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 right now on the models this site tracks.
Every recall on this site began as a pattern somebody noticed. Often the manufacturer noticed it first, in warranty claims or field reports. Sometimes 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.
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 agency's stated aim is to resolve a preliminary evaluation within about four months, either by closing it or by upgrading it.
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 can end in 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 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. In this database, recall queries have looked into engine failures after a recall repair on General Motors' full-size pickups and SUVs, and into repeated shift-interlock failures on Ram 1500 pickups that had already received a recall remedy. Owners who report a problem after the recall repair are an important 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; the same issue can be investigated again if more data emerge.
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 · 2026-10-13
Open: 36 · Investigations: 113
- Upper Grille Deflector Detachment Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 118 complaints alleging detachment of the upper grille deflector on 2022-2024 model year (MY) GMC Sierra vehicles. 21 of these 118 complaints allege that the upper grille deflector detached after Recall 25V-060 was performed. The complaints allege that the upper grille deflector detaches while driving. In some cases, leading to a cracked winds…
- Loss of Motive Power Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on August 5, 2026, requesting a defect investigation into the 2.0 Liter EcoBoost engine on model year 2015-2018 Ford Edge vehicles. The petition alleges that engine coolant intrusion results in a significant loss of engine power, accompanied by an "Engine Coolant Over Temperature" warning message. The petition further alleges that afte…
- 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 “Brake System Failure” message at start up or while driving. GM shared records regarding several internal investigations for loss of brake assist …
- 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 R…
- 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 Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time …
- Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures Open
On June 8, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, LLC (FCA) filed Safety Recall 23V-413 affecting certain 2022–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and2021–2023 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 increase …
- 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) 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by a flashing check engine light immediately before the…
- 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…
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 a repurchase. For fire-risk defects the notice may tell owners to park outside; for the most serious risks 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.