74 NHTSA Defect Probes Target Popular Used Cars
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Before a defect becomes a recall, it sits in an NHTSA investigation — sometimes for years. And while it's there, it appears on no window sticker and in no used-car listing. According to an October 31, 2026 report by ForCar, citing data from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, the agency currently has 74 defect investigations open that were launched since 2019, with 24 of them opened this year alone. For anyone shopping the used market, that list reads like a roll call of America's most common driveway cars.
Key Takeaways
- NHTSA has 74 open defect investigations dating back to 2019; 24 were opened this year.
- The biggest files cover GM full-size trucks and SUVs, the Ford F-150, several Honda models, and the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.
- An open investigation tells you which fault to ask about, which service records to request, and what to listen for on a test drive.
- A clean recall check today doesn't guarantee the car stays clean — check the VIN again a few months after buying.
The Largest Open Investigations
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The heaviest file belongs to General Motors. Full-size GM trucks and SUVs — the Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade from model years 2019 through 2026 — are under scrutiny for 6.2-liter V8 engine failures, including failures that happened after the recall repair. NHTSA opened the first investigation in October 2025 and a second one in August 2026, with the agency's file citing 1,157 reports of engine bearing failures. GM recalled the engines in 2025; then, in August, regulators opened a second analysis looking at failures that occurred after that recall repair — whether the fix had been an oil change or a complete replacement engine.
Honda is another familiar name in the file drawer. The Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, Acura MDX, and TLX from 2016 to 2020 are under investigation — opened in August 2025 — for connecting rod bearing failure in the 3.5-liter V6. The file cites 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures, all outside the scope of an earlier Honda recall covering a crankshaft defect. Separately, the 2017-2022 Honda Accord and CR-V face a probe opened in April 2024 over automatic braking activating when nothing is ahead, and the 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid is being investigated — opened October 2025 — for loss of drive at highway speed.
Ford's entries include the 2015-2017 F-150, under investigation since January 2026 for sudden downshifts that lock the rear wheels, and the 2014-2018 Fiesta and Focus 1.0-liter models, probed since July 2026 for timing belt failure. That same month, NHTSA opened an investigation into the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y (2018-2023) over a front suspension link that can detach.
The Rest of the File Cabinet
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The list goes on. The 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica is under investigation — opened September 2025 — for power steering cutting out. The 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee entered the agency's sights in December 2025 over rear coil springs detaching after the recall repair. The 2009-2020 Dodge Journey has been under scrutiny since August 2024 over occupants being unable to open the doors. And the 2017-2019 Nissan Rogue has the distinction of the longest-running file on this list: opened in September 2019 and still unresolved, over false automatic braking events.
Technology is a major theme across the docket. Fifteen of the 74 open investigations concern automatic braking, driver assistance, or self-driving systems — a group that includes Tesla's Full Self-Driving, Ford's BlueCruise, robotaxi operators, and four separate files on automatic emergency braking activating with nothing in the road. Twelve more are recall queries, the agency's way of testing whether a recall repair actually fixed the problem — which is precisely what happened with the GM 6.2-liter V8 and the Grand Cherokee coil springs.
Why Open Investigations Rarely Make It Into Listings
A recall is a public event: it gets a campaign number, owner notification letters, and a line in every vehicle history report. An investigation is none of those things. It is an internal agency file, and while the public can look up open investigations on NHTSA's website, nobody is required to mention them in an advertisement, a dealer listing, or a private-party sale. The seller may not even know the probe exists.
That information gap is what makes the ForCar report so useful to shoppers. An open investigation doesn't mean a car is dangerous or that a recall is coming — since 2005, roughly half of NHTSA's investigations have ended with a recall campaign, while the rest closed with no action, often after years of study. What it does mean is that you know exactly which fault to ask about, which service records to request, and which noise to listen for on the test drive.
Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq
Take the Honda example. If you're considering a 2016-2020 Pilot, the connecting rod bearing investigation tells you to ask whether the engine has any warranty work in its history — and here's the twist buyers rarely expect: an engine replaced under warranty is good news, not bad. It means the known failure mode has already been addressed on that particular vehicle. Similarly, a GM truck with paperwork showing the post-recall engine work documented is a more transparent purchase than one with no records at all.
The same logic applies to the driver-assistance probes. Test-driving a 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid? That's your cue to pay attention to how it behaves at highway speed and to ask the seller directly about any loss-of-power episodes. Looking at a 2018 Tesla Model 3? A front suspension inspection during your pre-purchase check just moved up the priority list.
What Smart Buyers Do With This Information
The practical takeaway is a process, not a blacklist. Start with the VIN: run it through NHTSA's recall lookup before you buy, and understand what a clean result actually means. A clean recall check today does not mean the car stays clean — it means no recall has been issued yet. With two dozen new investigations opened this year alone, that status can change.
Then run the check again a few months after you buy. Investigations that began in 2024 or 2025 — the Honda automatic-braking probe, the Dodge Journey door file, the GM engine case — are at the age where they could resolve into recalls, which would mean free repairs at a dealership and formal owner notification.
Finally, treat the investigation list as interview questions, not verdicts. Ask the seller about the specific fault. Request service records covering that system. Listen for the specific noise on the test drive. Half of these investigations will close with no action at all — but the ones that don't are precisely why the file exists, and the buyers who read it first are the ones who negotiate from knowledge rather than hope.
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