NHTSA provides a complaints API searchable by model year, make and model. In this static build, the explorer links directly to official NHTSA search surfaces; the production build (see handoff-v4) fetches the official API at build time, caches results, records a last-checked timestamp, and links each record back to its official source.
This record reflects information submitted by a consumer to NHTSA. Its inclusion in the public complaint database does not mean NHTSA verified the allegation or determined that a safety defect exists.
Displayed fields in the production explorer: ODI number, model year/make/model, complaint date, component category where available, excerpt, keyword-match reason, and a link to the official source.
NHTSA provides an official process for consumers to report potential vehicle safety problems. Use it when you believe a safety issue exists — not as a numbers campaign. AutoDefect does not instruct owners to file complaints to inflate counts.
NHTSA — REPORT A SAFETY PROBLEM ↗NHTSA complaints show what owners allege nationally; the registry documents what individual repair orders establish. Keep both honest by keeping them separate.