Making Connections

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Auto Safety Hotline accepts complaints about safety problems in cars, tires and automotive equipment such as child safety seats. The reports are compared with other complaints, which may prompt an investigation that could lead to a recall.

The hotline also provides information on air bags, auto emissions and importation and certification of a vehicle.

Hotline representatives can be reached at (888) DASH-2-DOT or (888) 327-4236 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Information is also available at www.nhtsa.dot.gov on the Internet.