Data Sources
CarTold uses U.S. government records to help you research a model year. Each source answers a different question about a car.
NHTSA: recalls, reported problems and crash tests
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publishes the records below through its APIs and downloadable datasets.
- Recalls: campaign scope, the reported defect, its consequences and the remedy. Check your VIN with NHTSA or the manufacturer to establish whether your car is included.
- Owner complaints: reports filed with the Office of Defects Investigation. These can highlight symptoms to investigate; they are not verified diagnoses or failure rates.
- Investigations: the subject and status of formal defect inquiries.
- Manufacturer communications: service bulletins, customer programs and other documents filed by manufacturers. Read the applicable model, engine, build date and program terms.
- Safety ratings: NHTSA's crash-test results for specific configurations. An untested configuration has no rating; it is not assigned a zero.
Search NHTSA's records and check a VIN · Look up crash-test ratings
FuelEconomy.gov: compare fuel economy
EPA/DOE's FuelEconomy.gov supplies city, highway and combined MPG, plus the listed engine, transmission, drivetrain and fuel type. We show the variants the source distinguishes. A model name alone is not enough to choose the right figure for a used car.
EPA ratings come from standardized testing. Your driving, conditions and vehicle maintenance can change the MPG you get. Use the ratings as a comparison, then adjust your fuel budget to your own experience.
EIA: a starting price for fuel estimates
The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes weekly national average fuel prices. Our calculator uses the latest imported price for the listed fuel type as its default. A national average is not your local pump price; check the date and the price used in your estimate.
Data use
The recall, complaint, investigation and crash-test records we use come from NHTSA, and fuel economy figures and fuel prices come from EPA/DOE's FuelEconomy.gov and the EIA. These are U.S. government data, and you can get them directly from those agencies.
CarTold's analysis, summaries, classifications and compiled tables, including the research CSV downloads, are © Norbin AS. You are welcome to quote short excerpts with attribution to CarTold and a link to the page you used. Bulk copying or republishing of our pages or datasets needs our written permission; contact us to ask.
Coverage and dates matter
Our own reports cover the models and years listed on the homepage. The recall tool searches NHTSA directly and can return other vehicles. A missing record or an empty search is not proof that no problem exists.
Imports and editorial reviews happen separately. Follow the original source for current vehicle-specific information, and tell us if a record is missing or misrepresented.