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NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS

Vehicles Under Active Investigation

An open NHTSA defect investigation is the earliest public signal that a recall may be coming — months or years before it's announced. No other free VIN tool surfaces it.

91
Models Under Scrutiny
136
Open Investigations
55
At a Serious Stage
33%
Historically → Recall

NHTSA investigation data · auto-synced daily · last updated Sep 26, 2026

Models with Open Safety-Defect Investigations

Every model below has at least one investigation NHTSA opened within the last few years and has not closed — genuinely active federal scrutiny, not stale paperwork. Ranked by how far each has progressed toward a recall decision. The conversion figure is the historical share of that investigation type that ended in a recall.

VehicleStage→ Recall
Tesla Model Y7 open investigationsEA50%
Tesla Model 36 open investigationsEA50%
Tesla Model S5 open investigationsEA50%
Tesla Model X5 open investigationsEA50%
Tesla Cybertruck3 open investigationsEA50%
Honda Pilot3 open investigationsEA50%
Chevrolet Silverado 15002 open investigationsEA50%
Chevrolet Tahoe2 open investigationsEA50%
Chevrolet Suburban2 open investigationsEA50%
GMC Sierra 15002 open investigationsEA50%
GMC Yukon2 open investigationsEA50%
GMC Yukon XL2 open investigationsEA50%
Cadillac Escalade2 open investigationsEA50%
Cadillac Escalade ESV2 open investigationsEA50%
Hyundai Sonata2 open investigationsEA50%
Honda Passport2 open investigationsEA50%
Honda Odyssey2 open investigationsEA50%
Honda Ridgeline2 open investigationsEA50%
Acura MDX2 open investigationsEA50%
Acura TLX2 open investigationsEA50%
Honda CR-V2 open investigationsEA50%
Chevrolet ColoradoEA50%
Chevrolet TraverseEA50%
Chevrolet BlazerEA50%
Chevrolet Blazer EVEA50%
Chevrolet Equinox EVEA50%
GMC CanyonEA50%
GMC AcadiaEA50%
Buick EnclaveEA50%
Buick EnvisionEA50%
Cadillac LyriqEA50%
Ford FocusEA50%
Ford FiestaEA50%
Land Rover Range RoverEA50%
Land Rover Range Rover SportEA50%
Ford F-150EA50%
Chevrolet MalibuEA50%
Ford Mustang Mach-EEA50%
Honda InsightEA50%
Volkswagen AtlasEA50%
Dodge JourneyEA50%
Honda AccordEA50%
Ram 35003 open investigationsPE30%
Chrysler Pacifica3 open investigationsPE30%
Ram 15003 open investigationsPE30%
Jeep Wrangler2 open investigationsPE30%
Rivian R1TPE30%
Rivian R1SPE30%
Ram ProMasterPE30%
Land Rover DefenderPE30%
Jeep GladiatorPE30%
Jeep WagoneerPE30%
Nissan RoguePE30%
Ford F-250 Super DutyPE30%
Ford F-350 Super DutyPE30%
Mazda CX-90RQ65%
Jeep Grand CherokeeRQ65%
Ram 2500RQ65%
BMW 5 SeriesDP2%
Ford EdgeDP2%
Ford Fusion HybridDP2%
Nissan FrontierDP2%
Toyota CamryDP2%
Toyota PriusDP2%
Toyota YarisDP2%
Ford ExpeditionAQ3%
Hyundai PalisadeAQ3%
Lucid AirAQ3%
Jaguar I-PACEAQ3%
Hyundai ElantraAQ3%
Hyundai AccentAQ3%
Hyundai VelosterAQ3%
Hyundai TucsonAQ3%
Hyundai Santa FeAQ3%
Hyundai AzeraAQ3%
Hyundai VeracruzAQ3%
Hyundai Genesis CoupeAQ3%
Hyundai Genesis SedanAQ3%
Hyundai Santa Fe SportAQ3%
Kia SorentoAQ3%
Kia SportageAQ3%
Kia SoulAQ3%
Kia OptimaAQ3%
Kia ForteAQ3%
Kia StingerAQ3%
Kia RondoAQ3%
Kia BorregoAQ3%
Kia RioAQ3%
Kia CadenzaAQ3%
Genesis G80AQ3%
Genesis G70AQ3%

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) bulk data. Click any vehicle for its full recall, complaint, and investigation history. An open investigation is not a defect finding — it means NHTSA is actively reviewing the issue.

How Often Each Investigation Type Becomes a Recall

Not all investigations are equal. These are the empirical historical conversion rates across every concluded NHTSA investigation on record — the odds that opening this type of investigation eventually led to a recall.

EQEquipment Query
71%

60 of 85 concluded EQ investigations led to a recall.

RQRecall Query
65%

119 of 183 concluded RQ investigations led to a recall.

EAEngineering Analysis
50%

421 of 839 concluded EA investigations led to a recall.

PEPreliminary Evaluation
30%

683 of 2,279 concluded PE investigations led to a recall.

SQSpecial Query
24%

24 of 101 concluded SQ investigations led to a recall.

AQAudit Query
3%

1 of 30 concluded AQ investigations led to a recall.

DPDefect Petition
2%

8 of 423 concluded DP investigations led to a recall.

How an NHTSA Investigation Works

NHTSA escalates a suspected defect through stages. The further it progresses, the closer it is to a recall decision.

1
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation of a potential safety defect.
2
Engineering Analysis (EA)
NHTSA opens an in-depth Engineering Analysis — the most serious stage, just before a recall decision.
3
Recall Query (RQ)
NHTSA opens a Recall Query examining the scope or adequacy of a recall.
4
Equipment Query (EQ)
NHTSA opens an Equipment Query.
5
Defect Petition (DP)
NHTSA opens a Defect Petition review.
6
Special Query (SQ)
NHTSA opens a Special Query.
7
Audit Query (AQ)
NHTSA opens an Audit Query into a recall's execution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an open investigation mean my car is unsafe?▾

Not necessarily. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing whether a defect exists — it is a signal, not a verdict. But it is the earliest warning available, and a meaningful share of investigations do end in recalls, so it's worth knowing before you buy.

How is this different from a recall?▾

A recall is a confirmed safety defect the manufacturer must fix for free. An investigation is the step before that — NHTSA gathering evidence. This page shows the investigations; if one becomes a recall, it moves into the recall data on each vehicle's report.

How current is this data?▾

It's rebuilt every day from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation bulk files and only counts investigations opened recently and still open, so stale never-closed records aren't shown as active.

How do I check my exact vehicle?▾

Run your 17-character VIN for a full report — open recalls confirmed for your specific VIN, model-year complaints, investigation status, and a plain-English risk verdict.

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