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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
Dec 10, 1979 EA80029 — POS SHOCK HAZARD OIL HTR — Closed
Dec 6, 1979 EA80027 — CARBURETOR VAPOR LOCK — Closed
Dec 1, 1979 EA80028 — POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK — Closed
Nov 30, 1979 EA80H05 — CATALYTIC CONVERTER SCREEN — Closed
Nov 30, 1979 EA80I05 — CARBURETOR FUEL WEEPAGE — Closed
Nov 28, 1979 EA80025 — FR UNDERCARRIAGE CORROSION — Closed
Nov 28, 1979 EA80026 — WHEELS STICKING TO HUBS — Closed
Nov 26, 1979 EA80024 1980 GMC GMC REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP — Closed
Nov 21, 1979 EA80D05 — STEERING PROTECTIVE COVER — Closed
Nov 21, 1979 EA80E05 — CAB MOUNTS — Closed
Nov 21, 1979 EA80F05 — BOGIE CROSSMEMBER CRACKING — Closed
Nov 21, 1979 EA80G05 — ENGINE REAR SUPPORT CRACK — Closed
Nov 19, 1979 EA80C05 — TURN SIGNAL SWITCH — Closed
Nov 14, 1979 EA80022 — AIR BRAKE RATIO VALVE — Closed
Nov 14, 1979 EA80023 — POSSIBLE COLLAPSE — Closed
Nov 13, 1979 EA80021 — TREAD SEPARATION — Closed
Nov 13, 1979 EA80B05 — CAB MOUNT REINFORCEMENT — Closed
Nov 5, 1979 EA80016 — TIRE FAILURES — Closed
Nov 5, 1979 EA80017 — FRAME CRACKING — Closed
Nov 5, 1979 EA80018 — STEERING SHAFT FAILURES — Closed
Nov 5, 1979 EA80019 — BRAKE FAILURE — Closed
Nov 5, 1979 EA80020 — STEERING FAILURE — Closed
Nov 2, 1979 EA80015 — FRONT END VIBRATION — Closed
Oct 31, 1979 DP80004 1978 DODGE OMNI FRONT WHEEL JOINTS AND BEARINGS — Closed
Oct 31, 1979 EA80013 — REAR WIND DEFROST SHATTERS — Closed
Oct 31, 1979 EA80014 — FUELHOSE CRACK/ENGINE FIRE — Closed
Oct 30, 1979 EA80011 — ENG COMP FUEL FIT FAILURE — Closed
Oct 30, 1979 EA80012 — PITMAN ARM PINCH BOLT — Closed
Oct 26, 1979 EA80010 — REAR WIND DEFROST SHATTERS — Closed
Oct 18, 1979 EA80007 — INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES — Closed
Oct 18, 1979 EA80008 — AUTOMATIC TRANS IND FAIL — Closed
Oct 12, 1979 DP80002 9999 JEEP JEEP ROLL BAR FAILURE — Closed
Oct 12, 1979 EA80005 — POSSIBLE AWNING FAILURE — Closed
Oct 12, 1979 EA80A05 — POSSIBLE AWNING FAILURE — Closed
Oct 11, 1979 EA80004 — CO INTRUSION IN STOR COMP — Closed
Oct 9, 1979 DP80001 9999 FIRESTONE FIRESTONE STEEL BELTED RADIAL TIRES — Closed
Oct 5, 1979 EA80003 — CRANKSHAFT ATTACH FAILURE — Closed
Oct 3, 1979 EA80002 — FUSE BOX FAILURES — Closed
Oct 1, 1979 EA80001 — HVY DUTY TRUCK SAFETY MEET — Closed
Sep 27, 1979 DP79063 9999 FIRESTONE FIRESTONE STEEL BELTED RADIALS MADE AFTER MAY 1, 1 — Closed
Sep 27, 1979 EA79084 — ALLEGED FAILURES — Closed
Sep 26, 1979 EA79119 — FUEL TANK MOVEMENT — Closed
Sep 26, 1979 EA79A19 — FUEL TANK MOVEMENT — Closed
Sep 26, 1979 EA79B19 — RANDOM IGNITION SW.OPER. — Closed
Sep 26, 1979 EA79Z68 — HEADLAMPS — Closed
Sep 25, 1979 EA79118 — GLAZING RETENTION — Closed
Sep 21, 1979 EA79117 — POWER STEERING NO RETURN — Closed
Sep 17, 1979 EA79Y68 — ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL — Closed
Sep 5, 1979 DP79061 9999 FIAT 128 CLUTCH CABLES AND STALLING — Closed
Aug 29, 1979 EA79116 — REAR AXLE WELD 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.