NHTSA reviews complaints, conducts various investigations and manages safety recalls for vehicles and vehicle equipment. Below you will find information and quick links to resources related to investigations and recalls.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation administers the agency’s safety recall program. This includes providing monitoring and verification of recall notifications and remedy campaigns by manufacturers, as well as providing accurate and timely recall information, including metrics, to the public.
On NHTSA.gov, consumers can search for recalls by:
Other quick links
In addition, NHTSA makes recall information searchable:
We also make other recall reports and data available:
NHTSA conducts investigations concerning the identification and correction of safety-related defects in vehicles and vehicle equipment. Information about potentially defective products can come from a variety of sources including manufacturers, consumers, law enforcement agencies, media and online sources. NHTSA looks at all available data to assess the relative frequency and potential severity of any possible safety defect using an established risk-based process. Complaint information submitted to NHTSA is continuously reviewed to identify potential safety issues that warrant follow up. NHTSA may also use resources, such as the agency’s Vehicle Research and Test Center and Special Crash Investigations, to assist with defect investigations. If NHTSA determines a safety-related defect trend exists, the agency may open an investigation to determine if the defect presents an unreasonable risk to safety that may warrant a recall by the manufacturer.
There are several types of defect investigations that NHTSA conducts: Defect Petition, Preliminary Evaluation, Recall Query and Engineering Analysis. NHTSA works to complete a Defect Petition within four months, Preliminary Evaluation within eight months, Recall Query within eight months and Engineering Analysis within 18 months.
NHTSA makes investigation information searchable:
Investigation information is also associated with vehicles and equipment in NHTSA's database and is displayed when a user searches a vehicle or equipment through NHTSA's Recalls or Ratings webpages.
NHTSA tests vehicles and equipment that are available for sale to consumers to ensure that they meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. We do this by purchasing vehicles and equipment from dealers and retailers, then testing them. If an item fails to meet federal safety standards when tested, NHTSA notifies the manufacturer. Test failures or other evidence of not meeting standards may lead to a compliance investigation.
Vehicle and equipment test results are available on our website.
NHTSA works with Customs and Border Protection to monitor the importation of vehicles and equipment to prevent goods not meeting U.S. standards from entering the marketplace. The agency reviews requests to allow importation of non-U.S. market vehicles under certain exceptions. Also, the agency acts to ensure that vehicles that are modified to meet U.S. standards by registered importers meet requirements and do not have safety defects.
NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis conducts Special Crash Investigation cases, which are intended to be a data set useful for examining special circumstances or outcomes in crashes from an engineering perspective. Special Crash Investigations allow NHTSA to quickly locate and examine unique real-world crashes anywhere in the country and perform comprehensive clinical investigations. The data collected are used by the automotive safety community to improve the performance and development of advanced safety systems.
NHTSA's special crash investigation cases are searchable online.
Consumers who experience a vehicle issue that could be a safety defect are encouraged to file a complaint with NHTSA. Complaints can be filed through NHTSA.gov or by calling NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
NHTSA makes its complaints searchable by keyword on NHTSA's Recall page.
Investigation information is also associated with vehicles and equipment in NHTSA's database and is displayed when a user searches a vehicle or equipment through NHTSA's Recalls or Ratings webpages.