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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
May 23, 1977 EA77038 — RET. FAIL TO LOCK — Closed
May 23, 1977 EA77039 — FAN BLADE FAILURES — Closed
May 23, 1977 EA77040 — SEAT BELT UNLATCHING — Closed
May 15, 1977 EA77034 — GAS T FILL PIPE / CONN. — Closed
May 12, 1977 EA77036 — STALLING — Closed
May 10, 1977 EA77035 — FRONT WHEEL COLLAPSE — Closed
May 2, 1977 EA77032 — POWER BRAKES/MANIFOLD MOD — Closed
Apr 18, 1977 EA77030 — REAR BRAKE DRUM DEFECT — Closed
Apr 18, 1977 EA77031 — DISC FAILURE IN FULL TURN — Closed
Apr 14, 1977 EA77028 — ANTI-FREEZE IN AIR SYSTEMS — Closed
Apr 14, 1977 EA77029 — EATON 121 BRAKE SYSTEMS — Closed
Apr 13, 1977 EA77027 — POOR QUALITY — Closed
Mar 14, 1977 EA77022 — TRAILER HITCH — Closed
Mar 14, 1977 EA77023 — UNKNOWN — Closed
Mar 1, 1977 DP77008 1971 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET POWER BRAKE BOOSTER — Closed
Feb 28, 1977 EA77021 — HEADLIGHT SWITCH — Closed
Feb 25, 1977 EA77020 — 121 BRAKES — Closed
Feb 24, 1977 EA77019 — P.BRAKE BOOSTER — Closed
Feb 23, 1977 EA77025 — FRONT AXLE U-BOLT — Closed
Feb 10, 1977 EA77017 — SWITCH FAILURE RES.IN FIRE — Closed
Feb 10, 1977 EA77018 — JACKS-FAIL OR DAM. SHEETMT — Closed
Feb 5, 1977 EA77037 — WINDSHIELD WIPER PUMP — Closed
Jan 29, 1977 EA77070 — BENDIX DOUBLE CHECK VALVE — Closed
Jan 3, 1977 EA77016 — BRAKE FLUID VAPOR LOCK — Closed
Dec 14, 1976 EA77014 — FRACTURED INSTR. PANEL — Closed
Dec 2, 1976 EA77013 — WINDSHIELD WASHER BAGS — Closed
Dec 1, 1976 EA77012 — BRAKES/ACCEL CABLE — Closed
Dec 1, 1976 EA77015 — PACKER SEPARATES FM TRUCK — Closed
Nov 23, 1976 EA77010 — P.STEER.HOSE TOO CLOSE EXH — Closed
Nov 22, 1976 EA77011 — WINDSHIELD BREAKS AT HS — Closed
Nov 16, 1976 DP77003 1976 FORD LTD EXCESSIVE REFLECTIVE GLARE — Closed
Nov 16, 1976 DP77005 1974 VOLVO 145 DEFECTIVE AND UNRELIABLE TRANSMISSION — Closed
Nov 8, 1976 EA77026 — HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK — Closed
Nov 2, 1976 EA77008 — EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES — Closed
Nov 2, 1976 EA77009 — BRAKES FAILED — Closed
Oct 22, 1976 EA77007 — CARBURETOR — Closed
Oct 10, 1976 EA77024 — HITCH SUPPORT FAILURE — Closed
Oct 7, 1976 EA77004 — BATTERY CONTACT WITH HOOD — Closed
Oct 7, 1976 EA77006 — BRAKE BRACKET FAILURE — Closed
Oct 3, 1976 DP77004 1972 MERCURY CAPRI BROKEN SWAY BAR — Closed
Sep 1, 1976 DP77002 1976 JEEP CHEROKEE ELECTRONIC IGNITION FAILURE AND GAS FUME — Closed
Aug 19, 1976 EA77003 — CHASSIS NOT GROUNDED — Closed
Aug 6, 1976 EA77002 — INCOMPATIBLE TRANSMISSION — Closed
Jul 28, 1976 EA77001 — WHEEL FAILURES — Closed
Jul 27, 1976 DP77001 1973 MAZDA MAZDA TIE ROD BREAKAGE — Closed
Jul 12, 1976 EA77005 — STEERING PROBLEMS — Closed
Jul 1, 1976 EA76031 — TRAILERS WANDER — Closed
Jun 30, 1976 EA76030 — BRAKE HOSE FAIL — Closed
Jun 27, 1976 DP76011 1974 VOLVO VOLVO FAULTY BRAKE WARNING LIGHT — Closed
Jun 21, 1976 DP76012 1972 VOLKSWAGEN 411 POOR ILLUMINATION OF SPEEDOMETER — 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.