Auto Problems Top List of Consumer Complaints [AUDIO]

A list of the nation’s top ten consumer complaints has been released, and again, automobile complaints come in at #1.

“I think that auto and home improvement/construction complaints always top the list because those are big ticket purchases,” said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection at Consumer Federation of America. “You are usually spending a lot of money, and if something goes wrong, you’re more likely to complain about that than ignore it.”

Grant noted a home and car are also very personal items, and an error affects the owner immediately.

According to the report, the top five fastest-growing complaints in 2012 were towing disputes, landlord/tenant problems, abusive debt collection practices, telephone service billing issues and unlicensed contractors.

The report also found some new types of problems affecting Americans. There were complaints of door-to-door meat sales out of the back of a truck, rent payments being stolen from drop-boxes, and charges for disputing bills.

Grant said many situations that led to complaints involved innocent mistakes by a seller or contractor, but others involved straight-up fraud.

“The best advice for consumers is to resist pressure to agree to something,” she said. “Get all the details before making a transaction.”

Consumer Federation of America offers online tips for consumers on how to avoid some common scams.