How to file a vehicle safety complaint with NHTSA
What to include in an NHTSA complaint, how the ODI number works, and how complaint patterns turn into investigations and recalls.
Every complaint on this site started with an owner filling in a form. Complaints are the main way NHTSA discovers defects: investigators look for clusters of similar reports on the same model, and a cluster can trigger a preliminary evaluation, an engineering analysis and eventually a recall.
What qualifies
NHTSA wants reports about safety-related problems: anything that could cause a crash, a fire, an injury, a loss of control, or that affects a safety system such as brakes, steering, airbags, seat belts, lights or driver-assistance features. Purely cosmetic or comfort complaints belong with the dealer or manufacturer, not with NHTSA.
How to file
- Go to nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline.
- Have the VIN, the mileage, and the date of the incident ready.
- Describe what happened in plain, specific language: the speed, the road conditions, what the vehicle did, what warnings appeared, whether anyone was hurt, whether the dealer diagnosed a cause.
- State whether a crash, fire, injury or death was involved; these fields are what make a report count as severe in every analysis, including ours.
- Attach photos or repair invoices if you have them.
What happens next
You receive an ODI number, the identifier you see next to excerpts on this site. Your report becomes a public record within days, with personal details removed. NHTSA does not respond to individual complaints, but it reads them: the investigation summaries on this site frequently cite the number of complaints that prompted the inquiry.
Tips for a useful report
- File even if the dealer fixed the problem; the pattern is what matters.
- One incident per report. Repeat occurrences can be added as separate reports.
- Include the manufacturer's diagnosis or bulletin number if you were given one.
- Do not include your name or phone number in the narrative; the form has separate fields for those.
Owners outside the United States should report to their national authority. Many accept reports online, and several publish their own complaint statistics.