Is your car safe? Here's how to find out

Last edited Thu Jun 14, 2018, 04:33 AM - Edit history (1)

Is your car making a funny noise? The shifter seems way too confusing? Does the engine stall and nobody knows why?

Or are you shopping for a vehicle and want to be sure it’s safe and free of defects?

Either way, a gold mine of information is at your fingertips – and so is a place where you can report potential safety issues for investigation.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s website NHTSA.gov is the place to research vehicle safety and contact engineers if you think something’s seriously wrong, like GM’s defective ignition switches and Takata’s potentially deadly airbags.

“NHTSA encourages all vehicle owners who think they might have a safety issue to contact the agency,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King said. “Consumers can check for existing recalls on their vehicle, as well as submit a complaint about any suspected safety issues, at NHTSA.gov/recalls or by calling 1-888-327-4236.”


Much more: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2018/06/08/nhtsa-recall-lookup-safer-car/681828002/



Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. displays the parts and function of a defective airbag made by Takata of Japan that has been linked to multiple deaths and injuries in cars during the committee's hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington in November 2014. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)