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How can my call make a difference?
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How is my report used?
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How does the recall process work?
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How many complaints must be received before NHTSA will look into the situation?
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How can I file a complaint?
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As part of filing a complaint, why do you request authorization to send my personally identifiable information to the manufacturer of my vehicle?
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What are examples of safety defects?
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What are some examples of problems that would not be considered safety-related defects?
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Who should I contact for a non-safety vehicle problem?
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How will I be notified if my vehicle has been recalled?
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Do manufacturers ever make defect determinations and initiate recalls without a government order?
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What are the ways in which a recalled vehicle or equipment item may be remedied?
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If I had a defect repaired at my own expense before a manufacturer’s recall, am I legally entitled to reimbursement from the manufacturer?
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Are there any limitations on my right to have my vehicle remedied at no charge?
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Are there any limitations on my right to have my tires remedied at no charge?
Your calls, letters or electronic submissions help lead to recalls. Submissions provide valuable information concerning real world experience.
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The information you share with NHTSA is not provided to any other Federal agency, including Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA). The information you provide is catalogued according to vehicle make, model, model year, manufacturer, and the affected part, assembly, or system. Our staff continuously analyzes complaints for trends to determine if an unusual number of complaints have been received on any specific line of vehicles, tires, or equipment. If a trend is suspected and a problem has a potential for causing a risk to safety, NHTSA will open an investigation.
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Filing a complaint is the first step in helping us identify safety problems.
During an investigation, investigators perform a detailed technical analysis of the issue using all available information (including, but not limited to, service bulletins, consumer complaints, warranty claims, crash and injury data, part sales, inspections, tests, surveys, and other documents prepared by the manufacturers). If NHTSA believes the data indicates a safety-related defect exists, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to do a recall. If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or an item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner.
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There is no set number. It depends on the vehicle population and severity of the consequences. Sometimes one complaint is all it takes to open an investigation.
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There are four ways:
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Telephone You may call our Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 from anywhere in the U.S. including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. A NHTSA representative will record your complaint information. Representatives are on duty from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Spanish-speaking representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hearing impaired can make direct inquiry to NHTSA by calling our teleprinter (TDD) number, 800-424-9153.
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Mail You can a letter to the address below, describing your complaint. We may still need to contact you directly for more detailed information. So please include a phone number where you can be reached. Or we can send you a postage-paid complaint form so you can provide the necessary information about your complaint and return it to us. Call 888-327-4236 to obtain the form. Send all correspondence to:
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Defects Investigation (NVS-211)
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
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Fax You can fax your letter or complaint form to 202-366-7882.
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Internet You may electronically submit your complaint by visiting http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/.
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Providing personally identifiable information to the manufacturer is optional and NHTSA will respect a driver's request to remain anonymous throughout the process. However, in order for NHTSA to engage in meaningful dialogue with the manufacturer about the problem you are experiencing, it is very helpful if NHTSA can provide the VIN to the manufacturer. That way, the manufacturer can identify the options that were built into the truck and better understand the influence these options may have on the safety problem. Sometimes it may be necessary for the manufacturer to talk directly to the driver of the vehicle to fully understand the safety problem. Other times it is a matter of properly identifying all vehicles that possess the safety problem. Sharing this information with the manufacturer can increase our ability to get a manufacturer to recall a vehicle.
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Generally, a safety-related defect is a problem that:
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poses a risk to motor vehicle safety, and
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may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture. Examples include:
- Automatic slack adjuster that fail to maintain adjustment.
- Brake problems that result in extended stopping distances.
- Fifth wheel/pin failures.
- Loss of brake system air pressure.
- Steering components that break suddenly causing partial or complete loss of vehicle control.
- Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires.
- Accelerator controls that break or stick.
- Wheels that crack or break, resulting in loss of vehicle control.
- Fan blades that break unexpectedly.
- Windshield wiper assemblies that fail to operate or malfunction.
- Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly during normal use.
- Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle causing loss of vehicle control or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.
- Wiring system problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting.
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Examples include:
- Radios that do not operate properly.
- Ordinary wear of equipment that has to be inspected, maintained and replaced periodically, such as shock absorbers, batteries, brake pads and shoes and exhaust systems.
- Nonstructural or body panel rust.
- Quality of paint or cosmetic blemishes.
- Excessive fuel or oil consumption.
- Premature tire wear.
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NHTSA concentrates on safety problems related to motor vehicles. If your problem is not safety related, these other government agencies can help: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles inquiries on automobile warranties and problems with dealers. The FTC number is 202-326-2222.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will assist you with consumer products other than vehicles and vehicle equipment. The CPSC telephone number is 800-638-2772.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for emission control systems. If you have an emission problem, call the EPA at 202-260-7645.
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You will receive a letter within a reasonable amount of time after the determination of a safety defect or noncompliance is made. Manufacturers must notify by letter all registered owners and purchasers of the affected vehicles of the existence of the problem and give an evaluation of its risk to motor vehicle safety. The manufacturer must explain to consumers the potential safety hazards presented by the problem. Names of vehicle owners are obtained from State motor vehicle offices. The letter will instruct you on when and how to get the problem corrected free of charge, and whom to contact if you have a problem in obtaining the free recall work. Owners of motor vehicle equipment, such as tires are typically not available to manufacturers. Manufacturers of these products are required to notify the publics of recalls through various methods (e.g., advertisements, in-store displays, etc.) to ensure as many owners as possible are aware of the recalls. If you are unsure whether your vehicle, tires, or vehicle equipment is the subject of a recall, you may contact the manufacturer, call NHTSA at 888-327-4236, or visit our website at www.safercar.gov and “Check for recalls.”
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Yes. Most recalls are made voluntarily by manufacturers prior to any involvement by NHTSA. The manufacturer is obligated to report such findings to NHTSA and take appropriate action to correct the problem.
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Once a defect determination is made, the law gives the manufacturer three options for correcting the defect – repair, replacement or refund. The manufacturer may choose to repair the vehicle; replace the vehicle with an identical or similar vehicle; or refund the purchase price in full, minus a reasonable allowance for depreciation. In the case of equipment, including tires, the manufacturer can either repair or replace.
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Yes, under certain conditions. Manufacturers are required to provide reimbursement for certain owner’s costs to remedy defect conditions prior to a recall. The start date of eligibility is either NHTSA’s opening date of an Engineering Analysis or one year prior to the manufacturer’s notification of a defect to NHTSA, whichever is earlier. The closing date of eligibility for reimbursement of repair of a motor vehicle is 10 days after the manufacturer mails the last of the owner notices informing owners of a cost-free safety defect recall.
For replacement equipment, the closing date is either the same as motor vehicles or 30 days after the manufacturer’s completion of it’s efforts to provide public notice of the existence of a defect, whichever is later. Documentation of the requested costs is required. While this is a new requirement, manufacturers have in the past often voluntarily agreed to absorb such costs, and have provided refunds to consumers who had defects corrected prior to a recall, providing that consumers have been able to present documentation to prove that the earlier repairs remedied the defect in question.
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Yes. In order to be eligible for free remedy, the vehicle cannot be more than 10 years old on the date the defect or non-compliance is determined. Under the law, the age of the vehicle is calculated from the date of sale to the first purchaser.
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Yes. The law requires tire manufacturers to repair or replace at no cost to the consumer only those tires purchased within 5 years of the defect or non-compliance determination. Furthermore, in order to obtain free replacement or repair of a recalled tire, consumers must bring the tires to the dealer within 60 days of receiving the notification letter from the manufacturer.
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