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: Apr 1, 2025

I received a safety recall notice (Campaign Number: 24V227000 / Subaru Code: WRA24) for my Subaru Outback. I contacted multiple Subaru dealerships in my area, and they all told me that the repair parts are not available and there is no clear ETA for when they will arrive. This recall relates to a safety issue, and I am concerned that my vehicle may not be safe to drive, especially at highway speed... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2025

Forward collision feature does not work. Does not detect possible collision and does not apply emergency braking. Dealerships told me I don’t have the forward collision warning plus unless I am using adaptive cruise control, which is false. These are two separate features.

Incident date: Apr 28, 2025

The car is not shifting properly and will "jump" or "lunge" forward while driving. I have noticed that the RPM's will jump and bounce around, seemingly down shifting, then shift again, and then down shift again, which causes jerking motion.

Incident date: May 13, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 94,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 171,000.

Incident date: May 14, 2025

Starting [XXX], through [XXX], we began receiving multiple "Critical Vehicle Malfunction" alerts (46 alert messages)via the Mazda app, including "Parking Brake Malfunction" and "Electric Parking Brake Malfunction." During this time, the vehicle experienced delayed starts and eventually required a jump-start. We brought it to the dealership multiple times to show the messages, before our 3-year/36,... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2025

I buckle the seat belt and it just comes unbuckled spontaneously when I’m driving. I check to see if the seat belt is secure by pulling on it. It seems secure but still unbuckles. I usually have to redo my seatbelt every 5 minutes. I do not feel like it will keep me safe in a collision

Incident date: May 13, 2025

The vehicle has acceleration hesitation. Sometimes when trying to go from a complete stop the vehicle is almost dead and doesn’t move then it feels as if the “clutch was popped “ in a manual but it is an automatic.

Incident date: Apr 13, 2025

Own a 2017 Ford Explorer 2.3L EcoBoost with 116K miles, out of the blue the vehicle started to overheat the engine, with no coolant left in the reservoir. Took it to a mechanic who stated that the engine is not that old and that it was unsure of why the head gasket was blown. It is believed by many including a Class Action Law Suite that Ford is aware of the possible overheating issues with their... Read more

Incident date: May 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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 avai... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rack and pinion. The vehicle was not repaired. ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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 available. The manuf... Read more

Incident date: Mar 14, 2025

Vehicle has 32,000 miles and the valve body has gone out and now parts for possibly months. My vehicle has been in the shop over these first 2 years over 2 months. Now this issue with the valve body it has been in over two weeks and they claim it will be months before they can get parts. This issue puts the vehicle in limp mode and most likely is damaging the clutrch packs as they go out. People a... Read more

Incident date: Apr 13, 2025

My 2018 Honda Accord Sport has been experiencing issues with its automatic emergency braking system, specifically the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). The system has been activaing unexpectedly, causing the car to brake without an apparent reason. I’ve been trying to keep a list of locations that it has happened and it usually occurs under overpasses when the light changes from light ... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2025

When the vehicle is set to regenerative braking mode, lifting off the accelerator pedal causes the car to decelerate significantly. However, in many cases, the brake lights do not illuminate during this process. This could potentially create a safety risk, as drivers behind may not realize the car is slowing down and may not respond in time. tesla

Incident date: May 1, 2025

The cars electrical system does not work properly. It is always triggering false alarms. The emergency braking brakes for unknown reasons. The blind spot cameras and notifications always switch off for no apparent reason. There are warning messages that come on and off and are unreliable to warn of an actual problem.

Incident date: Sep 3, 2024

I have so many problems with my truck and the surging engine as well as squealing brakes, lane assist is disabled but comes on and jerks the truck out of my lane and it's impossible to steer almost causing me to crash numeroys times. Every time I try to get the engine replaced which I've been waiting over a year and I was in Phase 2 and every Toyota dealership tells me something different. I can't... Read more

Incident date: May 7, 2025

While driving, the vehicle's Automatic Stop-Start System Engaged as usual when the car came to a stop (e.g., at a red light or in traffic). However, when releasing the brake, the Automatic Stop-Start System failed to restart the engine. Not only it failed to restart the engine, but multiple attempts of manually start the engine all failed. And the car became stranded in the middle of road with hea... Read more

Incident date: May 7, 2025

Transmission valve body went out, part is back ordered. There is a recall for this part on 2019 to current GM eight speed and 10 speed transmissions. This is clearly one of them. I’m not sure why it’s not recalled?

Incident date: Apr 28, 2025

•Make: Ford •Model: Fiesta ST •Model Year: 2019 •Engine: 1.6L EcoBoost •Mileage at Incident: 95000 Component Affected: Engine / Cooling System Summary of Problem: Coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber of my 1.6L EcoBoost engine due to a suspected internal engine defect. This issue caused noticeable white smoke from the exhaust, engine misfires, and a loss of power while drivin... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2025

AC BLOWER STOPPED FUNCTIONING

Incident date: Apr 28, 2025

Coolant leaking into Cylinder. Causing overheating. Numerous attempts to fix.

Incident date: Apr 25, 2025

Car has premature failure from the AC system. My system started to fail between 40-50k miles. Both the AC compressor and condenser failed causing metal pieces to be in the system. If not fixed, those metal shavings will cause failure in other electrical systems including the HV battery.

Incident date: Apr 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that rainwater was leaking from the passenger’s side windshield seal into the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the windshield seal was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the body control module was previously replaced due to water in... Read more

Incident date: Sep 7, 2024

My vehicle is a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe with less than 90,000 miles and the catalytic converters have internally failed causing a $3000 complete replacement of that system in which they state should last a lifetime of the vehicle and it is not even five years old.

Incident date: May 7, 2025

Rear brake lights did not work, but high mount brake light functioned normally. I found a safety recall for the 2019 Ford Ranger for the same condition (19S43). This safety recall identifies connector C442 as the root cause for the incident. Based on this information, I located the connected. I disconnected the connector, did visual inspection. Visual inspection did not find any bent pins, so... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2025

I used to go to Chevy for service and was seeing the same issue and got frustrated. Starting going to Meineke and they found out that I had an ongoing oil consumption issue. I contacted Chevy and GM. They said the vehicle had too much mileage and I tried to explain the issue. I went back to the Chevy dealership and they didn't find an oil consumption issue. There was a major lawsuit in o... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the camshaft and cylinder #7 connecting rod, resulting in damages to the engine. The con... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that cylinder #3 was faulty. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replac... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2025

Water apparantly was going thru the sunroof and clogging the drains-- No water seeped into the car or from the roof-- It went through the interior of the car nor did it ever get into the vehicle floor so no way to even be aware of car accumlating water- This interior water damage nd destroyed the electronic system of the vehicle- Insured driver - my daughter was driving when car alarm and back doo... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2025

All lights on dash board on and would not cut off. We were told it was the battery that was bad. The battery in the vehicle was not a year old. We purchased the new battery and within a couple weeks it happened again with all of the lights on. This is a safety matter because this can cause problem with the heads to the motors or can just stop running. We took the car back to the dealer and then th... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Feb 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power with an abnormal ratting sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle into a parking lot and then had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact later towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated to upshift while the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear while the gear shifter was in use. An unknown warning light was illuminate... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2024

The Clock Spring has been identified as being bad, (nothing in the steering wheel works). I have owned it for 5 years and it hasn't worked for at least 3-4 of those years. I don't know if it has been replaced... However, for something that is a safety concern, such as the airbags, I would think that it would work longer than 1-2 years... if it has been previously replaced. I can't find any records... Read more

Incident date: May 5, 2025

This problem has occurred several times since the car was bought new in 2023: The driver is at a red light. When the light changes, the driver depresses the accelerator and the car accelerates very slowly. The RPM go very high and the car will not drive faster than 30 mph. After the car is parked, turned off, and left for several minutes, it starts and drives normally. This occurs at random i... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2025

I was driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y when another vehicle pulled out from a driveway and struck the front/side of my car. The Tesla failed to initiate Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and no airbags deployed. This raises serious concerns about the functionality of Tesla’s safety systems in real-world scenarios. The vehicle has not been modified in any way and was in standard driving mode. I ha... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. In addition, the contact stated t... Read more

Incident date: Mar 29, 2025

Complaint to NHTSA – Honda HR-V Transmission Failure and Safety Risk I purchased a used 2018 Honda HR-V, and the day after purchase, I noticed unusual noises coming from the vehicle. I took it to a certified Honda dealer, where they updated the transmission software without my consent or prior notice. After the update, the car suddenly stalled on the highway, creating a serious safety risk. The... Read more

Incident date: Feb 10, 2022

Infotainment system "touch" screen doesn't work and I experience "ghost" touching where it's as if someone is actually pressing the screen to toggle between the different functions, raise/lower the volume, etc., when my hands are no where near the screen. It's a very dangerous distraction when it happens while driving.

Incident date: May 1, 2025

Back-up camera will display images backward and poses a collision hazard as driver won’t know which direction cars or pedestrians are coming from.

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

While driving about 75 miles an hour, when the gear was shifting back-and-forth between about seven and eight, there was a loud bang. It happened again with a bang that was not as loud. Something with the transmission. Only have 36k miles on it.

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

If the vehicle goes over 65 mph the transmission light starts blinking on the dashboard.

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while a friend was attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Cam... Read more

Incident date: Apr 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Acadia. The contact stated there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the brake pads were replaced; however, the failure returned several days later after the repair. In addition, the contact stated that transmission fluid was leaking from t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 21, 2025

My 2019 honda crv has been in and out of shops since April 1st. On april 1st lights popped on on my dashboard the lights were break system lights. All wheel drive system lights, and then the lane keep assist adaptive cruise ect were on and not operational. I looked up what could cause that to happen and it stated rear differential fluid could pop lights on. I took it to the dealership and stated i... Read more

Incident date: Apr 21, 2025

This is my 4th volkswagen jetta 2.5L I've own that has had the same issue with the charging system the car would just shut off while driving due to dead battery almost causing an accident this needs to be addressed 2011 to 2018

Incident date: Apr 29, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling ) and 25V126000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. T... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2025

I’m filing this complaint regarding a serious safety concern with my 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle is affected by NHTSA Recall 25V274 related to a potential defect in the crankshaft or connecting rods. GM has confirmed the recall, but there is currently no fix available, and dealerships are not equipped to inspect the engine to determine if it’s defective. This leaves us driving a vehic... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2025

I leased a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate with the 6.2L V8 engine. The vehicle experienced multiple engine-related issues over time, including stalling on [XXX], and again in early 2025. On [XXX], the engine completely failed while I was driving on the highway. The truck suddenly shut down, forcing me to pull over in a dangerous situation. It was towed to North Bay Cadillac, where they confi... 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