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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
— ID94004 — ID — Closed
— ID95001 — ID — Closed
— ID95002 — ID — Closed
— RP93001 — RP — Closed
— RQ89001 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90002 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90003 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90004 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90012 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90013 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90014 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90015 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90016 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90017 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90019 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90021 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90024 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90034 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90038 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90042 — RQ — Closed
— RQ90052 — RQ — Closed
— RQ91006 — RQ — Closed
— RQ91010 — RQ — Closed
— RQ91013 — RQ — Closed
— RQ93005 — RQ — Closed
— RQ93009 — RQ — Closed
— RQ93010 — RQ — Closed
— RQ93019 — RQ — Closed
— RQ94004 — RQ — Closed
— RQ94024 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95001 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95004 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95006 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95007 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95010 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95011 — RQ — Closed
— RQ95012 — RQ — Closed
— RQ96001 — RQ — Closed
— SQ90002 — SQ — Closed
— SQ90010 — SQ — Closed
— SQ90013 — SQ — Closed
— SQ90018 — SQ — Closed
— SQ91026 — SQ — Closed
— SQ91035 — SQ — Closed
— SQ91036 — SQ — Closed
— SQ92008 — SQ — Closed
— SQ92016 — SQ — Closed
— SQ92019 — SQ — Closed
— SQ92022 — SQ — Closed
— SQ93015 — SQ — 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.