How to Look Up NHTSA Complaints and Defect Investigations

How to search NHTSA complaints, defect investigations, and manufacturer communications on official NHTSA pages, what investigation types mean, and how that differs from filing a new safety complaint.

Updated November 13, 2026. Checked against NHTSA’s official investigations-and-recalls resources page on that date.

Quick answer

NHTSA reviews complaints, conducts investigations, and manages safety recalls for vehicles and vehicle equipment. You can look up that information on official NHTSA pages without filing a new complaint. Filing a complaint is a separate step, described in our guide on how to report a vehicle safety problem.

Search complaints, investigations, and manufacturer communications

NHTSA’s official Resources Related to Investigations and Recalls page says the agency makes its complaints searchable by keyword on NHTSA’s Recalls page. Investigation information is also associated with vehicles and equipment in NHTSA’s database and is displayed when you search a vehicle or equipment through NHTSA’s Recalls or Ratings webpages. In the search results, you will see a link to investigations. All publicly available information will be added to the investigation record on NHTSA.gov, including opening and closing resumes, information requests, correspondence with the manufacturer, and other official documents, once they have been redacted for confidential business information and privacy concerns.

The same official resources page says consumers can also search manufacturer communications (including manufacturer notices, bulletins, and other communications) by vehicle year, make and model, and by equipment type such as car seats, tires, or other equipment, and through an interactive dashboard.

NHTSA also makes investigation information searchable by the date an investigation was opened or closed, by NHTSA ID, and through an interactive dashboard. Recalls can be searched by license plate, vehicle identification number, vehicle year, make and model, and equipment type, and also by date and product type or by NHTSA ID. For data downloads, NHTSA points to NHTSA datasets and APIs.

How NHTSA describes defect investigations

The official resources page says information about potentially defective products can come from manufacturers, consumers, law enforcement agencies, media, and online sources. NHTSA looks at all available data to assess the relative frequency and potential severity of any possible safety defect using an established risk-based process. Complaint information submitted to NHTSA is continuously reviewed to identify potential safety issues that warrant follow-up. If NHTSA determines a safety-related defect trend exists, the agency may open an investigation to determine if the defect presents an unreasonable risk to safety that may warrant a recall by the manufacturer.

Official investigation types, and the time NHTSA works to complete each, are: Defect Petition (within four months), Preliminary Evaluation (within eight months), Recall Query (within eight months), and Engineering Analysis (within 18 months).

In official complaint FAQs, NHTSA says there is no set number of complaints required to open an investigation. NHTSA reviews every complaint, along with other data, to determine if a potential safety defect trend exists. If NHTSA experts require more information, receipts, or photos, you may be contacted; not every complainant is contacted. When you submit a complaint, you will be asked if you want to share your complaint details, including the VIN and identifying information, with the manufacturer.

How this differs from filing a complaint or checking a recall

To file a new complaint, use Report a Safety Problem on NHTSA.gov or call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Off-road vehicles such as ATVs, side-by-sides, off-road motorcycles, and go-carts are not filed with NHTSA; the official FAQ says to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Checking whether a specific VIN has an open recall is a VIN or license-plate search on the Recalls page, described in our open-recalls guide. This page is about reading the complaints, investigations, and manufacturer communications NHTSA already makes public.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I search NHTSA complaints about my vehicle?

How many complaints does it take for NHTSA to open an investigation?

NHTSA’s official FAQ says there is no set number. NHTSA reviews every complaint, along with other data, to determine if a potential safety defect trend exists.

What kinds of defect investigations does NHTSA conduct?

The official resources page lists Defect Petition, Preliminary Evaluation, Recall Query, and Engineering Analysis. NHTSA works to complete a Defect Petition within four months, a Preliminary Evaluation within eight months, a Recall Query within eight months, and an Engineering Analysis within 18 months.

Is looking up complaints the same as filing a safety complaint?

No. Searching existing complaints and investigations is a lookup on NHTSA’s Recalls and related official pages. To file a new complaint, use Report a Safety Problem on NHTSA.gov or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Sources

MotorDeets is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer or dealer. Always confirm a specific vehicle’s open recalls and official investigation records on nhtsa.gov. This page is not legal advice and is not a complaint filed with NHTSA on your behalf.