There are millions of autos on the road in America. Some cars will break down. You have to report anything that might make your car have a safety defect. .
Why to report defects
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is charged with keeping an eye on the safety of vehicles and vehicle-related products on the road. With millions of vehicles on the road, though, the NHTSA cannot track each and every single issue that may crop up. NHTSA like help when trying to “connect the dots” so they know what to do. Safety recalls and investigations are spurred by these complaints. Car manufacturers won’t admit to you that something is wrong but being required by the NHTSA to make a recall might help you out quite a bit.
What to report
Any safety concern you have could be reported to the NHTSA. Report if your brakes seem to fail you. Report it when your airbag doesn’t come out right. Tires separating, component failures and defective child restraints are also worth reporting. Anything that might make a crash happen, make a crash worse, or hurt any person should be on this list.
How to report to the NHTSA
It is easy to report NHTSA difficulties. There is the Office of Defects Investigation website or you can call 888-327-4236. You’ll have to know the make and model of the car you want to complain about. You will also need to give the NHTSA your contact information, in case it does launch an investigation. The database takes this info you give them and connects it with the info from every person else who has made a similar complaint.
Further reading
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation site
odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
