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 2, 2024

The automatic parking feature was being used to park in garage the vehicle proceed to back up without stopping and the emergency braking system didn’t engage leading to the vehicle crashing. I could have been injured if the structure of the house didn’t stop the vehicle. If someone had been behind the vehicle they would’ve been killed. The incident was reported to BMW, although the system m... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 2, 2024

Crash

Incident date: May 2, 2024

On Wednesday, [XXX], 2024 between 1015-1045 am while traveling on [XXX] , my vehicle unexpectedly accelerated while entering the left turn lane. On ramp to [XXX] northbound, Monroe county, Pennsylvania. At the time I was giving steering input and had also applied the windshield wiper system. This happened a second time while approaching the intersection of [XXX] northbound. While taking my foot ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2024

While driving from La Crosse WI to Champlin, MN on [XXX] I noticed car was not responding as much as usual when pressing gas and might have been making some clicking type noises but lots of other noises in and around vehicle could not tell for sure. Then suddenly heard very loud clanking and banging sounds and saw smoke come out of engine, I pulled over. Upon pulling over I discovered a large oil ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 30, 2024

Seatbelt airbags braking system auto start lights all come on when I start it and when I’m driving, Also had the front collision camera put me in at a complete stop when going 45 mph and sent me into the steering wheel

Incident date: May 2, 2024

Incident date: Aug 24, 2023

My vehicle is pulling and steering is getting hard and unable to control. I was driving my vehicle with my child when I steering wheel locked up and jerked the right almost causing me to side swipe another vehicle. This is a known issue with this year, make and model of Honda and it has not been recalled. Vehicle was inspected by a mechanic and deemed unsafe because of power steering failure

Incident date: Feb 2, 2024

So driving about 50-55mph, the dash lights lite up like a christmas tree. Everything from ABS, shifter lock, sway bar, airbags, traction control, aux battery and some other things that i can't remember. Engine lost power, power steering and unable to shift out of park. I took to my local dealer, I didn't buy it from them, and they diagnsoed the issue of a faulty ABS module. This module has been in... Read more

Incident date: May 17, 2024

My emergency braking system goes off constantly without anything in front of me. I almost got rear ended on a highway because my car came to a dead stop with nothing in front of me or even on the sides of me. It does this daily. My car also has been having a delayed start. It sounds like it almost does not want to start but then starts. Both of these issues have been affecting other Hondas inclu... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2024

This morning the panoramic sunroof on our 2012 Kia Sorrento spontaneously exploded. Shattered and chunks of safety glass came down on us. My son and I sustained superficial injuries (I sustained laceration over left eye and on left hand) - he has a lump on the right side of his skull. When we pulled over the glass was also on the rear portion of the roof. Nothing struck the vehicle. There was no v... Read more

2 injured

Incident date: Sep 11, 2023

I was driving down the highway between 65 and 70 MPH. The semi-truck in front of me almost missed his turn and stopped quickly to make a 90 degree turn off the highway. I went to slow my vehicle appropriately, and my brakes did not respond. I had no warning that my brakes were compromised. I quickly used the downshift button to use my engine to slow me down and I crashed my vehicle off the roa... Read more

Incident date: Sep 11, 2023

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear view camera and speedometer How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Rear view camera restarts and flickers so seeing behind while in reverse is dangerous. The electrical component issues have bled over to the digital speedometer, making it difficult to see the speed at which you... Read more

Incident date: Sep 11, 2023

Incident date: Sep 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to extend and was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the front driver's side seat belt ratchet was abnormally opened, causing the air bag module to fail. The dealer determined that the front driver's side seat belt assem... Read more

Incident date: Sep 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Genesis G80. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V107000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The m... Read more

Incident date: Mar 7, 2024

After driving on the highway for approximately 20 miles with no warning lights illuminated or any signs of issue, the driver's door opened while driving at highway speeds. We were in a right hand turn on a highway exchange ramp at approximately 65 mph, when the door popped open an audible warning began to sound and visual door ajar warnings illuminated on the dash. This was not just an erroneous... Read more

Incident date: Mar 7, 2024

Extend2Fit will NOT click into recline 6 for forward facing greater than 40 pounds as required by the manufacturer. Because my toddler is greater than 40 pounds and now needing to be forward facing, we can no longer use this car seat marketed toward growing with my child up to 100 pounds. I reached out to Graco and they are claiming it can be from normal wear and tear after just four years of use ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

On Tuesday, May 14th, the sunroof on my 2020 Kia Telluride broke and is now stuck in the open position. Despite forums indicating that this is a common issue with this vehicle, Kia refuses to cover the repair. This is the first time I've purchased a new vehicle and faced a major repair before paying it off. The sunroof problem is clearly an issue with Kia, yet they are not offering any assistance ... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2024

Coolant bypass valve failed at 52k miles.

Incident date: May 15, 2024

Coolant bypass valve failed at 52k miles.

Incident date: May 6, 2024

On Sunday [XXX] I was driving to work, there was a moment where I felt the steering wheel was very stiff to the point where it felt weird and hard to control. I felt the two front wheels a bit odd, but then it went back to normal. I paid no attention to it after. As I was driving on [XXX] , my car started to automatically move to the left and I tried steering my wheel to get back in lane, but the ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and the low battery warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact heard a rattling sound coming from the engine before the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed hybrid system and that the hybrid system ne... Read more

Incident date: May 9, 2024

This vehicle lost power while driving and would not re-start. A message came on dash saying “service electronic throttle” and then the vehicle burst into flames. There is a recall for other models with the same engine but not this vehicle. It is a safety hazard that almost killed me.

Fire

Incident date: May 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH and making a left turn in the rain, the vehicle shut off. There were no warning lights illuminated. While at a car wash, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the water was entering the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The v... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2024

On May 3, 2024, while driving to work, the vehicle acutely started to make a loud clicking noise in the engine compartment. I parked the vehicle and looked for a warning light indicator on the dashboard to determine the problem, but no indicator light emerged. I then called Audi Omaha and spoke with the Service Manager who kindly arranged to have my vehicle picked up and a loaner dropped off. I... Read more

Incident date: Apr 4, 2024

There are cracks on the driver side headlamp due to design flaw. My light went completely off causing the front headlamp to turn off and disable certain things that are crucial forndriving. the dealer will not replace the headlamp saying it is external factors. Other have the same issue. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: May 12, 2024

I was driving to work Tuesday and noticed that my car wasn't accelerating and losing speed, pulled over and as soon as I came to a stop, it dies. I got it towed to my mechanic, they said I was out of oil and throwing a p1326 code for the ksds. I'm not sure how that is possible, cause I changed the oil a month prior on April 6, this happened May 7. Mechanic put more oil in and I was taking it home.... Read more

Incident date: May 12, 2024

-vehicle will stop accelerating in traffic -accelerate suddenly even when your foot is not on the pedal

Incident date: May 1, 2024

When operating the vehicle in reverse, the dashboard screen was black/blank instead of displaying the view from the rear backup camera. The issue began to occur intermittently at ~40,000 miles and the camera was completely non-operational at 42,163k miles (10/21/2023). Upon investigating and diagnosing the root cause of failure, the dealer determined that the rear backup camera wiring harness fail... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2024

The torque convertor is bad, causing my vehicle not to accelerate properly, especially when going uphill and until reaching a sustained speed. It also shudders while at a sustained speed and jerks when going in reverse. Recently, while accelerating onto the highway (from 30mph to 60+ mph) I was almost rear ended due to the vehicle shifting hard and not accelerated at the rate of speed expected.... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate as needed when the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2024

fuel pump issues

Incident date: May 9, 2024

I was driving my van which I have had nothing but trouble with this dodge caravan, go to turn at the intersection and it just shuts off started right back up but starting to turn and it just shut off. Happened twice now, had the battery checked and every thing else seemed good just didn’t know why this happened but it almost got us hot the first time. There are a lot of dodge vans that aren’t ... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2024

The windshield has cracked every year since I purchased the vehicle in May 2020. I fortunately bought the insurance but that only covers the windshield once a year. The windshield cracks within a month or two of replacing every single year. The cracks generally start from the edge of the windshield and there is no indication that it was hit be a rock as the start of the crack is clean. There have ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the speedometer suddenly went to 0, and the vehicle failed to shift gears as needed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the lead frame was deformed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired b... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2024

A popping noise has been happening on opening the front doors. Yesterday the passenger door became difficult to close.

Incident date: May 10, 2024

Cascading brake failures while driving. ABS unavailable. Regenerative braking unavailable causing the brake pedal to be really heavy and hard to stop. Parking brake warning. Tire pressure monitoring error. Traction control error (esc). Loud pump or motor noise coming from the rear when parked when failure occurs. Have video of this noise. This error is also causing the rear drive motor to not ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2023

The manufacturer of Kia has not resolve the fire issue to the vehicles. The recall has not be looked into or updated since letter in 2022. I’ve asked multiple Kia reps when the recall will be handled and was told there is no remedy. This recall is super dangerous and is a liability when driving on highways or long travel. My car can catch on fire at any time and nothing is being handled to resol... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2024

i have a 2016 Kia Soul EV+. The Hghi Voltage Battery Pack Assembly is malfunctioning and it only charges to 30 percent or a 30-mile range. It should charge to a 90-mile range. While driving, it suddenly drops from a 25-mile range to an 18- mile range, I sometimes smell an electrical burning smell. When the battery gets down to an 18-mile range. it suddenly starts to drop dramatically. The car... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2024

After stopping at a stop sign I attempted to cross the traffic to enter another lane. When I began to proceed I lost all power to the vehicle. The engine was still running but the accelerator pedal had no effect on the engine. As i was trying to cross the traffic, the vehicles I was trying avoid were now having to brake for me because I was in the middle of the road with no power. There were no w... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. The engine coolant temperature was high, and a message was displayed. The engine temperature gauge increased to a high level and then decreased to a normal level. While driving 45–50 MPH in the rain, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local deale... Read more

Incident date: Jan 11, 2024

After driving the car about 5 miles at about 10 miles per hour while decelerating the transmission shifted into neutral requiring me to need to pull over to the side of the road, put the car in park, turn it off and back on again, this has now happened 3 times in the span of about 1 week.

Incident date: May 1, 2024

Steering wheel is sticking and not operating smoothly. Feels like steering wheel has notches in it. Very difficult to steer. Feels unsafe to drive. Have taken to service department at dealership several times. We are told the part is on critical back order. We started having the problem in November. Part was ordered in February. Part number 536203D4A24. Have now also filed a complaint with Honda. ... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2024

The engine would completely shut down while driving you had to completely take foot off gas petal because it would not excellent to make the car run it would almost come to complete slow down and stop you could then push gas and it would pick up and start running again.was worse when raining. Then the brakes got to where they would not stop and would lock up.Iwas on busy road and on interstate whe... Read more

Incident date: May 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2024

Bypass coolant valve is a known issue and while the valve isn’t broken or leaking the car is prompting for a fix that isn’t necessary of a fix.

Incident date: Apr 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after shifting from park(P) into drive(D), the gear shifter erroneously shifted back to park(P). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The shifter cable bushing was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, ... Read more

Incident date: May 9, 2024

Hello, I am writing to you about repeated repairs that I have incurred for my 2011 BMW Z4, VIN [XXX] . On [XXX] 2017, I had a BMW initiated, no cost recall/extended warranty replacement of 6 fuel injectors performed at Hilton Head BMW in Hilton Head, SC. Due to the nature of the work, it was recommended that the 6 spark plugs be replaced, which were not covered under the recall/extended warranty... 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