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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

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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
Oct 2, 1973 EA74043 — SPRING BRACKET — Closed
Oct 1, 1973 EA74039 — WHEEL DEFECTS — Closed
Oct 1, 1973 EA74040 — TIRE BLOWOUTS — Closed
Oct 1, 1973 EA74041 — FRONT SPRINGS — Closed
Oct 1, 1973 EA74042 — RIM DIMENSION — Closed
Sep 28, 1973 EA74038 — AXLE BREAKAGE — Closed
Sep 26, 1973 EA74051 — HORN BUTTON/STEERING LNKG — Closed
Sep 19, 1973 EA74033 — BLEEDER WHEEL CYLINDER — Closed
Sep 19, 1973 EA74034 — GAS LINES — Closed
Sep 19, 1973 EA74035 — STEERING DIFFICULTY — Closed
Sep 19, 1973 EA74036 — FRONT SUSPENSION — Closed
Sep 19, 1973 EA74037 — TORSO ANCHORAGE — Closed
Sep 13, 1973 EA74032 — VAPOR LOCK — Closed
Sep 6, 1973 EA74030 — EXHAUST MANIFOLD — Closed
Sep 6, 1973 EA74031 — ENGINE MOUNT ACCELERATOR — Closed
Aug 20, 1973 EA74028 — AIR HOSE COUPLING — Closed
Aug 20, 1973 EA74029 — FRONT BRAKES — Closed
Aug 15, 1973 EA74024 — BODY STRUCTURE — Closed
Aug 15, 1973 EA74025 — EMISSION HOSE FAILURE — Closed
Aug 15, 1973 EA74026 — ACCEL. PEDAL INTERFERENCE — Closed
Aug 15, 1973 EA74027 — STEERING RAG JOINT FAILURE — Closed
Aug 8, 1973 EA74019 — BOND FAILURE — Closed
Aug 8, 1973 EA74020 — HOOD LATCH — Closed
Aug 8, 1973 EA74021 — FRAME CRACKING — Closed
Aug 8, 1973 EA74022 — THROTTLE SOLENOID — Closed
Aug 8, 1973 EA74023 — THROTTLE RETURN SPRING — Closed
Aug 7, 1973 EA74018 — PUNCTURE — Closed
Jul 24, 1973 EA74017 — TIE ROD END — Closed
Jul 23, 1973 EA74016 — BRAKE SYSTEM — Closed
Jul 20, 1973 EA74014 — TRUCK TIRES — Closed
Jul 20, 1973 EA74015 — TRANSMISSION LINK — Closed
Jul 18, 1973 EA74013 — CARB. CHOKE CAM — Closed
Jul 13, 1973 EA74012 — HOOD LOCK — Closed
Jul 12, 1973 EA74011 — BRAKE LOCKUP — Closed
Jul 11, 1973 EA74010 — EXHAUST MANIFOLD — Closed
Jul 10, 1973 EA74009 — HEADLIGHT FAILURE — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74001 — MASTER CYLINDER — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74002 — CAB FLIP UP — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74003 — FRONT AXLE BREAKAGE — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74004 — HOOD LATCH — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74005 — UNDERHOOD FIRES — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74006 — REAR AXLE FAILURE — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74007 — BRAKE HOSE — Closed
Jul 2, 1973 EA74008 — MIRROR VIBRATION — Closed
Jun 21, 1973 EA73067 — REAR SPRING U BOLT — Closed
Jun 21, 1973 EA73070 — SEAT HINGE — Closed
Jun 21, 1973 EA73071 — SPEED CONTROL — Closed
Jun 21, 1973 EA73072 — REAR SPRING FRONT HANGER — Closed
Jun 21, 1973 EA73073 — FRONT FRAME CROSSMEMBER — Closed
Jun 20, 1973 EA73068 — FIRE WALL — 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.