NHTSA
Defect investigations
NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns suggest a possible safety risk. Browse all 4,173 investigations, including 93 currently open.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency Office of Defects Investigation has opened 4,161 formal defect investigations into U.S. vehicles as of June 2026. Each investigation can precede a recall; see our methodology for how these federal case files are tracked.
Timing Belt Failure
Ford Ecosport
Lower Lateral Link detachment
Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags
Honda Odyssey
Carry Handle Separation
NU Car rental of vehicles with open recalls
Rear Toe Link May Separate
Rivian R1S
Automated Driving System (ADS) conflict avoidance, driving behavior competence and assertiveness
Front Steering Knuckle Fractures
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Fuel smell and loss of motive power
Nissan Frontier
FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Redundant wheel fastener locking mechanism
Loss of Power Steering Assist
RAM Promaster 1500
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Ford F-150
Waymo AV striking a child in the area of a school.
Momentary increase in steering effort after recall remedy
Mazda Mazda
Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
Chrysler Chrysler
Rear Seat Belt Stitching Failure and Detachment
Land Rover Defender
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
Honda Honda
Loss of Motive Power
Honda CR-V Hybrid
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure
Jeep Jeep
Automatic Emergency Braking Errors
DTN Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Waymo AV drives around a stopped school bus
Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
Tesla
Electronic door handles become inoperative
Tesla Model Y
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
Chrysler Chrysler
Engine failure
Honda Ridgeline
Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
Tesla
Loss of rear-view camera image
Polestar Polestar 2
Post Recall Remedy Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) Failure
RAM 1500
Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 22V887
Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
Nissan Nissan
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fuel Leak
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Honda Honda
Rear-View Camera Failure
Honda Ridgeline
Collisions Involving Ford BlueCruise
Ford Mustang
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Honda Passport
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Volkswagen Volkswagen
Frame Flex on Grand Design Fifth Wheel Recreational Trailers
Underhood fires
Jeep Gladiator
Inner Tie Rod Failures
Nissan Nissan
Vehicle entrapment
Dodge Journey
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
Chrysler Chrysler
Loss of Motive Power
Jeep Wrangler 4XE
Side curtain air bags may deploy inadvertently
Nissan Nissan
Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak
Ford Super Duty
Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
Tesla
Understanding NHTSA Investigations
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Initial assessment of a potential safety defect, typically opened after receiving multiple consumer complaints about similar issues.
Engineering Analysis (EA)
In-depth technical evaluation that may include testing, data collection from manufacturers, and detailed defect analysis.
Recall Query (RQ)
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a previously issued recall remedy, often triggered when complaints persist after a recall.
Investigation Outcomes
Investigations may result in a voluntary recall by the manufacturer, a mandatory recall order, or closure if no defect is found.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.