tensorust/nhtsa-complaint-spikes-sample

Vehicle Component Complaint Spikes: free sample (Tensorust LLC)

Where owner complaints to NHTSA are surging by model and component, and whether a recall has followed.

Headline: Owner complaints to NHTSA surge months before a maker recalls or NHTSA opens an investigation, and nobody watching a supplier's exposure gets told.

This repository is a free teaser, not the dataset. It holds 25 example rows and a summary table with no names in it. The full file has 969 rows and is sold by Tensorust LLC: https://tensorust.com/datasets/nhtsa-complaint-spikes/.

Files here

file	what it is
sample.csv	25 rows of the full file (the same sample shown on tensorust.com)
summary_by_component.csv	row counts and totals by component across the full file, no entity names (groups with fewer than 3 rows are folded into "Other")

Summary by component (largest groups)

Component	rows	Complaints, last 3 months
ENGINE	238	3,108
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	210	1,901
POWER TRAIN	156	1,994
STEERING	61	684
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	56	511
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	48	473
SERVICE BRAKES	41	317
STRUCTURE	22	212
BACK OVER PREVENTION	20	359
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	14	121
LANE DEPARTURE	14	144
SUSPENSION	13	173
TOTAL	969	10,613

Full table: summary_by_component.csv.

What the full file has

• 969 rows
• Key fields: make, model, year, component, manufacturer, window, complaints_last_3m, recent_per_month, complaints_prior_12m, base_per_month
• Parquet and CSV, a README with sources, method and limits, and the build script
• Free 25-row sample (no personal contact data)

Coverage: 969 make, model, year and component combinations; complaints received Jan 2020 to 2026-11-04. Complaints received through 2026-11-04; downloaded Nov 6, 2026.

Columns in the full file

column	meaning
make	Vehicle make
model	Model
year	Model year
component	NHTSA component group (top level)
manufacturer	Manufacturer named on complaints
window	Recent window (3 months by date NHTSA received the complaint)
complaints_last_3m	Distinct complaints in the recent window
recent_per_month	Recent complaints per month
complaints_prior_12m	Distinct complaints in the 12 months before the window
base_per_month	Baseline complaints per month
surge_ratio	Recent per month / (baseline per month + 0.5)
spike	True when 10+ recent complaints and surge ratio 3 or more
recent_crash	Recent complaints reporting a crash
recent_fire	Recent complaints reporting a fire
recent_injured	Injuries reported in recent complaints
recent_deaths	Deaths reported in recent complaints
already_recalled_recently	A recall for the same make, model, year and component was filed in the 15 months before the window end
recent_recall_campaign	Latest such NHTSA campaign number
recent_recall_date	Its report date
recent_recall_units	Units potentially affected by it

Get the full file

tier	price	includes
Spike file	$950	The current 969-row complaint table by make, model, year and component with surge ratios, spike flags, crash/fire/injury counts and recall links, plus the backtest.
Monthly spike feed	$7,800 a year	The table re-run each month on NHTSA's new complaints, with new spikes and spikes without a recall listed first. Up to 5 users.
Supplier and insurer license	$26,000 a year	Weekly re-runs, history back to 2020, custom component and supplier mappings, and internal use across claims, underwriting and legal teams.

Email mattbusel@tensorust.com with the tier and a billing contact, and we will send a proper invoice (ACH or card). The file is delivered once the invoice is paid. Details and the live sample: https://tensorust.com/datasets/nhtsa-complaint-spikes/. All datasets: https://tensorust.com/datasets/

Method and limits

Complaints are de-duplicated to one per complaint number and component group. For each combination the last 3 full months are compared with the 12 months before. A spike needs 10 or more recent complaints and a surge ratio of 3 or more (0.5 is added to the baseline so new models do not divide by zero). Recalls are matched on make, model, model year and component group. The backtest repeats the rule at every quarter end and checks for a matching recall in the next 12 months.

Not a defect finding: complaints are unverified owner reports, and surges can follow publicity. No complaint narratives, VINs, cities or other personal details are included.

Sources

• NHTSA ODI complaints flat files, received 2020 to 2026, https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/cmpl/
• NHTSA recalls flat file, 2010 onward, https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/

License

The sample and summary here are free to view, analyze and cite with attribution to "Tensorust LLC, https://tensorust.com/datasets/nhtsa-complaint-spikes/". The full dataset is licensed separately per tier. No resale or redistribution of Tensorust data without a written license.

Tensorust LLC, Tuckahoe NY. mattbusel@tensorust.com | https://tensorust.com