Transparency · Sources

How We Source & Process Recall Data

A complete, no-nonsense breakdown of where this data comes from, how often it updates, and what we do (and don't do) with it.

Data Source

Every recall on this site comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's public recall dataset, hosted at data.transportation.gov. That dataset is populated and maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency responsible for vehicle safety regulation in the United States.

The dataset is published under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public-domain license, meaning anyone can use it. We do not modify the underlying recall records.

Update Frequency

Our index syncs with the source dataset every day. The most recent successful sync was on 2026-05-20. For new recalls published within the last few hours, the official nhtsa.gov/recalls page is always the freshest source.

What We Do

  • Index every recall record — manufacturer, NHTSA ID, defect summary, consequence summary, corrective action, affected population, and severity flags (Do Not Drive, Fire Risk When Parked).
  • Compute aggregates — total recalls per manufacturer, per year, per component, and the largest single recalls by affected population.
  • Cross-link records — every recall is linked from its manufacturer page, year page, and component page, so visitors and search engines can navigate the data graph efficiently.
  • Generate plain-English FAQs — context for each manufacturer, component, and recall ID so visitors who don't know NHTSA jargon can still understand what they're looking at.
  • Publish structured data — every page includes JSON-LD (Schema.org Organization, FAQPage, NewsArticle, BreadcrumbList) so search engines and AI overviews can lift content cleanly.

What We Don't Do

  • We do not investigate defects. Defect investigations are NHTSA's job.
  • We do not collect personal information. The site has no login. We don't process VINs — VIN lookup belongs on the official NHTSA tool.
  • We do not modify recall records. If a defect summary appears truncated or unclear, that's how NHTSA published it.
  • We do not include Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) or non-US recalls.

How We Classify Severity

Each recall card on this site carries a colored severity badge derived from the underlying NHTSA flags:

  • Do Not Drive (red) — NHTSA has flagged the recall with its do_not_drive field set to "Yes".
  • Fire Risk (orange) — NHTSA has flagged the recall with fire_risk_when_parked set to "Yes".
  • Large Recall (blue) — affected vehicle population exceeds 100,000.
  • Standard (gray) — none of the above flags apply.

Severity badges are a UI overlay we apply based on NHTSA's underlying classification; we don't independently assess defect severity.

Independence & Funding

This site is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, DOT, any vehicle manufacturer, or any government agency. We display ads to cover hosting costs. We do not accept sponsorship from manufacturers and we do not modify content based on advertiser relationships.

Accessibility & Accuracy

We aim for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance on every page. See our accessibility statement for details. If you spot a data issue, the discrepancy almost certainly originates in the upstream NHTSA dataset — report it to NHTSA via nhtsa.gov/contact. Bugs in our presentation can be reported through our contact form.

Citation

Researchers and journalists are welcome to cite or reference this site. A suggested attribution:

"Vehicle Safety Recalls Tracker, sourced from the U.S. Department of Transportation NHTSA public dataset (last refreshed 2026-05-20)."

Data & Editorial FAQ

Is this site affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer?

No. Vehicle Safety Recalls Tracker is an independent, free resource. We are not affiliated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Department of Transportation, or any vehicle manufacturer.

Is the data on this site official?

The underlying recall records are official — sourced directly from the public NHTSA dataset hosted on data.transportation.gov. The presentation, analysis, and FAQ content on this site are our independent editorial work.

How current is the recall data?

Our index refreshes daily. The latest sync was on 2026-05-20. For the absolute most current data (within the last few hours), visit nhtsa.gov/recalls directly.

Why might my recall not appear here?

NHTSA periodically updates the public dataset, so a brand-new recall (within ~24 hours) may not yet be in our index. Additionally, recalls outside the United States, and TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins, which are not safety recalls), are not included.

How can I report a data error?

If you spot what looks like incorrect data, the issue is almost always in the underlying NHTSA dataset rather than in our presentation. Report data issues directly to NHTSA. For presentation bugs (broken links, formatting), use our contact page.