RecallScout

Decode a US 17-character VIN and return the vehicle's year, make, model, trim, engine and standard safety features, plus all NHTSA safety recalls for that make/model/year, an owner-complaint summary and NHTSA crash-test star ratings. Use when the user shares a VIN or asks about a specific car they own or plan to buy. Recalls are matched by make/model/year, not per VIN repair status.

Look up one NHTSA recall by its campaign number (for example 20V771000, often printed on a recall letter) and return the defect, safety risk, remedy, manufacturer notes and the affected vehicles. Use when the user has a recall notice or campaign number.

Get NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (overall, frontal crash, side crash, rollover and rollover risk) for each tested variant of a vehicle by make, model and model year. Use when the user asks how safe a car is or wants to compare crash-test results. Many low-volume vehicles are never tested.

Summarize complaints that owners filed with NHTSA for a vehicle by make, model and model year: total count, crashes, fires, injuries, the most-reported problem areas and the most recent complaint excerpts. Use when the user asks about common problems, reliability issues or what owners report about a car. Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

List NHTSA safety recalls for a vehicle by make, model and model year, newest first, with the defect summary, safety risk, remedy and whether NHTSA advises not driving or parking outside. Use when the user names a car (not a VIN) and asks about recalls or known safety defects.

Search NHTSA safety recalls for child car seats and boosters (2010 onward) by brand and/or model, newest first. Returns each recall's affected models, manufacturing date window, defect, risk and free remedy. Use when the user asks whether a car seat, infant seat or booster is recalled. Owners should compare the manufacture date and model number on their seat's label with the window returned.

Search US FDA food recall enforcement reports, newest first, optionally by product, ingredient, allergen or company (for example peanut butter, listeria, cucumbers or a brand). Leave the query empty to list the latest food recalls. Returns the product, reason, lot codes, the states or regions it was distributed to, and the FDA severity class. Covers FDA-regulated foods only; meat, poultry and egg products are recalled by the USDA and aren't included. FDA publishes reports weekly, so the newest recalls can take a few days to appear.

Search US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls by product, brand or hazard keyword (for example crib, stroller, space heater, magnets, or a brand name), newest first. Returns the hazard, remedy, injuries reported, where it was sold, the company's recall contact and the official recall page. Use for household, children's and consumer products. Not for vehicles, car seats, food or medicines.