# NHTSA Vehicle Complaints & Defect Investigations Feed (`moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed`) Actor

Early-warning feed of NHTSA vehicle safety data: newest owner defect complaints across all makes (crash, fire, injury flags, component, narrative) plus ODI defect investigations (PE, EA, RQ, DP) opened or closed. Filters, complaint clusters, new-since-last-run alerts.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed.md
- **Developed by:** [Luke Miller](https://apify.com/moment-data) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 complaint records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## NHTSA Vehicle Complaints & Defect Investigations Feed (Early-Warning API)

Get the **newest NHTSA vehicle safety complaints across every make** and every **NHTSA defect investigation** (Preliminary Evaluations, Engineering Analyses, Recall Queries, Defect Petitions) as clean JSON, CSV or Excel. Complaints are the earliest public signal of a vehicle defect, often months before a recall, and investigations show where the regulator is already looking. Filter by make, model, model year, component (air bags, brakes, steering, fuel, ADAS...) and crash/fire/injury, and schedule it daily in *new since last run* mode for an alert feed that only bills you for records you have not seen.

Unlike make/model/year lookup tools, this Actor reads NHTSA's official **daily ODI flat files**, so it sees **all ~6,000 complaints NHTSA receives each month, for all makes, without you knowing which vehicle to ask about**. It also adds a **complaint-cluster signal** (`similarComplaintsInWindow`) so spikes stand out.

### Who it is for

- **Auto-defect, lemon-law and product-liability law firms**: spot emerging defect clusters (e.g. 18 complaints about one model's fuel system in 30 days), crash/fire/injury complaints, and new investigations the day NHTSA opens them.
- **OEM and supplier quality, warranty and safety teams**: watch complaints about your vehicles, your competitors' vehicles or your component category; get notified when ODI opens a PE or upgrades to an EA.
- **Insurers, claims and subrogation teams**: fire and crash complaints by model and component, investigations tied to recall campaigns.
- **Fleet managers and dealers**: alerts for the makes/models/years you operate or sell.
- **Journalists and researchers**: a daily feed of new federal defect investigations and the complaints behind them, including robotaxi / ADS operator complaints (`adsOperator`).
- **Developers**: normalized NHTSA data through the Apify API, webhooks and integrations (Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make).

### What you get

- **Consumer complaints (all makes)**: ODI number, date received, incident date, manufacturer, make, model, model year, product type (vehicle / tire / equipment / child seat), all components, crash, fire, injuries, deaths, medical attention, police report, towed, mileage, speed, incident state, complaint source and the narrative.
- **Defect investigations**: action number, type (PE, EA, RQ, DP, AQ...), status (open/closed), dates opened and closed, the event that put it in your window (`opened` or `closed`), manufacturer, subject, component, all affected makes/models/years, the resulting **recall campaign** (with link) and NHTSA's full summary.
- **Complaint clusters**: `similarComplaintsInWindow` = number of complaints in the same window for the same make, model, year and component.
- **Full vehicle history** (optional): every complaint ever filed for specific make + model + year via NHTSA's complaints API.
- **New since last run** mode with saved history per *State key*. An investigation that later **closes** is delivered again as a `closed` event.
- **Privacy by design**: VIN fragments, consumer city, dealer names/phones and other personal details are never output; phone numbers and e-mails typed into narratives are masked.
- **Fast**: a default run takes about 5 seconds at 512 MB.

### Quick start

1. Click **Start** with the default input. You get about 40 records: NHTSA investigations opened or closed in the last 60 days plus the newest complaints received in the last 30 days, all makes.
2. Narrow it down: set `makes`, `models`, `modelYears`, a `componentKeyword` or tick `crashOrInjuryOnly`. Raise `maxItems` for bigger pulls (up to 20,000).
3. **Daily defect alerts (schedule tip):** create an Apify **Schedule** (e.g. every day at 9:00) with:

```json
{ "mode": "sinceLastRun", "stateKey": "daily-tesla-ford", "makes": ["TESLA", "FORD"], "receivedWithinDays": 7, "investigationsWithinDays": 30, "maxItems": 2000 }
```

Each run delivers only complaints and investigation events not delivered before for that `stateKey`. Connect a webhook, Slack, Google Sheets or e-mail integration. Use one `stateKey` per schedule.

More examples:

- Air bag investigations of the last year: `{ "dataTypes": ["investigations"], "componentKeyword": "AIR BAG", "investigationsWithinDays": 365 }`
- Fire/crash/injury complaints about fuel systems, last 90 days: `{ "dataTypes": ["complaints"], "componentKeyword": "FUEL", "crashOrInjuryOnly": true, "receivedWithinDays": 90, "maxItems": 500 }`
- Every complaint ever filed for a 2024 Tesla Model Y: `{ "dataTypes": ["complaints"], "vehicleHistory": true, "makes": ["TESLA"], "models": ["MODEL Y"], "modelYears": [2024], "maxItems": 5000 }`

### Input

| Field | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `dataTypes` | both | `complaints`, `investigations` |
| `makes` | all | e.g. `TESLA`, `FORD`, `HONDA` |
| `models` | all | substring match: `MODEL Y` matches `MODEL Y RWD` |
| `modelYears` | all | e.g. `2023`, `2024` |
| `componentKeyword` | none | NHTSA component (or investigation subject) contains this text |
| `crashOrInjuryOnly` | false | only complaints with crash, fire, injury or death |
| `receivedWithinDays` | 30 | complaints received in the last N days (1-730) |
| `investigationsWithinDays` | 60 | investigations opened or closed in the last N days |
| `maxItems` | 40 | cap per run (also caps spend), newest first; investigations get up to half when both types are selected |
| `vehicleHistory` | false | all-time complaints for given makes + model years (+ models) via the NHTSA API |
| `mode` | `window` | `window` = everything in the window; `sinceLastRun` = only new (**use for schedules**) |
| `stateKey` | `default` | saved history name for `sinceLastRun` |

### Output (real records, Oct 2026; long text shortened)

Investigation that ended in a recall:

```json
{
  "recordType": "investigation",
  "actionNumber": "PE24024",
  "investigationType": "PE",
  "investigationTypeName": "Preliminary Evaluation",
  "status": "closed",
  "dateOpened": "2024-09-06",
  "dateClosed": "2026-09-24",
  "latestEvent": "closed",
  "latestEventDate": "2026-09-24",
  "manufacturer": "Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)",
  "subject": "Underhood fires",
  "component": "STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP",
  "recallCampaignNumber": "26V363",
  "makes": ["JEEP"],
  "models": ["GLADIATOR", "WRANGLER"],
  "modelYears": [2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024],
  "summary": "On September 6, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24024 to investigate allegations of engine compartment fires in model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles...",
  "url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=PE24024",
  "recallUrl": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=26V363000",
  "vehicleCount": 8
}
```

Complaint:

```json
{
  "recordType": "complaint",
  "odiNumber": "11774329",
  "dateReceived": "2026-10-28",
  "incidentDate": "2026-08-26",
  "manufacturer": "Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)",
  "make": "HONDA",
  "model": "PILOT",
  "modelYear": 2020,
  "productType": "vehicle",
  "components": ["FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL", "FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING", "FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS"],
  "crash": false, "fire": false, "injuries": 0, "deaths": 0,
  "medicalAttention": false, "policeReport": false, "vehicleTowed": false,
  "incidentState": "NM",
  "complaintSource": "NHTSA website",
  "summary": "The front facing camera failed. Cruise control doesn't work. Emergency braking doesn't work...",
  "url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=11774329",
  "apiUrl": "https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/odinumber?odinumber=11774329",
  "similarComplaintsInWindow": 3
}
```

Full examples: `sample-output.json`. Every run also writes a summary (windows, filters, per-type counts, failures) to the `OUTPUT` record. The dataset has two table views: *Complaints* and *Investigations*.

### Investigation types

PE = Preliminary Evaluation, EA = Engineering Analysis (an escalation), RQ = Recall Query (adequacy of a past recall), DP = Defect Petition (public request to open an investigation), AQ = Audit Query, EQ = Equipment Query, RP = Recall Petition.

### Data sources, update timing and fair use

- **NHTSA ODI complaints flat files** (`static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/cmpl/`, e.g. `COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026.zip`), refreshed daily.
- **NHTSA ODI investigations flat file** (`static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/inv/FLAT_INV.zip`), refreshed daily; all investigations since 1972.
- **NHTSA complaints API** (`api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle`) for the optional full vehicle history.
- U.S. Government works, free, no API key. Polite access with a declared User-Agent and retries.
- Complaints are unverified consumer reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA or U.S. DOT. Confirm critical decisions against NHTSA's official records (`url`).
- Vehicle recalls are a different dataset: for FDA, NHTSA and CPSC **recalls** use our [US Product Recalls Feed](https://apify.com/moment-data/product-recalls-feed).

### Pricing

Pay per event (Apify takes care of billing; you only pay for what is delivered):

| Event | Price | Charged |
|---|---|---|
| `apify-actor-start` | $0.005 | once per run |
| `complaint-record` | $0.003 | per owner complaint delivered |
| `investigation-record` | $0.003 | per NHTSA defect investigation delivered |

A default test run (40 records: complaints + investigations) costs about $0.125. A daily `sinceLastRun` schedule for a few makes is typically a few cents a day. `maxItems` and Apify's *max cost per run* cap your spend; the Actor stops delivering when your budget is reached, so you are never charged for more than you set. No separate platform-usage charges: compute is included in the event prices.

### FAQ

**How fresh is it?** NHTSA updates the flat files every day; complaints usually appear 0-2 days after NHTSA receives them.
**Can I get older complaints?** Yes: raise `receivedWithinDays` up to 730, or use `vehicleHistory` for all-time complaints about a specific vehicle.
**Why do some complaints have several components?** NHTSA codes one complaint against multiple components; they are merged into one record.

# Actor input Schema

## `dataTypes` (type: `array`):

Owner complaints (ODI consumer complaints) and/or NHTSA defect investigations (Preliminary Evaluations, Engineering Analyses, Recall Queries, Defect Petitions...). Default: both.

## `makes` (type: `array`):

Optional. Vehicle/equipment makes, e.g. TESLA, FORD, HONDA, MICHELIN. Empty = all makes.

## `models` (type: `array`):

Optional. Model text, matched as a substring: 'MODEL Y' matches 'MODEL Y RWD'; 'F-150' matches 'F-150 LIGHTNING'.

## `modelYears` (type: `array`):

Optional. e.g. 2023, 2024. Empty = all model years.

## `componentKeyword` (type: `string`):

Optional. Only records whose NHTSA component (or investigation subject) contains this text, e.g. 'AIR BAG', 'BRAKES', 'STEERING', 'FUEL', 'ELECTRICAL', 'AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING'.

## `crashOrInjuryOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only complaints that report a crash, a fire, injuries or deaths. Investigations are not affected.

## `receivedWithinDays` (type: `integer`):

Complaints received by NHTSA in the last N days (by date received).

## `investigationsWithinDays` (type: `integer`):

Investigations opened or closed in the last N days. NHTSA opens or closes roughly 5-15 per month.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on delivered records (also caps your spend). Newest first; when both types are selected, investigations get up to half.

## `vehicleHistory` (type: `boolean`):

Instead of recent complaints, pull ALL complaints ever filed for the given makes + model years (+ models) from api.nhtsa.gov. Requires makes and modelYears; ignores 'received within'.

## `mode` (type: `string`):

window (default): everything in the time window, no saved state. sinceLastRun: only complaints/investigations not delivered before for this State key (investigation closures are delivered again as a new event). Use for schedules and alerts.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Name of the saved feed for sinceLastRun mode. Use one key per schedule.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "dataTypes": [
    "complaints",
    "investigations"
  ],
  "makes": [],
  "models": [],
  "modelYears": [],
  "crashOrInjuryOnly": false,
  "receivedWithinDays": 30,
  "investigationsWithinDays": 60,
  "maxItems": 40,
  "vehicleHistory": false,
  "mode": "window",
  "stateKey": "default"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `records` (type: `string`):

Complaints and investigations, one record each.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Windows, filters, per-type counts, failures.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "makes": [],
    "models": [],
    "modelYears": []
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "makes": [],
    "models": [],
    "modelYears": [],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "makes": [],
  "models": [],
  "modelYears": []
}' |
apify call moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,moment-data/nhtsa-complaints-investigations-feed"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/8QkN0PA04k17u3xqv/builds/Tgm7nhRIVPRrcON3k/openapi.json