Vehicle Safety
Recalls Search 320,000+ NHTSA safety recalls Complaints 2.1M+ consumer safety complaints TSBs 4.7M technical service bulletins VIN Lookup Decode any vehicle VIN instantly OBD Codes 12,000+ diagnostic trouble codes Fuel Economy EPA MPG data for all vehicles Safety Ratings 11,700+ NHTSA crash test ratings Investigations 5,300+ NHTSA defect investigations Statistics Recall trends & safety analysis
Consumer Safety
Product Safety 9,700+ CPSC product recalls Food Safety 28,600+ FDA food recalls Pet Safety 1.3M FDA animal adverse events Drug Safety 17,500+ FDA drug recalls Device Safety 38,400+ FDA device recalls Workplace Safety 102,900+ OSHA injury reports Brand History Cross-category recall lookup by company
Infrastructure
Bridge Safety 624,000 bridge inspections Aviation Safety 30,000+ NTSB aviation events Dam Safety 92,600 dam safety records Water Safety 433,000+ public water systems Railroad Safety 438,000+ rail crossings Pipeline Safety 8,800+ pipeline incidents State Safety Dashboards Safety grades for all 50 U.S. states ZIP Safety Report Check any 5-digit ZIP across 9 datasets
Public Health
Nursing Homes 14,700 CMS rated facilities Environmental 80,000+ hazardous sites & releases
Blog

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
Dec 18, 1986 PE87010 1983 PIERCE AERIAL PUMPER REAR BRAKE DRUMS — Closed
Dec 17, 1986 DP87004 — FORD PARK TO REVERSE — Closed
Dec 17, 1986 EA87008 1984 PONTIAC FIERO REAR BRAKES — Closed
Dec 16, 1986 DP87007 — 1980 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Dec 16, 1986 EA87006 1982 BUICK CENTURY POWER ST. ASSIST — Closed
Dec 16, 1986 EA87007 1982 BUICK SKYHAWK SUDDEN ACCEL — Closed
Dec 16, 1986 PE87009 9999 GMC RTS PARK BRAKE SWITCH MALF — Closed
Dec 15, 1986 DP87005 — TIRE WEAR, GM CARS LIGHT TRUCKS AND VANS — Closed
Dec 15, 1986 PE87008 1982 BEALL TRAILERS FAILURE — Closed
Dec 9, 1986 DP87008 1985 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER ENGINE FIRE — Closed
Dec 1, 1986 EA87005 1984 FORD ESCORT FIRES — Closed
Nov 25, 1986 PE87007 1985 DELTA DELTA DEFECTIVE DRAW BAR — Closed
Nov 20, 1986 DP87003 — 1983-86 FORD SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Nov 14, 1986 EA87003 1985 COACHMEN MINI MOTORHOME REAR SUSPENSION OVERLOAD — Closed
Nov 14, 1986 PE87006 1984 CHEVROLET P30 FUEL SPURTING — Closed
Nov 7, 1986 PE87005 1972 MACK MACK CROSSMEMBER CRACKING — Closed
Nov 5, 1986 PE87004 1982 CHEVROLET CAVALIER ELECT. FAILURES/FIRES — Closed
Nov 4, 1986 EA87002 1978 FORD E150 FILLER NECK SPURT — Closed
Nov 3, 1986 EA87001 — ENGINE FIRES — Closed
Oct 30, 1986 DP87002 1979 AUDI 4000 1979-86 AUDI 4000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Oct 27, 1986 PE87003 1983 CHEVROLET BLAZER ELECT. FAILURES/FIRES — Closed
Oct 22, 1986 PE87002 — PASSENGER ENTRAPMENT — Closed
Oct 9, 1986 DP87001 9999 ALL ALL FAILURE OF AFTERMARKET ANTI-THEFT DEVICE — Closed
Oct 2, 1986 PE87001 1986 MERCEDES BENZ 300E SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Sep 30, 1986 EA86033 1979 CHEVROLET CHEVETTE BRAKE FAILURE — Closed
Sep 24, 1986 PE86078 1984 CHRYSLER LASER HOOD LATCH FAILURE — Closed
Sep 18, 1986 DP86020 1980 BUICK SKYLARK EXPEDITE DETERMINATN OF DEFECT IN C84-01 — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 DP86019 1982 BUICK SKYHAWK SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 EA86028 1984 SADDLEBACK SADDLEBACK REAR SUSPENSION OVERLOAD — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 EA86029 1984 GRANVILLE GRANVILLE REAR SUSPENSION OVERLOAD — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 EA86030 1984 CUSTOM AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOM AND COMMERCIAL WELDS CRACK — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 EA86031 9999 ROCKWOOD ROCKWOOD REAR SUSPENSION OVERLOAD — Closed
Sep 12, 1986 EA86032 1986 ESTABLISHMENT AEROLITE OVERLOAD — Closed
Sep 10, 1986 EA86027 9999 CENTURY 400XL SHIELD POPS UP — Closed
Sep 5, 1986 DP86018 1980 BUICK CENTURY POWER STEERING FAILURE — Closed
Aug 28, 1986 EA86026 1984 MASERATI BITURBO ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES — Closed
Aug 25, 1986 EA86025 1985 BUICK CENTURY WINDSHIELD WIPERS — Closed
Aug 25, 1986 PE86075 — RAPID RELEASE — Closed
Aug 18, 1986 PE86074 1978 COACHMEN MINI MOTORHOME REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE — Closed
Aug 15, 1986 DP86017 1984 MAZDA B2000 1984 MAZDA B-2000 AUTOTRANS KNOCKED OUT — Closed
Aug 13, 1986 PE86073 1984 CHEVROLET B6P INEFFECTIVE AIR BRAKES — Closed
Aug 7, 1986 EA86024 1980 AMERICAN MOTORS EAGLE REAR AXLE FAILURE — Closed
Aug 6, 1986 PE86072 — UNDERDASH FIRES — Closed
Aug 5, 1986 C86001 1978 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Aug 1, 1986 EA86023 1983 BUICK SKYHAWK SEAT TRACK LOCK — Closed
Aug 1, 1986 PE86069 1978 HERITAGE HERITAGE REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE — Closed
Aug 1, 1986 PE86070 9999 LEAR SIEGLER LEAR SIEGLER LOSS OF BRAKES — Closed
Aug 1, 1986 PE86071 1984 FLEETWOOD AVION BRAKES LOCK — Closed
Jul 29, 1986 PE86067 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL BRAKE FAILURE — Closed
Jul 29, 1986 PE86068 1979 KENWORTH COE SERIES STEER AXLE HUB FAILURE — 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.