Auto sales, consumer credit issues, and scams and frauds remain some of the most pressing problems Americans face, according to the Consumer Federation of America, or CFA, in its annual “Consumer Complaint Survey Report 2024.” These findings come as the Trump administration pursues a historic rollback of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal agency charged with protecting consumers from the issues most frequently affecting them.
The CFA’s report paints a picture of the array of harms everyday Americans face in the marketplace.
Each year, the CFA surveys city, county, and state consumer protection agencies to identify trends in complaints and resolutions from the previous year.
In an age of deregulation and corporate influence by the federal government, the report serves as a reminder that consumer protection isn’t just good policy, it’s a necessity.
Key findings from the report
- For the ninth year in a row, auto-related issues are the top consumer complaint category. This category includes new and used motor vehicle sales, leases, and auto repair shop issues. Consumers filed complaints about deceptive advertising, lemon vehicles, incomplete repair work, and mechanical failures.
- Together, participating agencies provided over $890 million in relief to consumers in 2024. This relief was provided through actions such as mediations, administrative and court enforcement actions, and judgments.
- Participating agencies handled more than 350,000 consumer complaints in 2024. Many more consumers make informal inquiries, and agencies reach hundreds of thousands of consumers with consumer education efforts, demonstrating their widespread reach.
- Many agencies reported successful campaigns focused on education and outreach. Some examples include the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection creating a newsletter available in multiple languages alerting consumers to scams, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs releasing an updated guide to combatting fraud, and the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General’s Office scheduling scam prevention presentations for senior citizens.
- Efforts to solve and prevent landlord/tenant problems increased in 2024. For example, the Howard County Office of Consumer Protection hosted a landlord-tenant conference to educate community members and the Washington, D.C., Attorney General’s Office streamlined its process for responding to utility shut-offs, where the utility is the landlord’s responsibility, prioritizing the health and safety needs of tenants.
- Some “honorable mentions” of consumer complaint categories that didn’t make the overall top 10 but were reported by agencies are important. They include complaints about towing, home furnishings and appliances, warranty issues, the rise of door-to-door fraudulent solar financing arrangements, restaurant service fees, and robocalls and telemarketing
“This report serves as a critical tool to identify common problems facing consumers and to inform CFA’s work in advocating for consumer protections in the marketplace,” the CFA said in the report.
