Vehicle and Equipment Information

Whether you own a vehicle or are shopping for your dream car, questions and concerns pop up when trying to find a reliable vehicle that meets the needs of you and your family. It's important to do your research on any vehicle to make sure you understand the vehicle history and if it is prone to any specific malfunctions. Mechanics and car dealers should also be well aware of each vehicles quarks and understand how to best assist their clients to foster a positive and productive business atmosphere that values customer service. The following resources will provide standards on safety, research, federal opinions, and rulings.

Safety Problems & Issues

• Compliance Testing: Vehicle equipment compliance guide.

• Recall and Quarterly Guide/Form: Defect accountability and reporting regulation.

• Regional Recalls: A list of automobile manufacturer regional recalls.

• Monthly Defects Investigations: Monthly investigation defect reports. Opens in PDF format.

•  Safety Studies: Crash testing and highway safety studies.

• Database list and download: Downloadable files of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigations, news, research, and guides.

• Vehicle Recalls: Vehicle emission recalls beginning in 1991.

• NHTSA Technical Service Bulletins: Transmission technical service bulletins.

• 
  NHTSA Defect Investigations Database: A quick search or advance search for automobile defect investigations.

• NHTSA Consumer Complaints Database: This database is a collection of safety vehicle complaints.

• Test Vehicles for Salvage: A salvage vehicle fact sheet.

• Vehicle Emissions: Guide to technical information for vehicle emission.

• Vehicle Owners' Questionnaire: The vehicle owners’ questionnaire form in PDF format.

Testing Results

•  Buying a Safer Car: A PDF guide to buying a safer car.

• Compliance Reporting: Monthly compliance reporting documents.

• Compliance Test Procedures: A brief description of federal regulations and requirements.

• Consumer Braking Information: A methodology study on the initiative to provide a brake test for light automobiles.

• Uniform Tire Quality Grading System: Uniform tire quality grade standards.

Regulations & Standards

• Adaptive Equipment & Vehicles Modified for Persons with Disabilities: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

• Fire Worthiness: Exploration report on fire worthiness in crash vehicles.

•  Early Warning Reporting Requirements: This brochure explores the final decision of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s early reporting rule.

•  Information for New Manufacturers: Federal regulations and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards for new manufacturers.

• Interpretation Files: A database of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration interpretation papers and legal letters.

• Notices & Final Rules: Notices and final rules are based off of these transportation federal regulations.

•  Regulatory Review: The National Automobile Dealers Association Used car regulatory review.

•  Safety Standards: A short guide to federal automobile safety standards.

• Safety Recall Compendium: An easy to read guide to vehicle recalls.

•  Search Manufacturers Database: A list of automobile manufacturers.

• Tire Safety Campaign: Rubber manufacturers associations tire safety.

• Vehicle Importation: A manual for importing vehicles into the United States.

• Vehicle Theft Prevention: Tips for preventing auto theft.

Research & Development

• Crash Avoidance: An investigation of using five vehicle tools for preventing crashes.

• Biomechanics and Trauma: An analysis of the development and assessment of using a test dummy in rear impact crashes.

• Crash Test Dummies: First Technology Safety Systems explains the use of crash dummies and the features of crash test dummies for different impacts.

• Research Reports & Publications: Hydrogen Research for Transportation report on achieving zero emissions.

• The Locus Project: The goal of this project is to develop a system to integrate sensing and perception to help in decision-making and decrease the driver’s chance of collision.

• Statistics and Analysis: The current Federal Acquisition Regulations.

• Vehicle Research and Test Center: The Transportation Research Center performs crash, static, instrument testing.