How to File a Complaint With NHTSA, and What Happens Next
How to report a vehicle safety problem to NHTSA online or by phone, what to include, what happens to your complaint, how long investigations take, and what 1.5 million complaints show.
Key takeaways
- File a vehicle safety complaint at nhtsa.gov under “Report a Safety Problem,” or call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. It takes about 10 minutes and it’s free.
- Include the VIN, mileage and a clear, step-by-step account of what the vehicle did. File one problem per complaint.
- NHTSA reviews every complaint; there is no set number that triggers an investigation. Investigations have target times from four to 18 months, and some end in a recall.
- Owners have filed 1,526,926 complaints in the data we track; 6.0% report a crash. A model year keeps collecting complaints for years, so new models look cleaner than they are.
To file a complaint with NHTSA, go to nhtsa.gov, choose “Report a Safety Problem,” pick the vehicle form and describe what happened, or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. This guide covers what to include so your report is useful, what NHTSA does with it, how long investigations take, and what the 1.5 million complaints already on file reveal.
Who can file, and what counts as a safety defect
Anyone who has a safety problem with a vehicle, car seat, tire or other vehicle equipment can file, whether or not they own it. Witnesses of a problem with an automated vehicle and first responders can file too. You don’t need a lawyer, and filing is free.
The complaint should be about safety. NHTSA explains the line this way:
“An example of a safety-related defect is a steering component that breaks, causing a driver to lose control. However, paint quality or cosmetic blemishes are not considered safety-related defects.”National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Report a Safety Problem
Typical safety complaints involve brakes, steering, air bags, seat belts, unexpected acceleration or stalling, fires, lights and wheels. Problems with comfort, fuel economy, warranty refusals or dealer service on their own are better taken to the manufacturer or your state consumer agency. Off-road vehicles such as ATVs and side-by-sides go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission instead.
How to file a complaint with NHTSA
- Gather the facts first: the 17-character VIN, the mileage when it happened, the date and any photos, repair orders or a police report. Our guide shows where to find the VIN.
- Go to nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem and choose the form that fits: Vehicle (cars, SUVs, motorcycles, RVs, trailers and original equipment, including driver-assistance systems), Car Seat, Tire, Other Equipment, Automated Vehicle, or First Responder.
- Fill in the form. NHTSA estimates it takes about 10 minutes. You’ll be asked whether you want your complaint details, including VIN and contact information, shared with the manufacturer.
- Or call instead. The Vehicle Safety Hotline, 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171), is staffed in English and Spanish Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Call the hotline if you need to report the same problem on more than one vehicle.
- Keep a copy of what you submitted and the complaint number. It helps if NHTSA or the manufacturer contacts you later.
What to include in your complaint
Investigators group complaints by vehicle and symptom, so a precise, factual report is far more useful than a long one. Lead with what the vehicle did, in one sentence, then give the details.
| Include | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| VIN, year, make and model | Pins down the exact build, engine and equipment so your report is grouped with the right vehicles. |
| Mileage and whether you bought it new or used | Shows when in the vehicle’s life the failure appears, a key pattern in investigations. |
| What happened, step by step | Speed, gear, what you did (braking, steering) and how the vehicle responded, in order. |
| Warning lights or messages | Helps link the symptom to a specific system. |
| Crash, fire, injuries and air bag deployment | Severity drives how quickly a trend is escalated. |
| Conditions | Weather, road type, traffic and whether it happened before. |
| Diagnosis and repairs | A dealer’s or mechanic’s findings, parts replaced, and whether the fix worked. |
| Documents and photos | Repair orders, photos and a police report back up the account. |
| Aftermarket equipment | Lets investigators rule out add-ons as the cause. |
What to leave out, and common mistakes
- Several problems in one complaint. File each problem separately so each is coded to the right component and none is overlooked.
- Opinions in place of facts. “The car is a death trap” tells an investigator nothing; “the brake pedal went to the floor at 35 mph” does.
- Personal details in the description. Your contact details go in their own fields. NHTSA removes personal information before complaints are published, but keep names and addresses out of the narrative.
- Waiting too long. Report it while dates and details are fresh. A complaint filed years later is still useful, but it is harder to match to a trend.
- Expecting a personal remedy. A complaint helps NHTSA spot defects; it does not get your car repaired or bought back. See the section on lemon laws below.
What happens after you file
Your complaint goes into NHTSA’s public complaint database once personal information is removed, where anyone, including manufacturers, researchers and PlainVIN, can see it. The Office of Defects Investigation screens complaints continuously, along with manufacturer reports, warranty data and other sources, looking for patterns. NHTSA may contact you for more information, receipts or photos, but not every complainant is contacted.
“There is no set number. NHTSA reviews every complaint, along with other data, to determine if a potential safety defect trend exists.”NHTSA, Complaint FAQs, on how many complaints it takes to open an investigation
If a trend emerges, NHTSA can open a formal investigation. Each type has a target completion time:
| Investigation | What it is | Target time |
|---|---|---|
| Defect Petition | A formal request from the public to open an investigation | 4 months |
| Preliminary Evaluation | First-stage investigation of a possible defect | 8 months |
| Recall Query | Checks whether an existing recall’s scope or remedy is adequate | 8 months |
| Engineering Analysis | In-depth analysis, often with testing | 18 months |
Source: NHTSA, Resources Related to Investigations and Recalls, read Oct 7, 2026.
An investigation can close with no action, with the manufacturer agreeing to a recall, or, rarely, with NHTSA seeking to order one. Most recalls are filed voluntarily by manufacturers, often while an investigation is open. Our recall guide explains what happens from there, and why some recalls carry a Do Not Drive warning.
What 1.5 million owner complaints show
PlainVIN imports NHTSA’s complaint file to show owners what others report for each model year. Looking at the whole file, from the 1981 model year on, gives a sense of what a complaint typically involves.
These are owner reports, not NHTSA findings: complaints are not verified when filed, and NHTSA may remove reports it can’t verify. Injuries reported total 81,943.
| Component (NHTSA category) | Complaints naming it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 233,687 | 15% |
| Power Train | 205,661 | 13% |
| Service Brakes | 171,330 | 11% |
| Engine | 166,878 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 151,105 | 10% |
| Steering | 137,918 | 9% |
| Unknown Or Other | 112,354 | 7% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 106,674 | 7% |
| Structure | 94,860 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 81,456 | 5% |
A complaint can name more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. “Unknown or other” is NHTSA’s own category. Source: NHTSA ODI complaints file, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; computed by PlainVIN.
Electrical systems, the powertrain, brakes and engines top the list. The categories are broad: “electrical system” covers everything from a dead battery warning to a failed instrument panel, which is why PlainVIN shows the component breakdown for each model year rather than a single total.
New models look better than they are
Complaints arrive for years after a model goes on sale, as cars age and mileage builds. That’s visible in the totals by model year:
The practical lesson: don’t compare a two-year-old model’s complaint count with a ten-year-old one’s. Compare model years of a similar age, or look at the share of complaints by component, which is what our best and worst years pages do. You can browse any model’s complaints by year from all makes A–Z.
Complaint, defect petition or lemon law?
A complaint is one of three different tools, and they do different jobs:
- Complaint to NHTSA: reports a possible safety defect so the government can spot a pattern. It is quick, free and public, but it doesn’t fix your car.
- Defect petition: a formal written request asking NHTSA to open an investigation or order a recall. Any interested person may file one, it must state the facts that justify it, and NHTSA must decide within 120 days, publishing its reasons if it says no (49 U.S.C. 30162).
- State lemon law: a claim against the manufacturer for a refund or replacement of your own new vehicle after repeated failed repairs. Rules differ by state; your state attorney general’s office explains them.
Many owners do all three: file a complaint, keep pressing the manufacturer and, if the defect isn’t fixed, look at a lemon-law claim. If a dealer refuses a free recall repair, that is also worth reporting to NHTSA.
How to search complaints about your car
Before filing, it’s worth seeing whether others have reported the same thing. NHTSA’s recalls page lists complaints, investigations and recalls when you search by year, make and model, and lets you search complaints by keyword. PlainVIN shows the same complaints counted by component for each model year, next to the recalls and crash-test ratings. For example, the 2017 Honda Accord report shows which systems owners mention most. Start from the VIN decoder to open the report for your exact car.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own claim, contact the manufacturer, NHTSA’s hotline or your state attorney general.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when you file a complaint with NHTSA?
Your complaint is added to NHTSA’s public complaint database after personal information is removed, and NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation reviews it with other data to look for patterns. NHTSA may contact you for details, receipts or photos. If a defect trend appears, NHTSA can open an investigation, which can lead to a recall.
How long does an NHTSA investigation take?
NHTSA aims to complete a Defect Petition review within four months, a Preliminary Evaluation or Recall Query within eight months, and an Engineering Analysis within 18 months. Not every complaint leads to an investigation.
How many complaints does it take to start an investigation or a recall?
There is no set number. NHTSA says it reviews every complaint, along with other data, to decide whether a potential safety defect trend exists. Severity matters as much as volume: a few reports of crashes or fires can carry more weight than many minor ones.
Will NHTSA share my complaint with the manufacturer?
Only if you agree. When you submit a complaint, you’re asked whether you want your complaint details, including your VIN and identifying information, shared with the manufacturer. The published version has personal information removed.
Will NHTSA contact me about my complaint?
Possibly. NHTSA may contact you if its experts need more information, receipts or photos, but not every complainant is contacted.
Can I file a complaint if a dealer won’t do a recall repair for free?
Yes. NHTSA says you can file a complaint online or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 if a dealer tells you a recall repair isn’t covered.
How reliable is NHTSA complaint data?
It is useful for spotting patterns but it isn’t verified fact: complaints are owner reports, NHTSA may remove those it can’t verify, and counts depend on how many vehicles were sold and how old they are. Compare model years of similar age and look at which components owners name.
Can I report a problem with an ATV or other off-road vehicle to NHTSA?
No. NHTSA directs complaints about off-road vehicles such as ATVs, side-by-sides, off-road motorcycles and go-carts to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
About the PlainVIN Recalls & Safety Desk
This desk covers recall campaigns and completion rates, owner complaints filed with NHTSA, and NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
Every figure in this guide links to its primary source. See our editorial policy, how we use AI and corrections log.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- Report a Safety Problem
NHTSA, read Oct 7, 2026 - Resources Related to Investigations and Recalls (investigation targets, complaint FAQs)
NHTSA, read Oct 7, 2026 - NHTSA ODI complaints file
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - 49 U.S.C. 30162 — Petitions by interested persons
LII, read Oct 7, 2026 - Car interior photo (CC0)
Wikimedia Commons, Pietro De Grandi
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Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Written and checked against primary sources by the Recalls & Safety desk.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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