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.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 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 2,215,138 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

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 33,200 complaints for MERCEDES-BENZ

Incident date: Sep 8, 2023

since I am chemically sensitive and they had sprayed so much cleaner in this vehicle that when my husband got it home he took vinegar and cleaned it out many times and then he took it to someone to have them do the floor over so the plastic smell wouldn't stink so bad for me. It had to be there for a couple weeks or this I'm sure would have showed up much sooner. At one time our vehicle would not ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 8, 2023

I am writing to bring to your attention a critical issue affecting my 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 4 DOOR SEDAN, that warrants investigation and public awareness. Hyundai cars are currently plagued by ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS that ultimately lead to ENGINE FAILURE, due to there being NO WARNING LAMPS, MESSAGES, or OTHER SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. This is a concerning issue that r... Read more

Incident date: Sep 8, 2023

Incident date: Dec 14, 2023

I was travelling south bound on the highway at 70 mph when out of no where the left rear tire failed. The tread peeled back like an alligator skin and tore apart the side of my truck and caused me to fishtail all over the highway. I was able to avoid colliding with other vehicles on the road and miraculously made it to the shoulder of the highway. The tire is a Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Haul Master Utility 3000 Trailer. The contact stated that while hauling the trailer with an unstated vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, while the trailer was empty, and the suspension was jumping and bouncing. The wheels and axle were grabbing, seizing, and unlocking the brakes. The vehicle lunged forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that upon activating the defroster during cold winter weather, he became aware that the defroster failed to properly defrost the front windshield and that the windshield wipers failed to adequately remove ice debris, potentially compromising windshield visibility. After a visual inspection of the windshield, the contact observed that ice had d... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

2020 AMG GLC 43 coupe here in Harrison, NJ. My driving style with this vehicle isn't different in any relevant way versus with past vehicles. There is an acceleration dead spot which is the default occurrence when I am coasting at a low speed and then go to accelerate. Common scenarios are driving toward an intersection and rolling forward as you determine if you are clear to go and then accelerat... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted to park and turned off. After waiting for several minutes, the vehicle was restarted and regained power; however, the vehicle was sputtering while starting. The check engine warning light illuminated with... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

Incident date: Dec 13, 2023

Our car was recalled on 07/03/2008, recall #08V303000, for problems relating to a number of types of mechanical and electrical malfunctions. One was the "(3) OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND (4) THE SPEEDODOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE" This vehicle has had a malfunctioning "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT", that needs to be corrected. It prevents the car from being p... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2023

There are several safety related issues with the 2023 Tesla Model S 1) The horn is a tiny raised marking on the steering wheel (right side), and not like in "normal" car where pushing/hitting the center of the steering wheel will activate the horn. This is unsafe, since in emergency the driver automatically hits the center, and does not have time to look for the time horn "button" 2) The turn s... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (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 man... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2023

Paint adhesion. Pearl white color coats flaking off in several parts of body.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V787000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The man... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2022

Traction control goes off without warning at random times. In different weather conditions for no reason. Car jerks and will no longer accelerate. Have cause several dangerous situations while driving this car

Incident date: Nov 23, 2023

On multiple occasions, occurring more and more frequently, my 2013 Genesis R-Spec sedan has experienced brake pedal fade issues. The brakes work fine one minute and the next the pedal will go almost to the floor before slowing the vehicle down. The car has approximately 150K miles and is still in great shape. Brakes have been serviced, checked, and inspected by a reputable mechanic. No leaks or ot... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

While driving to work, the vehicle shook a bit and entered into "reduced propulsion mode". The vehicle had a significant reduction in engine power on the road (the propulsion became very jerky), which became dangerous on the highway. There were no previous indicators of any type of issue. After brining the vehicle to the dealership, I was told it would be okay to drive until my appointment (which ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 12, 2023

This is the 3rd incidence of this issue (July, Oct, Dec), but we have been advised that a software update is not yet available from the manufacturer. In all instances, we were travelling at a normal rate of in-city traffic (30-45 mph) and all of sudden the vehicle will not accelerate above 25 mph regardless of the position of the throttle. My dealer, Mercedes Benz of Tampa, advises that the prob... Read more

Incident date: Dec 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after her daughter refueled the vehicle at the gas station, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle started after several attempts. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough idling. Additionally, the contact stated that while her daughter was making a right turn and merging onto a ramp, the vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Dec 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 not experienced a failure. VIN tool... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

I recently had an increasing tire vibration problem on my 2020 ST with 18,500 miles. Took the ST to a Costco tire center to have the tire balance checked for lost weight, damaged rim or whatever. Balancer had massive weight shift so they took tire off the rim. Unknown to me, the original Pirelli P Zero tires have a foam coat inside the tire for noise comfort(????). It had deteriated and was formai... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2022

I was driving at 30mph and my rear windshield shattered after having the defroster on. I had a passenger in the back seat when this happened and not only did it hurt his ears because how loud the pop noise was; he could have been seriously injured by any glass debris that could of scattered around.

Incident date: Dec 11, 2022

When shifting drive to reverse it takes 4 to 5 seconds to start moving the car. This being a very dangerous situation when backing into a busy street.

Incident date: Oct 3, 2023

The back rear windshield glass exploded and shattered into small pieces. Remote started the car before making my way to drive it. As I started to drive, in few minutes I heard a pop sound and when checked rear view mirror; the rear windshield was shattered into pieces. There was no impact, no object hitting. Luckily I was the only occupant in the car and no injury resulted. Car taken to the deale... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2023

Transmission is slipping , it started at about 65,000 miles, just after the warrAnty expired on this. This is a known problem with the 10 speed transmission. Despite this being a known problem Ford will not, assist financially to repair this unit

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

The steering wheel jerks at highway speeds. It has been to the dealer for steering rack recall from Honda and they said the part number did not qualify for replacement. All systems checked out as working properly. The problem still exists. New tires have been placed on the vehicle and the steering problem still exists. The dealer has been of no help in resolving this issue. Attached is the service... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

I have a Mercedes Sprinter Van that has a Dodge Vin number and no one wants to provide the replacement of the Airbag in the vehicle. Mercedes says its a Dodge and the Dodge Dealership in Freehold said they can not work on it since it has a Mercedes Emblem on it.

Incident date: Nov 14, 2023

Vehicle fails to accelerate when the accelerator is pushed all the way to the floor. Maximum acceleration is 20-25 mph. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety is greatly put at risk in normal traffic conditions due to the inability to accelerate. I am also unable to drive on the highway or anywhere requiring higher rates of speed. I am also unable to quickly remove my... Read more

Incident date: Nov 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was... Read more

Incident date: Nov 14, 2023

Incident date: Oct 25, 2023

Within one week of car purchase, the car is alerting that the SRS system is not working and it needs to be taken to a dealership. Dealership doesn't have am timeline on when they will be able to fix it.

Incident date: Nov 21, 2023

When is FCA going to figure out a solution to Recall 49A? Recalls R27 and R67 have been done on my Cherokee. This is my solution for FCA: "Possible FCA temporary solution to the PLGM catching on fire: Instead of having the PLGM connect to an always hot fuse, relocate the wire in the PDC to an only ON when the engine is running fuse. Of course this means you can only open the liftgate when the engi... Read more

Incident date: Nov 21, 2023

The following error message is displayed: "secure vehicle against rolling" this message is displayed due to a broken spring in the gear selector mechanism. Because of the broken spring, the car's computer cannot detect whether or not the gear selector is in park. This creates a safety hazard because the gear selector can be shifted into drive without having your foot on the brake. Note that a very... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2023

The back glass shattered without anything hitting it or any visible cracks prior to incident. The lift gate was opened via the automatic function and then closed with the automatic function. The trunk was empty and nothing was touching the glass. While closing the glass shattered and spidered the entire back glass. The temperature was about 45 F. The problem appears to be consistent in the 2019 to... Read more

Incident date: Dec 9, 2023

Multiple tires have developed a bulge in the sidewall. This is now the third time.

Incident date: Dec 8, 2023

When in heavy fog, rain, direct light to cameras or sensor the safety features become unavailable. As soon as any of the above goes away they come back. This in my opinion becomes more of a risk driving these vehicles if the safety systems do not function properly.

Incident date: Dec 4, 2023

Coolant leak into the engine, the irreparably damages the engine. Ford refuses to repair.

Incident date: Nov 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V509000 (Parking Brake) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 stated that while reversing at approximately 3 MPH, ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 16, 2023

He wiring harness to the 4wd kept coming on which wouldn’t allow me to ingage. Mountain Chevy citified mechanic found a chafing on the wiring harness. After filing it my truck started to light up like a Christmas tree, Stability service, trailer brake service, Locker service, Power streering service and they done turn off. Which is caused by more chafing wires that are to close to components of ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 8, 2023

The car shifter doesn't detect that it's parked and keeps displaying "Shift to Park" message not allowing you to turn off the car completely. This problem happened before and was only fixed by replacing the shifter but it happens again after about the same time driving the original shifter.

Incident date: Dec 8, 2023

Coolant leak, warning light signified an issue with the cooling system. Took vehicle to Audi dealership service department; they confirmed there is a big coolant leak with the coolant pump and thermostat. Vehicle inspected by Audi Sewell dealership for repairs. Symptoms appeared approximately 11/19/23, 2 weeks days prior to taking into the dealership. I had the oil changed at a non-Audi s... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

The contact's wife owns a 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster and the infotainment system remained off. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that h... Read more

Incident date: Oct 15, 2023

highway traveling, transmission dropped into lowest gear from 65mph. no injury of myself or others in the vehicle. no accident occurred as result. I have not taken the issue up with the manufacturer or scheduled inspection. ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 5, 2023

While driving down the interstate, I had automatic cruise control set at around 70-73 mph, there were few cars on the road and none in front of me. It was dark outside, and one a particular spot, road seemed to have a slight/gradual dip, while going thru this section, vehicle’s emergency braking started flashing and signaling to brake. There was no one in front of me, and it seems as if sensor m... Read more

Incident date: Dec 5, 2023

I have not experienced a safety problem that is related to this recall. The problem that I have experienced is that I can not sell the car to a dealer because of the open recall. I am basically frozen out of the market by the manufacturer’s inability to correct their own mistakes. Additionally it turns out that Ford missed their commitment date of resolution by October, 2023.

Incident date: Jun 26, 2023

Dec 6. Started vehicle and steering wheel would nor move. All functions of car worked. Fwd, rev, engine running , lights all worked. Turned off and restarted 3 times and steering wheel still not moving. All of a sudden wheel became free. I worry now if this could happen while driving. Light did come on saying "lain assist not available"

Incident date: Nov 11, 2022

Front end of vehicle collided with a deer. As a result of the crash, the car caught fire destroying the entire front of the vehicle. I came across an article that somewhat describes the details of my incident. However I was told there was no correlation with the recall from GM below from 2011/2012. Fuel system, gasoline: Storage Tank assembly: Mounting Recall date 2012-06-21 Recall no. 12V28900... Read more

Crash Fire

Incident date: Nov 11, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys, where it was... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2023

This car uses a quart of oil approximately every 200-300 miles without fail. It burns out spark plugs, coils and has burnt out the catalytic converter. This started at around 125,000 miles, it now has 154,000. That is a lot of oil I’ve had to put in it.

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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

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