File a Complaint

Form Approved: O.M.B. No. 2127-0008

WHAT TYPE OF COMPLAINT DO YOU HAVE?

Certain information is required for filling out this Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) depending on your complaint type.

Complaint Types

Vehicles
Tires
Child Restraints
Equipment

FAQ

What will NHTSA do with my complaint?

Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists. Click here for more details.

How long will this take?

The average time to complete the minimum requirements of this form is eight to ten minutes. It is advised you gather the necessary information for your complaint type before completing the complaint form.

To help us evaluate your report, you should be prepared to provide certain information, depending on the type of complaint:

Vehicles (including, but not limited to, passenger cars, heavy trucks, RV's, motorcycles, emergency vehicles & buses)

Manufacturer
Make
Model
Model Year
Other essential information - Although not required, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is critical to proper evaluation of a vehicle complaint. This can be found on your registration or insurance card, driver side dash viewable through the windshield, or driver door jamb.

Tires

Tire Manufacturer
Tire Brand
Tire Line
Tire Size
Component (Tread, bead, sidewall, etc.)
DOT Code; also called Tire Identification Number, 9-14 characters on one or both sidewalls
To complete your tire complaint, please be sure to include information about the vehicle the tire was mounted on.

Child Restraints

Manufacturer
(example: Dorel Juvenile Products, Evenflo, Britax, etc.)
Model Number
(this is found on the manufacturer's label on restraint)
Date of Manufacture
(this is found on the manufacturer's label on restraint)
Restraint Type
(example: rear facing infant, booster, convertible, etc.)
Part of restraint causing concern
(example: harness, padding, carry handle, base, etc.)

Equipment

Replacement equipment such as oil filters, alternators, wipers, RV accessories, lights, and floor jacks.

What will NHTSA do with my complaint?

Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your complaint is the first step in the process.
Government engineers analyze the problem. If warranted, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to initiate a recall.
We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us.
While you may or may not be contacted by a NHTSA investigator to clarify the information submitted, all reports are reviewed and analyzed for potential defects trends.

Send your suggestions or comments to webmaster@nhtsa.dot.gov.

All the information that you submit to NHTSA will be transmitted using secure mechanism.

The Privacy Act of 1974 - Public Law 93-579, As Amended: This information is requested pursuant to the authority vested in the National Highway Traffic Safety Act and subsequent amendments. You are under no obligation to respond to this questionnaire. Your response maybe used to assist the NHTSA in determining whether a manufacturer should take appropriate action to correct a safety defect. If the NHTSA proceeds with administration enforcement or litigation against a manufacturer, your response, or statistical summary thereof, may be used in support of the agency's action.