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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
Jul 28, 1986 PE86066 1984 HONDA ACCORD SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Jul 24, 1986 DP86016 1983 FORD ESCORT STALLING — Closed
Jul 23, 1986 DP86014 1981 FORD TAURUS SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Jul 23, 1986 DP86015 1985 CHEVROLET C20 BRAKING — Closed
Jul 18, 1986 EA86021 1984 PONTIAC FIERO ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES — Closed
Jul 8, 1986 DP86013 1979 HONDA ACCORD SEAT BELT RETRACTORS — Closed
Jul 7, 1986 PE86064 1986 SAAB 9000 SEAT TRACK/BELT FAILURE — Closed
Jul 7, 1986 PE86065 9999 KOLCRAFT KOLCRAFT T-SHIELD BREAKAGE — Closed
Jul 2, 1986 EA86020 1983 RENAULT ALLIANCE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES — Closed
Jul 1, 1986 PE86063 1985 COACHMEN COACHMEN REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE — Closed
Jun 26, 1986 PE86062 9999 CENTURY CHILD SAFETY SEAT LOCKING MECHANISM — Closed
Jun 23, 1986 PE86061 9999 DANA DANA DEFECTIVE CASTLE NUT — Closed
Jun 20, 1986 DP86012 9999 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Jun 18, 1986 PE86060 1985 FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND CO INTRUSION — Closed
Jun 17, 1986 EA86019 1982 CHEVROLET CAMARO REAR BRAKE FAILURE — Closed
Jun 17, 1986 PE86059 9999 SEALCO SEALCO AIR BRAKE VALVE LEAKS — Closed
Jun 16, 1986 PE86058 1984 FORD E350 FUEL SPURTING/FIRES — Closed
May 30, 1986 DP86011 9999 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
May 30, 1986 EA86015 1985 AUDI 5000 HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKS — Closed
May 30, 1986 EA86016 1984 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
May 23, 1986 PE86057 1979 CHEVROLET CHEVETTE BRAKE FAILURE/FIREWALL — Closed
May 21, 1986 DP86010 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT FRAME AND CHASSIS COMPONENTS — Closed
May 12, 1986 PE86055 1985 MASERATI BITURBO FIRES — Closed
May 12, 1986 PE86056 1979 COACHMEN COACHMEN AXLE FAILURE — Closed
May 9, 1986 PE86054 9999 BOWMAN BOWMAN LINING SEPARATION — Closed
May 8, 1986 EA86013 1984 CHEVROLET CAMARO CRUISE CONTROL — Closed
May 7, 1986 DP86009 1980 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION — Closed
May 1, 1986 PE86052 1986 ESTABLISHMENT AEROLITE REAR AXLE OVERLOAD — Closed
May 1, 1986 PE86053 1985 CHEVROLET ASTRO INADEQUATE REAR BRAKES — Closed
Apr 28, 1986 EA86012 9999 TODCO JIFFLOX HANDLING DIFFICULTIES — Closed
Apr 28, 1986 PE86050 1985 VOLVO 240 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Apr 28, 1986 PE86051 1985 BUICK BUICK WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE — Closed
Apr 24, 1986 PE86049 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER SEAT TRACK LOCK — Closed
Apr 23, 1986 PE86048 1985 FORD ESCORT FIRES — Closed
Apr 17, 1986 EA86011 1984 SUNLAND SUNLAND REAR SUSPENSION OVERLOAD — Closed
Apr 2, 1986 DP86007 1981 TOYOTA CRESSIDA SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Apr 2, 1986 DP86008 1983 TOYOTA CAMRY SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Mar 26, 1986 EA86010 1983 FORD ESCORT SEATBACK FAILURE — Closed
Mar 19, 1986 DP86006 1978 AUDI 5000 SUDDEN ACCELERATION — Closed
Mar 10, 1986 EA86009 1986 TIFFIN ALLEGRO OVERLOAD — Closed
Feb 18, 1986 PE86031 1985 BUICK SKYHAWK UNDERHOOD FIRES — Closed
Feb 6, 1986 DP86005 1979 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION — Closed
Jan 21, 1986 DP86004 1986 FORD BRONCO II INCORRECT TIRES — Closed
Jan 13, 1986 DP86003 — GM FLEXIBLE BLADE COOLING FANS — Closed
Dec 17, 1985 DP86002 — GM AFTERMARKET BRAKE LININGS — Closed
Dec 13, 1985 PE86018 1984 EAGLE INTERNATIONAL 10 ALLEGED FIRES — Closed
Nov 27, 1985 EA86006 1978 BUICK CENTURY BRAKE BACKING PLATE — Closed
Nov 25, 1985 EA86005 1980 FORD THUNDERBIRD POWER BRAKE BOOSTER — Closed
Oct 28, 1985 EA86003 1982 CADILLAC DEVILLE SIDE DOOR FIRES — Closed
Oct 18, 1985 DP86001 — CORRODED SHEET METAL TIE ROD ARM — 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.