How to Report a Vehicle Safety Defect to NHTSA

Safety recalls often begin with owners noticing the same problem. Reports to NHTSA are one of the ways analysts spot patterns that might otherwise be missed. If you believe your vehicle has a safety problem, reporting it is worthwhile even if no recall exists yet.

What counts as a safety defect?

A safety defect is a problem that creates an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, such as loss of steering or braking, an unexpected loss of power, a fire risk, or a failure of a safety system like air bags or seat belts. Problems that are annoying but not safety-related, like a rattle or a faulty radio, are usually not treated as safety defects.

How to file a report

• Online: use the “Report a Safety Problem” page on nhtsa.gov.
• By phone: call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

What to include

• The vehicle’s VIN, make, model and model year.
• The mileage and the date the problem occurred.
• A clear description of what happened, including what you were doing at the time (driving speed, weather, whether the vehicle was parked).
• Whether there was a crash, fire, injury or near miss.
• Whether the problem has happened more than once, and whether a dealer or mechanic has looked at it.

Photos and repair records are useful to keep, even if the form does not require them.

What happens after you report

Your complaint is added to NHTSA’s database, where analysts can review it alongside other reports for the same vehicle. Complaint summaries are available in NHTSA’s public listings. Realistically, a single report will not by itself trigger an investigation. NHTSA looks for patterns across many reports. The more complete and specific your report is, the more useful it is.

Also tell the manufacturer and your dealer

Reporting to NHTSA does not replace contacting the manufacturer. Ask the dealer to document the problem on a repair order, and contact the manufacturer’s customer service so there is a record of your report. This can matter for any later warranty or goodwill claim.

Check whether a recall already exists

Before filing, check whether your vehicle already has a recall for the problem. Enter your VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup, or browse your make and model on CheckCarFault. If a recall exists and has not been repaired, contact a dealer to get it fixed. If you have already paid for a repair of that problem, see our guide on whether recall repairs are free for information about reimbursement.

This guide is general information and is not legal advice. If a defect has led to injury, consider speaking with a qualified professional about your options.