NHTSA provides consumers a variety of online resources to assist with the research of car safety & recall information. The following are specific websites where you can locate the safety profiles for a car or vehicle equipment:

Compliance Testing - Vehicle and equipment testing to assure compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The compliance database contains testing results from 1994 to the present and is searchable by either FMVSS or Make/Brand, Model and Year.

Consumer Complaints - The Consumer Complaints Search Engine will allow searches of consumer complaints regarding safety related motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment by make, model and year. Selection of these three items is mandatory to perform a search. An optional item of Vehicle Component may be selected to help narrow the focus of the search.

Defect Investigations - The Investigations Search Engine will allow searches of current and past NHTSA Investigations of vehicles, tires and equipment opened since 1972, by single year, make or model. An optional item of Vehicle Component may be selected to help narrow the focus of the search.

Technical Service Bulletins - The Technical Service Bulletins Search Engine will allow searches of summaries of the Manufacturers' Technical Service Bulletins by single year, make and model. An optional item of Vehicle Component may be selected to help narrow the focus of the search. (The data does not contain all the service bulletins generated by a manufacturer. Bulletins for safety recalls in general are not included, and also bulletins which may not pertain to a defect may not be included.)

Recalls - The Recalls Search Engine will allow searches of the NHTSA Recall Campaigns by single year, make or model. As an option, Vehicle Component may be selected to help narrow the focus of the search.

Safety Studies & Reports - Studies and reports about safety issues.

Car Safety Concerns

The NHTSA lists the following as the most common type of safety-threatening defects:

• Wiring, or leaks that cause fire. Engine fires can be caused by faulty ignition switches, malfunctioning cruise control systems, and other vehicle equipment failures. Engine fires have been reported to occur while vehicles are in operation, and/or while parked.
• Accelerators that break or freeze suddenly. Water can accumulate in the end fitting of accelerator cables, and at temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below, can freeze. The ice could prevent the accelerator from returning to idle. Increased stopping distance would be required, increasing the risk of a crash. In 2000, Ford recalled all Escape models because drivers could encounter sudden acceleration and increased braking due to stuck accelerators.
• Steering parts that break, causing a loss of control. In some cars the power steering hose, under extreme steering maneuvers, may break and leak fluid. This could result in increased braking effort and also, if the power steering fluid spray were to spray onto hot engine parts, an engine compartment fire could occur. In October 2005, DaimlerChrysler recalled more than 250,000 vehicles due to a similar defect.
• Air bags that deploy late, or for no reason. In a number of cases, the force of the explosive activation of the bag has resulted in injuries or deaths of people who were too close to the bag when it deployed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that between 1990 and 1999, airbag deployment has killed over 200 people in low-severity crashes. Over 60 percent of those killed were children or people of small stature.
• Other safety concerns:
  • Defective door latches. Poor design or inferior metals can result in a defective door latch, which can cause doors to fly open in crashes.
  • SUV rollovers. Most of these are caused wholly or in part by tire failures, tire tread defects (detreading or delamination), poor stability design, poorly designed suspension system and inadequate brakes.

Has a car accident occurred?
If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, you need the experienced lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright to work with the insurance companies and protect your rights. The insurance companies have their own investigators and attorneys fighting for them, you need someone on your side.

Munley, Munley & Cartwright is a law firm experienced at handling car accident claims. Our firm charges clients of personal injury claims on a contingency basis. What that means is the attorney is only paid if he or she wins money damages for you - the client. This makes it possible for anyone to hire only the best lawyer. It gives everyone access to the justice system and representation that is equal to the best that insurance companies, doctors and other defendants can hire. You can contact the lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright for a free consultation by completing our online accident evaluation form, or by calling toll-free at 1-800-346-7401.