API reference/Automotive/Owner Complaints

Owner Complaints

starter

Live data

Owner complaint totals, crash/fire/injury counts, top failing components and recent reports.

GET/api/v1/automotive/complaints

Data source

NHTSA Recalls & Complaints APIUS National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · public-domain · updates Daily

Query parameters

Parameter	Description	Try value
`make` string required	Manufacturer
`model` string required	Model
`year` number required	Model year
`apikey` string required	Your API key. Can also be sent as the `X-API-Key` header.	demo key used here

Response envelope

Success: { data, meta: { sources, fetchedAt, cached } }. Errors: { error: { code, message } } with HTTP 400, 401, 404, 502, 503 or 504.

curl "https://api.sectorapi.com/api/v1/automotive/complaints?make=toyota&model=camry&year=2020&apikey=YOUR_API_KEY"

Calls the live source

Example response

{
  "data": {
    "make": "toyota",
    "model": "camry",
    "year": 2020,
    "total": 275,
    "totals": {
      "crashes": 14,
      "fires": 2,
      "injuries": 22,
      "deaths": 0
    },
    "topComponents": [
      {
        "component": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM",
        "count": 68
      },
      {
        "component": "ENGINE",
        "count": 60
      },
      {
        "component": "AIR BAGS",
        "count": 49
      }
    ],
    "recent": [
      {
        "id": 11770517,
        "filedAt": "2026-10-12",
        "components": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER",
        "crash": false,
        "fire": false,
        "summary": "The \"airbag malfunction\" light keeps coming on and off warning that there's something wrong with the airbags or the system itself. It's actually for something they have recalls for but my VIN number doesn't show up for the recall. It says \"SRS airbag system malfunction\"."
      },
      {
        "id": 11766564,
        "filedAt": "2026-09-23",
        "components": "FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM",
        "crash": false,
        "fire": false,
        "summary": "While fixing another problem, I pulled the codes from the ECM and found several P0087 (low fuel rail pressure).  The problem was apparently intermittent and if the engine service light came on, it was transient and the light cleared. So neither my wife or I noticed an engine serv…"
      },
      {
        "id": 11765004,
        "filedAt": "2026-09-17",
        "components": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM",
        "crash": false,
        "fire": false,
        "summary": "My car sputters and dies while driving. It looses power when I push the gas to take my turn at a light or intersection. The emergency brake has come on multiple times with no one in front of me.  These have all occurred multiple times since mid 2021"
      }
    ]
  }
}