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Vehicle Safety

Vehicle Recalls320,000+ NHTSA safety recalls Browse VehiclesEvery make, model and year Complaints2.1M+ consumer safety complaints TSBs4.7M technical service bulletins VIN LookupDecode any vehicle VIN instantly OBD Codes12,000+ diagnostic trouble codes Fuel EconomyEPA MPG data for all vehicles Safety Ratings11,700+ NHTSA crash test ratings Investigations5,300+ NHTSA defect investigations StatisticsRecall trends & safety analysis Compare VehiclesTwo vehicles side by side

Consumer Safety

Product Safety9,700+ CPSC product recalls Food Safety28,600+ FDA food recalls Pet Safety1.3M FDA animal adverse events Drug Safety17,500+ FDA drug recalls Device Safety38,400+ FDA device recalls Workplace Safety102,900+ OSHA injury reports Brand HistoryRecall lookup by company

Infrastructure

Bridge Safety624,000 bridge inspections Aviation Safety30,000+ NTSB aviation events Dam Safety92,600 dam safety records Water Safety433,000+ public water systems Railroad Safety438,000+ rail crossings Pipeline Safety8,800+ pipeline incidents State DashboardsSafety grades for all 50 states ZIP ReportAny 5-digit ZIP across 9 datasets

Public Health

Nursing Homes14,700 CMS rated facilities Environmental80,000+ hazardous sites & releases BlogGuides, news & safety insights

NHTSA Investigations

5,336 safety defect investigations.

NHTSA Safety Defect Investigations

Browse 5,336 NHTSA safety defect investigations. When a potential safety issue is identified through consumer complaints, recall requests, or other sources, NHTSA opens an investigation to determine the scope and severity of the defect. Investigations may lead to voluntary recalls by manufacturers or, in rare cases, mandatory recall orders. Use the filters below to search by year, manufacturer, status, or keyword.

Investigations

Browse 5,336 NHTSA investigations.

Opened ID Vehicle Subject Units Status
Apr 3, 1974 EA74250 — BLOWOUTS — Closed
Apr 1, 1974 EA74248 — WEBBING FAILURES — Closed
Apr 1, 1974 EA74249 — REAR AXLE SEIZE — Closed
Mar 28, 1974 EA74244 — STEERING AND BRAKE PROBLEM — Closed
Mar 28, 1974 EA74245 — WHEEL STUDS — Closed
Mar 28, 1974 EA74246 — BEAD FAILURES — Closed
Mar 28, 1974 EA74247 — BRAKE FAILURE — Closed
Mar 21, 1974 EA74243 — TIE ROD SLEEVE FAILURE — Closed
Mar 8, 1974 EA74240 — POWER BRAKE BOOSTER FAILUR — Closed
Mar 8, 1974 EA74241 — HEAD RESTRAINT — Closed
Mar 8, 1974 EA74242 — HOOD DESIGN — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74234 — AXLE BREAKAGE — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74235 — STEERING GEAR FAILURE — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74236 — BRAKING INSTABILITY — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74237 — REAR AXLE FAILURE — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74238 — UPPER CONTROL ARM — Closed
Feb 21, 1974 EA74239 — POWER STEERING PUMP — Closed
Jan 30, 1974 EA74232 — FUEL LEAK IN TRUNK — Closed
Jan 30, 1974 EA74233 — MUFFLER LOCATION — Closed
Jan 25, 1974 EA74231 — BRAKES — Closed
Jan 16, 1974 EA74229 — FAN BLADE FAILURE — Closed
Jan 16, 1974 EA74230 — AXLE SUPPORT — Closed
Jan 14, 1974 EA74228 — STEERING LOCKUP — Closed
Jan 8, 1974 EA74225 — OVERLOAD — Closed
Jan 8, 1974 EA74226 — AXLE SEPARATION — Closed
Jan 8, 1974 EA74227 — OVERLOAD — Closed
Jan 2, 1974 EA74223 — HANDLING - BRAKES — Closed
Jan 2, 1974 EA74224 — STEERING — Closed
Dec 14, 1973 EA74222 — VARIOUS — Closed
Dec 13, 1973 EA74221 — FAILURE UNDER LOAD — Closed
Dec 10, 1973 EA74218 — PWR STR. SENSITIVITY — Closed
Dec 10, 1973 EA74219 — OVERLOAD SUSPENSION — Closed
Dec 10, 1973 EA74220 — OVERLOAD SUSPENSION — Closed
Dec 6, 1973 EA74217 — RV SURVEY FOLLOWUP — Closed
Dec 4, 1973 EA74059 — GRANNING AXLE — Closed
Dec 4, 1973 EA74060 — ELECTRICAL FIRE-SHORT — Closed
Nov 21, 1973 EA74057 — WHEEL FAILURES — Closed
Nov 21, 1973 EA74058 — BRAKE DRUM FAILURE — Closed
Nov 1, 1973 EA74055 — WHEEL FAILURES — Closed
Nov 1, 1973 EA74056 — FUEL TANK LEAKAGE — Closed
Oct 29, 1973 EA74054 — CARBON MONO. POISON — Closed
Oct 18, 1973 EA74052 — WHEELS CRACKING — Closed
Oct 16, 1973 EA74047 — ENGINE MOUNTS — Closed
Oct 16, 1973 EA74048 — ACCELERATOR LINKAGE — Closed
Oct 16, 1973 EA74049 — PROP. SHAFT FAILURE — Closed
Oct 16, 1973 EA74050 — POWER STEERING — Closed
Oct 15, 1973 EA74044 — TIMING GEAR — Closed
Oct 15, 1973 EA74045 — WHEELS AND ACCEL. — Closed
Oct 15, 1973 EA74046 — CARBURETOR FLOAT — Closed
Oct 15, 1973 EA74053 — EMERGENCY RETRACTORS — Closed

Frequently Asked Questions

When NHTSA receives enough complaints or evidence suggesting a potential safety defect in a vehicle, it opens a formal investigation. The process typically begins with a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess whether a defect trend exists, followed by an Engineering Analysis (EA) if the evidence warrants deeper examination. Investigations can result in voluntary recalls by the manufacturer, mandatory recall orders, or closure if no defect is confirmed.

An "Open" investigation means NHTSA is actively reviewing the potential safety defect — engineers are collecting data, analyzing complaints, and may be testing vehicles. A "Closed" investigation means the review is complete. Closure can mean the manufacturer issued a recall, NHTSA determined no defect exists, or the issue was resolved through other means such as a technical service bulletin or design change in newer models.

Roughly half of NHTSA investigations result in a safety recall. The rest are closed without a recall — either because the defect couldn't be confirmed, the failure rate was too low to warrant a recall, or the manufacturer addressed the issue voluntarily through other channels. Investigations involving higher injury or fatality counts, or those affecting a large number of vehicles, are more likely to result in recalls.