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: May 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2024

KNOWN issue with engines overheating and the vehicle stopping. Purchased a 2014 Nissan Rogue with 95,000 miles on it back in the summer of 2021. It currently has 102,00 miles. Along with the purchase, I purchased the “extended” warranty for $2400 to cover the drive-train. All was running well until the temperatures starting climbing into the 90’s consistently. While travelling on the tur... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2024

On July 26, 2024, I was driving my 2018 Acadia, with my cruise control set to 48 in a 45 MHP zone. Nearing a bad curve, I sneezed. When this happened, I tapped the brakes to disengage the cruise control, my passengers side tires exited the road and with both hands on the wheel I tried to slowly bring my tires back to the road. However, I was unable to gain control and totaled the vehicle. A witnes... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Mar 30, 2024

I took delivery of my new Telluride on 9/27/2023. On 11/22/2023 I started getting a warning message on my dashboard that my battery was discharging due to external electrical devices. There was nothing on in the vehicle, nor was there anything plugged into the vehicle. This message would come up after the vehicle had been sitting for a number of hours.This message came on on 4 or 5 different occas... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2024

The car that I just bought has a problem with the axle and is causing the car to pull to the right.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while shifted into reverse, there was a loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact attempted to shift to drive(D) and neutral(N) and then back to reverse(R) however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmissi... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that when making a turn, the contact noticed a rumbling noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed electronic coupler. The contact was informed that the electronic coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The man... Read more

Incident date: Jan 10, 2024

This is a reoccurring issue on numerous occasions but the transmission programming is a danger to drivers when it is in economy mode (the default setting when car starts up). The transmission constantly starts at a higher gear (3rd or 4th) and reduces throttle input from a stop. It makes for a slower takeoff when making a right turn on the stop sign because the engine would be lugging. Similarly w... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2024

Step on accelerator and no acceleration, hesitation and have to push farther down on accelerator. Sometimes that works other time I have to let of accelerator and push again to go. Nearly cause accident multiple times.

Incident date: May 4, 2024

During a recent trip to Oregon, my Volkswagen ID.4 experienced a critical failure of both the interior and exterior lighting systems, including the headlights and emergency lights. Initially, upon returning from a walk, I found the lights were on despite the vehicle being locked and not in the "Auto" mode as I had left them. Locking and unlocking the vehicle did not resolve the issue. When I enter... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2024

I had purchased the vehicle in early April of 2024 from Drive Time in Langhorne PA. I've had mechanical / engine issues since then. On [XXX], my daughter called me and informed me that the vehicle shut down while she was driving with my infant grand daughter, on the highway. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: Jul 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH and was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer wa... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2024

Unable to engage and maintain 1st gear on any grade. The design of the rotary shifter eliminated the 1st from the gear shifter leaving only paddle shifting and Sport mode. While in Sport mode with paddle shifters engaged, the car automatically shifts to 2nd gear at 4mph and around 900-1000 rpm (just above idle). When trying to downshift, the gear just flashes, making me unable to downshift to firs... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); 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 manufacturer w... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2024

On July 19 2024 driving home from work the sunroof glass exploded, nothing hit the glass from inside or outside, one can see the glass bowing upwards. I drove to dealership the same day and contacted Lexus corporate. A week later they inform me it is not covered under warranty and I should submit an insurance claim.

Incident date: Jul 22, 2024

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭: Vehicle is available for inspection. 1) Transmission: Vehicle consistently shifts aggressively around 4th gear (10 speeds total). Vehicle lurches when going above 3rd, however, it shifts correctly after 5th gear. 2) Acceleration: Vehicle randomly lurches forward or backward, depending on whether or not the vehicle is in Drive or Reverse, al... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2024

Incident date: Jul 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was driven to a local independent mechanic where it was advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer. The vehicle was then tak... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2022

Car experiences intermittent electrical system failure. Upon failure, drivers will experiance random and rapid clicking, clanking, and electrical systems discharging like lights, screens, and alarm. After restarting the car, users will find, all warning lights displayed with a few blinking: transmission, parking brake, traction control, a few more. Headlights will randomly turn on, as well as the ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 4, 2023

The vehicle stalled continuously after a slight noise and speed dropped to 20-30 mph while driving on a freeway in Arizona at around 9 pm in the night. We had to pull to the side of the road and once I parked and turned off the engine, the vehicle would not turn on again. All lights -check engine, were on. Once it was towed to the independent service center, it was diagnosed as engine failure wit... Read more

Incident date: Mar 4, 2023

The Integrated Charging Control Unit failed. My vehicle would not accept a level one or level two charge. You would have to remove the rear seats to inspect. No one’s safety was put at risk. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of... Read more

Incident date: Mar 4, 2023

Incident date: Jul 28, 2024

Was stationary in dense traffic, all waiting for a local bridge to open. We had been waiting for 10 or so minutes. Had braked and stopped close to car in front, car in Auto Hold. All of a sudden, my car accelerated quickly into stationary car in front, twice I believe, before I was able to brake and turn car off. I do not know why this happened or whether there were any warnings. Affected my ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 28, 2024

The driver was driving uphill when his RAM ProMaster suddenly lost power and rolled back down the hill, hitting a tree and stopping. During this time, the driver had absolutely no control over the vehicle, and the brakes didn’t work at all. The driver attempted to steer the vehicle, pumped the brakes, turned the key, and pulled the emergency brake, but nothing worked. Internal and external camer... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 24, 2024

I was merging on to the expressway and my truck kept going to the left into traffic towards a concrete median. I turned my wheel to the right to try to avoid it and started to spin out and went back to the right side of the expressway which was four lanes wide and slammed into the guardrail. After the wreck I noticed my ABS light was on I’m not sure if it came on as I was merging onto the expres... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 23, 2024

I have experienced multiple instances where the vehicle's transmission abruptly downshifts into lower gears, significantly reducing speed and creating a hazardous situation. This unexpected behavior has occurred on the Interstate, both while merging onto the highway and during regular driving conditions. On two separate occasions, my daughter was driving the vehicle when the transmission malfunc... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2024

while driving all warning lights came on on the dashboard. said pull over, car will stop. car would not move . after a while it would start again and warning cleared. had scan done . multiple communication failure codes for multiple modules. had codes cleared. waiting for next time. chat forums indicate this is common and usually leads to the can buss star connector defective where the multiple m... Read more

Incident date: Apr 5, 2024

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

On 5/27/24, my check engine light came on and the vehicle stayed to shimmy and shake each time I would press on the gas. Had the vehicle towed to the dealer for the #4 fuel injector assembly to be replaced. The same thing happened on 7/16/24 while traveling out of state. I was traveling on a highway and had to keep my emergency flashers on as I tried to coax the car to the next exit. Couldn't go... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

Incident date: Jul 21, 2024

While driving above 6mph, my truck is supposed to have 4 rear facing camera views available per the owners manual, normal rear view, bed camera, hitch view and trailer auxiliary view. Only 2 of the cameras work as described. It has been at the dealer several times, about 3 weeks total and Ford engineering was involved in the repair attempt. At first the engineer said it should work as described in... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at approximately 70 MPH, and changing lanes, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking system inadvertently activated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

Incident date: Jun 24, 2024

Brake Booster vacuum pump failed and pieces broke off in the engine.. it failed in the middle of driving with my [XXX] daughter.. the brakes padel was hard and was hard to stop.. could have caused a real bad accident even caused death if happened while driving.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: May 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in stop-and-go traffic, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started running hot. The contact was able to pull over and check the coolant level and became aware that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir, and the vehicle was taken to the deale... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2024

I have the 2022 S 500 with 21 inch mag spoke rims with Pirelli 255/35R21 tires on it which comes stock from Mercedes Benz. I have now been in almost 15 tires repair claims and 3 rim replacements because of how poorly Mercedes designed the rims then put a tire soon the car that cannot handle the weight of the car. I hit a pot hole and my whole tire blew out almost causing a severe crash. this is ag... Read more

2 injured

Incident date: Jul 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle in for the emissions test, the vehicle failed to pass the State emissions test. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the continuously variable transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving with the cruise control feature activated, there was a clanking noise coming from under the vehicle, and the contact smelled a fuel odor. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The contact stated that the fuel tank was swollen. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The v... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2024

On July 2024 automobile manufacturer Fisker Inc, mailed me two "safety recalls" that have not been yet resolved. 1) NHTSA campaign #24V405, Recall TSB70062404 for defective cluster telltales & 2) NHTSA campaign #24V404, Recall TSB10032403 for defective powertrain modules. There is no responsive communication with Fisker Inc. The two letters indicate that "over the air" software version Operating S... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2024

I used this carrier 3x (last was in Aug 2021), primarily due to Covid-19, or other travel that did not include use of the carrier. The fourth and last use was on [XXX]. The carrier was securely mounted to the A-frame of my travel trailer, as per the mfg's instructions. I had driven 150 miles from my home (via U.S. Interstates XXX and XXX), when I stopped at a rest area near Gila Bend, AZ, to stret... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2024

We received the recall notice, advising us to call Hyundai to make an appointment to correct the safety problem. We made an appointment to fix the problem at their Richmond, CA location. When we went there, they told us that they could not fix it because their system was down. We made another appointment in Vacaville, CA. When we arrived there on the day of the appointment, they told us that their... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2023

I received a letter in the mail that my Jeep had a recall for some type of sensor that affects the brakes and brake lights. I’ve read that a malfunction in this sensor can cause my brake to not work and can cause me to crash into someone or something. The fact that this issue hasn’t been resolved yet is beyond me. This recall came out in 2022. It had been 2 years. What’s going happen when a ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2024

The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the parking lot, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been driven in four days. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The contact stated that the vehicle was condemned total lost by the in... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that 4 cam shaft phasers had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03; however, t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2024

Since we bought our car, it has had a rattle upon startup. This was originally a recall, which we got repaired, but this repair did not make the rattle go away. I then had a transmission problem and had to have the transmission overhauled due to it having violent, jerky, unpredictable shifting between gears. When I mentioned the rattle again while they were fixing the transmission, they said that ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-up camera display screen appeared distorted, with lines inside the image. The contact stated that the failure created a visibility hazard. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the camera infotainment display needed to be replaced; however, ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2024

My vehicle started making a rattling noise I took it to a ford dealership and they said the can phasers need to be replaced i saw online that there was a recalled for the 2017-2019 models that were made between march 10th 2016 to November 30th 2019 my specific vehicle was made in the Dearborn factory where the issue was recalled march 9th of 2016 and I think that my year and model should also be u... Read more

Incident date: Jul 8, 2024

While going up a steep hill or mountain the car starts to over heat when you stop pressing the gas the car will start to go back down in to cooler numbers and you can start driving again with no issues until you hit another hill.. car breaks wear out excessively also the car jerks when going into gear to shift

Incident date: Jul 11, 2024

Was advised recall is usually sorted out within 30 days. It has been 30+ days since the official passenger airbag recall. Purchased vehicle 60 days ago, Vehicle recalled 30+ days ago— no remedy available. Passenger airbag issue— Turo, Lyft, Uber will not allow me to earn income due to NHTSA recall regulations— not drivable due to safety issue. Unemployed 30+ days as well as no transportation... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2024

I was driving on the freeway when suddenly I heard a clunking sound. Suddenly I was unable to accelerate at all. My speed was 60 mph and I had the gas pedal pressed all the way to the floor. Nothing happened and my speed would not go over 60. Then a message began flashing on my dashboard. I cannot remember the exact verbiage, but something along the lines of Hybrid System Failure. My car began l... 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