Millions of cars drive around the country every day. Some cars will break down. If you experience a breakdown or malfunction that could be the result of a safety defect with your automobile, it is important to report it. It is also your responsibility to report any difficulties with non-original equipment, car seats or even your tires.
Helping with defects being reported
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is supposed to make sure vehicles and anything correlated are safe. Every little thing can’t be tested by the NHTSA with so many cars around. By reporting possible safety defects, you help the NHTSA “connect the dots” and know what to investigate. Safety recalls and investigations are spurred by these complaints. Making a report to the NHTSA might be the only way to fix things since car manufacturers won’t admit something is wrong until someone has told them they have to.
What you should report
Any safety concern you have can be reported to the NHTSA. Report if your brakes seem to fail you. Airbag malfunctions need to be reported. 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 anybody should be on this list.
Reporting to the NHTSA
Troubles to be reported to the NHTSA are easy to report. . You will need details about the make and model of the car and component you are making the complaint about. You will also need to give the NHTSA your contact details, in case it does launch an investigation. There is a huge database that connects all of the complaints to see if anyone else has made the exact same complaint as you.
Further reading
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation website
odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
