NHTSA Recalls API

What you can build

• Book a service window for a recalled unit

  Query recallsByVehicle for each unit's make, model, and model year. When a new NHTSACampaignNumber appears, the operator proposes a service window and quotes the Remedy field.

  With Service Window

• Park a unit flagged parkIt or parkOutSide

  Watch the parkIt and parkOutSide flags on new recalls. When one is true for a unit you run, the operator proposes pulling it from the route and drafts the driver notice.

  With Vehicle Fault

• Stage parts before the recall visit

  Read Component and Remedy on a campaign that matches your units. The operator proposes a parts request for the named component so the visit is not delayed.

  With Parts Readiness

• Keep a recall record for audits

  Store each campaign number, ReportReceivedDate, and the date the unit was remedied. The operator proposes the evidence entry when the service order closes.

  With Compliance Evidence

Requirements

• The make, model, and model year of each vehicle you track, spelled as the /products/vehicle lookups return them
• A parser for the JSON response, which returns Count, Message, and a results array
• Bulk loads from the flat files on static.nhtsa.gov rather than the API; RCL.txt says fields are tab delimited with YYYYMMDD dates

Authentication

None. The datasets page shows plain GET requests to api.nhtsa.gov with no key, and notes that request parameters and method names are case sensitive.

Limits

• The API is keyed by make, model, and model year or by campaign number; the page documents no query by VIN or by date
• Recall summaries name affected models in prose; matching your fleet to a campaign still needs the year, make, and model lookup
• The Investigations and Manufacturer Communications datasets are download only, with no API listed
• The datasets page states no rate limit, no terms, and no license; the Web Policies page points to a site Terms of Use

Questions and answers

How do I look up recalls for a vehicle?

Call https://api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle?make=acura&model=rdx&modelYear=2012, substituting your values. The response is a list of recalls for that Model Year, Make, and Model. To find valid values, walk /products/vehicle/modelYears, then /makes?modelYear=, then /models?modelYear=&make=, each with issueType=r.

Does api.nhtsa.gov need a key or throttle calls?

The datasets page shows no key, registration, or rate limit for api.nhtsa.gov. It does say request parameters and method names are case sensitive. Bulk history is meant to come from the flat files, which the page lists with daily update times.

What does a recall record contain?

A sample response carries Manufacturer, NHTSACampaignNumber, NHTSAActionNumber, ReportReceivedDate, Component, Summary, Consequence, Remedy, Notes, and three booleans: parkIt, parkOutSide, and overTheAirUpdate. The flat-file layout RCL.txt adds fields such as POTAFF, the potential number of units affected, and DO_NOT_DRIVE.