From complaint to recall: how an NHTSA defect investigation works
The stages of a U.S. safety investigation, how long each takes, what the action numbers mean, how manufacturers respond, and which investigations are open…
Every recall on this site began as a pattern somebody noticed. Sometimes the manufacturer noticed it first, in warranty claims. Often the pattern was in the owner complaints that make up most of this index, and the body that noticed was the Office of Defects Investigation at the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This article explains what happens between a cluster of complaints and a recall letter, and how to read the investigation entries that appear on the model pages.
Where investigations come from
ODI screens incoming complaints continuously, looking for clusters: the same component, the same symptom, the same model years. It also receives early-warning data that manufacturers must submit about warranty claims, field reports, injuries and deaths, and it watches crash databases and news. Any member of the public can file a defect petition asking the agency to investigate, which appears in the data as a DP action. Most investigations, however, begin when an analyst decides a complaint cluster deserves a closer look.
The stages
Preliminary evaluation (PE)
The first formal step. The agency sends the manufacturer an information request: how many vehicles, how many warranty claims, how many field reports, what the engineering explanation is, what has been done. The manufacturer typically has a month or two to respond. The agency's stated aim is to resolve a preliminary evaluation within about four months, either by closing it or by upgrading it. Many run longer.
Engineering analysis (EA)
The deeper stage, opened when the preliminary evaluation found enough to justify testing and detailed analysis. ODI may buy vehicles, run tests at its own facility, commission outside testing and hold meetings with the manufacturer's engineers. The stated goal is a decision within about a year. An engineering analysis usually ends one of three ways: the manufacturer announces a recall, the agency closes the case with a finding that a defect trend was not established, or, rarely, the agency issues an initial decision that a defect exists and moves toward ordering a recall.
Recall query (RQ)
Opened when a recall already exists but complaints continue: the remedy may not work, the scope may be too narrow, or vehicles may have been repaired incorrectly. The Telluride high-beam recall, the Kia piston-ring recall and several fuel-pump recalls in this database have had recall queries. Owners who report a problem after the recall repair are the main source.
Audit query (AQ)
A check on how a recall is being carried out: completion rates, parts availability, whether owners were notified, whether the remedy is being applied as described.
How to read the numbers
An action number such as PE23002 encodes the type, the year opened and a sequence: the second preliminary evaluation of 2023. Every investigation entry on this site shows the subject line ODI assigned, the component, the opening date, the closing date if closed, the model years covered and, where one resulted, the recall campaign number. An open investigation is a statement of suspicion, not a finding. A closed one without a recall means the agency did not establish a defect trend, which is not the same as saying the problem does not exist; several such cases were reopened later with more data.
What is open now
The list below is generated from the current month's data: investigations that are still open and touch at least one tracked model. Click a model for the complaint context.
What the data shows now · 2026-09-02
Open: 35 · Investigations: 110
- Electronic Brake Module Component Failure Open
On April 11, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24011 after receiving complaints concerning a loss of brake assist in 2023 MY Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. These complaints allege a hard brake pedal, followed by a âBrake System Failureâ message at start up or while driving. GM shared records regarding several internal investigations for loss of brake ass…
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy Open
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued …
- Lower Lateral Link detachment Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 156 complaints alleging a suspension failure in model year (MY) 2018-2020 Model 3 and MY 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles. The suspension failure involves the detachment of the front lower lateral link, which potentially causes a loss of vehicle directional control. In most cases, there was no advance warning or indication that the suspension failur…
- NU Car rental of vehicles with open recalls Open
NHTSA is opening this Audit Query (AQ) to investigate NU Car Rentals (NU Car) for compliance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.The Safety Act requires that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i). NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates NU Car rented at…
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient t…
- Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures Open
On June 8, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, LLC (FCA) filed Safety Recall 23V-413 affecting certain 2022â2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and2021â2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles to address rear coil springs that may not have been properly installed during vehicle production. An improperly installed rear coil spring may detach while the vehicle is in motion, creating a road hazard that can incre…
- Loss of Motive Power Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 48 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and some Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging intermittent loss of motive power in Model Year (MY) 2020â2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. Â These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by a flashing check engine light immediately before …
- Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 6 complaints, and multiple Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging inaccurate rear seat belt warning status. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative statuses in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). The complaints state that the rear passenger seat…
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019â2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon…
- Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure Open
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is opening a Preliminary Evaluation on 2020 Model Year Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers involving a malfunctioning Instrument Panel Clusters (IPC) resulting in the loss of important vehicle metrics and other status information. ODI has received 89 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging a complete or partial loss of the IPC display while driving.  Th…
What a recall obliges the manufacturer to do
Once a manufacturer decides, or is ordered, to recall, it must notify NHTSA within five working days, notify owners by mail within sixty days, provide a remedy free of charge, and report completion rates quarterly for six quarters. The remedy can be a repair, a replacement, a software update or, rarely, a repurchase. For fire-risk defects the notice may tell owners to park outside; for crash-risk defects it may say do not drive. Those flags appear on every recall entry on this site.
Why your complaint matters
Investigations are opened on patterns, and patterns are built from individual reports that each looked minor. A report that names the component, describes the conditions and includes the mileage is worth far more to a screener than one that says the car is unsafe. The guide on filing a complaint covers what to include; the excerpts on each model page show what other owners have already written.