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: Feb 27, 2024

Check engine light P052E crankcase vent valve thousands of same model have this problem should be recall

Incident date: Jan 2, 2024

Driver door check arm bracket welds broke in door

Incident date: Feb 24, 2024

This 2019 Jeep Compass, has mixed the coolant and oil causing a blown head gasket, according to the dealership, it needs a new engine, and something that is too common on the Jeep Compass, as mine is shy over 8k it is not covered under warranty. No warning lights came on, no lights of high temperature in the transmission, oil or coolant. The car did stall in the middle of the road, causing risk f... Read more

Incident date: Feb 23, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, her husband swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and simultaneously depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact's husband pulled to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. The contact husband noticed that there was smoke coming from the fr... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the driver's side rear sliding door was stuck and failed to open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Incident date: Feb 5, 2024

Broke rear subframe while driving. Made it home discovered the left rear suspension is almost completely detached from the vehicle. Researched the problem and discovered it’s a known issue and a warranty extension has been provided for some vehicles including some models of my particular year and model but after contacting Mercedes is seems mine is not.

Incident date: Feb 5, 2024

Driver's side window trim piece (which includes keyless entry keypad) detached from vehicle while driving 70+ mph & smacked several times against driver's side window before busting off. Bottom part is attached by wires (for keyless entry pad) & continued to smack against the window several times before I was able to safely pull over and tape to vehicle. I'm surprised it didn't bust the window as ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 5, 2024

Transmission will not go in to Park when stopped, Truck will roll away if parked on grade. Dealer reports no recall on this Transmission. Has not been inspected by anyone at this time. No warning lights ,before or after problem started. Problem start about 6 month ago, at about 18,000 miles

Incident date: Feb 27, 2024

When passing another vehicle on the road at ~70 mph, the engine warning lights lit up and rpms went to zero. The vehicle was towed and the mechanic told me that then engine is seized. Fortunately, there was no one ahead of us on the road, but it could have been dangerous because we were passing on a two lane road, and when the engine seized it might have meant we were unable to successfully pass. ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 27, 2024

My card was recalled several years ago for a Purge Valve Canister. It was repaired but would still cut out sometimes. It is doing it again now, as a matter of fact when you pull up to a light or sudden stop it will stall the engine. Also when you fill up with gas, it does not want to start. I know that when it was fixed, the problem was a band aid fix. There is something in the vehicle causing t... Read more

Incident date: Feb 25, 2024

When a passenger is in the car, the air bag light and an audible alert constantly go off while driving. Took it to the dealership and they say this: "it's a seat belt buckle sensor circuit causing orc. light wires are connected and not damaged" To me, the words "not damaged" indicate that this is not our fault. Of course we're not going to let our daughter continue to drive the car like this, but... Read more

Incident date: Feb 27, 2024

Complete computer failure leaving cars safety systems not working. Had to pay 3000$ for a new computer for a new car. Did not have car for three weeks. No systems would work.

Incident date: Jan 20, 2024

- The check arm attachment point in the door assembly on the driver's side door. The spot welds holding the attachment to the door have broken. It is available for inspection at request. - It's a safety issue because the door no longer is able to catch itself presenting the possibility of the door being "ripped" from our hand if the wind would catch it potentially causing harm. Also, it's unknown... Read more

Incident date: Feb 27, 2024

Rear tail gate hatch Anytime it rains the hatch will open and faults out which ultimately causing it to not close or open tailgate fault shows up on the dash and does not function anymore do to water collecting in electrical module that controls hatch due to faulty design

Incident date: Nov 24, 2023

Consistently since I bought the car I have warning lights turn on when nothing is wrong with it. At first it started with the tire pressure light and after owning it for 3 years now, over the past two weeks I've had a ton of warning lights turn on and I've had two mechanics look at it and see nothing wrong with the vehicle. After doing some research online, I've learned that I am not the only 2019... Read more

Incident date: Nov 24, 2023

While attempting to pull out of a parking space, the electric power steering was not functioning properly and it was very difficult to turn the wheel. Warning lights were illuminated for "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "Service AdvanceTrac", and "Steering Assist Fault Service Required". The vehicle was undrivable and this could have been dangerous had this failed while driving. The vehicle was ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 24, 2023

Low beam headlights are so dim, driving at night is extremely dangerous. There is not enough illumination to detect more than 3 feet in front of the vehicle nor adequately see any potential hazards. After doing some research, it appears that this is a common problem that Kia is aware of, however, they refuse to remedy the situation. It is a manufacturer defect with the chrome that surrounds the bu... Read more

Incident date: Feb 10, 2024

The diesel X5 randomly shut off and would not start leaving my wife stranded on the highway. This left my wife without power steering or power brakes. It was acting a little weird a day or so before the issue, but only displayed a generic powertrain warning without storing any ECM codes to assist with diagnosis. After the engine died, the engine stored a low fuel pressure code. The Bosch CP4 h... Read more

Incident date: Feb 10, 2024

Chassis is rusting out. Drivers side rear spring shackle, bracket fell off and need to be replaced costing me about $500.00. Mazda b2300 is also a Ford Ranger which also has similar issues. My truck has about 170,000 miles on the odometer. The drive train is strong; idles and runs smooth, does not burn oil.

Incident date: Aug 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled and decelerated to a complete stop with several unknown warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer where several fault codes were reset. The contact continued to experience the failure and return... Read more

Incident date: Feb 26, 2020

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that several of the skid plate bolts had detached, causing the front of the skid plate to fall. The independent mechanic informed the contact that only two rear bolts were stil... Read more

Incident date: Sep 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that the dealer had performed the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V438000 (Electrical System) on the vehicle; however, after the repair, the key fob and the radio became inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the ignition switch was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer referred the contact to... Read more

Incident date: Feb 5, 2024

My equinox has only 70,000 miles and they found ground bearings in the transfer case and it cost me $2000 to fix they said this was an unusual repair to report it

Incident date: Jul 16, 2020

The lighting system on the 2018 Mazda cx-5 base sport model has it so that during the daytime, the low beams continuously run. This and the continuously lighted dashboard make it hard to tell when you need to turn on the headlight/tail lights, since the headlights are always on. These arent even side drls, they are full low-beam lights. I've seen many Mazda cx-5 base models that do not have auto h... Read more

Incident date: Dec 12, 2023

6L80 TRANS SHUDDERS AND SLIPS

Incident date: Oct 1, 2023

The power steering shuts off randomly.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

I bought this car new in 2013. I maintained it at the dealer as per MB recommendations. Last service was in August 2023. Currently had 42K miles on it. Two weeks ago 2 unknown to me lights came on and I took it to the dealer. The diagnosis was total failure due to oil leaking into the computer system. Second problem was water in the subfloor affecting sensors. Coons Mercedes in Catonsville, MD ha... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2024

The contact owned a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 45 MPH, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The contact stated that as her son attempted to steer the vehicle off of the highway, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. It is unknown if there was a police report taken at that time. The vehicl... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jan 1, 2024

I am filing a complaint with Honda Motors due to a recall regarding the fuel pump. I received a letter stating that it is an issue that can be serious, leading to an accident or injury. The main reason for this complaint is that Honda stated that the part will not be available for at least seven months. This is our family car and we have two young children we would obviously like to keep safe. I d... Read more

Incident date: Feb 13, 2024

Brakes: Every day for past two years, on every startup car states Brake system problem, anti-lock brake problem, and TPMS problem; with it having no actual problem with brake system and message disappearing after a few minutes of driving. SRS: Intermittent display of SRS light while driving reading: airbag system or seat belt tensioners have a problem. Usually appears after Passenger airbag light... Read more

Incident date: Feb 5, 2024

The EGR valve had failed, causing a check engine light, which turned into a blown fuse. The fuse blowing left the vehicle stranded until I unplugged the EGR valve and replaced the fuse. I drove it to a shop, where they replaced the valve and the car has been functional since then.

Incident date: Feb 19, 2024

Tesla is using camera-only detection for Forward Collision Warning system and this leads to numerous false positive alerts. This has happened from simply driving next to parked cars or slowly approaching vehicles at a traffic light. When these faulty alerts occur, a loud audible beeping is heard and red alerts are displayed on the screen. These faulty alerts are dangerous distractions, causing pan... Read more

Incident date: Nov 30, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was also determined ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 30, 2023

There are holes in the frame and the frame mounts. Sold with a clean title

Incident date: Feb 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 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 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 experienced a failure. Parts dist... Read more

Incident date: Feb 22, 2024

I’m having two continuous, multiple incident, problems that the dealership swears up and down do not exist. I have tried calling the dealership multiple times, and the national Honda customer service line. Problem number one, sudden, breaking while driving at highway speed with no vehicle or other objects in front of me. Second problem is the adaptive cruise control no longer is activated on the... Read more

Incident date: Feb 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the door hinge. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the door check arm attachment point. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 22, 2024

TIPM connectors melted. Ground wires melted.

Incident date: Dec 19, 2023

The big recall with Honda and Acura, it lists the 2018-2019 Honda fit as having issues with the fuel pump modular. I've had the same issues with my 2016 for a few years now. I've stalled while driving and the steering wheel locks up when that happens. When starting from a stop, it is worse. I once was taking a left turn and it happened. Luckily I wasn't going across during a busy time, I might hav... Read more

Incident date: Dec 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the headrest inadvertently deployed. The headrest struck the contact on the head. The driver sustained no injuries. Medical attention was not sought. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the PCM was reset. The vehicle was repaired. While driving at unknown speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle began to shake. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, and the contact was informed that the ABS was ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 8, 2024

Check engine sing comes and all dash board alarms lights on and bleep and while driving it shuts off while vehicle is on motion. This vehicle operates as yellow taxi and this issues is serious concern about passengers safety on board . The vehicle took to bay ridge Toyota dealer and the technician was unable troubleshoot and solve the concern Dealer charged 200 dollars for diagnostic and car is ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V955000 (Fuel System, Diesel, Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the recall repair was performed. Soon after the recall repair, while the contact's wife was driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unaware if any warning lights had illuminated during... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2024

My 2019 Suburu Forester battery will not hold a charge. Whenever I want to use it, my husband must jump the Forester with cables from his car's battery. I am careful not to park it for long and use it for trips to dentist, doctor, and other necessities. We bought the Suburu Forester brand new off the car lot in 2019. The car has under 3k miles of use--it looks in perfect condition. We've changed... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. 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 called another local dealer, Bennett Honda (1820 Cumberland St, Lebanon, PA 17042) and was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that th... Read more

Incident date: Feb 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Cadenza. 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 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. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

Multiple times now I have been stopped at lights/stop signs and when I start to drive again my truck automatically engages the parking brake on its own and I can’t move, the truck then shuts down. I have to pull the parking brake switch, while pushing the brake and turn the truck back on multiple times before I can get the truck to move again. I have almost been hit in traffic when this happens.

Incident date: Jan 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not expe... 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