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Car guides

Plain-English guides to VINs, recalls, owner complaints, crash tests and fuel costs. Every figure links to the NHTSA, EPA or other official record it comes from.

More guides

Deployed driver and passenger front air bags hanging from a dashboard display in a museum exhibit
Safety & recallsTakata Air Bag Recall: How to Check Your Car and What to DoAbout 67 million Takata air bags were recalled because they can explode. Which vehicles are affected, why your state mattered, how many are still…7 min readUpdated
Instrument cluster at night with an amber check-engine light glowing between the gauges and a gloved hand on the wheel
Safety & recallsHow to File a Complaint With NHTSA, and What Happens NextHow to report a vehicle safety problem to NHTSA online or by phone, what to include, what happens to your complaint, how long investigations…7 min readUpdated
Smartphone showing a notification on a car's center console beside the gear selector at sunset
Safety & recallsDo Not Drive Recalls: The Takata List and Every Other WarningThe vehicles NHTSA says not to drive until they’re repaired: the Takata air bag list by make and model, every other Do Not Drive…7 min readUpdated
Phone showing a chart, a car key and a printed report on a grey desk mat
Buying usedFree VIN Check vs Paid Vehicle History Report: What Each Tells YouA free VIN check tells you what the car is; a paid history report tells you what happened to it. Here's what each covers,…6 min readUpdated