and caused extensive corrosion to major electrical components, including the wiring harness and fuse box located behi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to have the air conditioning inspected, and the contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was cracked and needed to be replaced. The coolant reservoir was replaced. The contact stated that several days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of black smoke com... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2025

The car has been experiencing significant problems with oil consumption. During a routine oil change on 2/27/25 I was told my oil was significantly low and I had it refilled. When I checked the following weekend [XXX] it was significantly low again after only 500 miles. I took it to Take 5 in Lebanon, Tennessee, weekly for 3-4 weeks, near where I was working at the time, who topped off the oil ... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2025

6/14/25 - automatic emergency braking system engaged twice without any impediments in road while driving 40 miles of non-freeway driving. Mileage of vehicle is 30460 miles. AEBS engaged at 45 mph and 50 mph. Scary incidents but no accident or injury today. Concerned about continued driving and future incidents. Will contact Honda dealership. Need to issue a recall.

Incident date: May 1, 2025

Today, [XXX] while driving at highway speed this vehicle experienced a unrequested transmission downshift, from 6th to 3rd, causing unexpected rapid vehicle deceleration. I was located in the center lane of an Interstate and travelling at 70 mph when this incident happen which force the traffic behind me to take rapid accident avoidance actions. I did not hear any audible or see any visual warning... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2025

Incident date: Jun 13, 2025

Recall 14517 check. Engine is stalling and failing in idle, but is able to start. I’m

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 45 46 47 ... 673 674 Next

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

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