PlainRecalls

Methodology & Data Sources

PlainRecalls aggregates product recall data from three US federal agencies into a single, searchable database. All data is obtained directly from official government APIs and databases — no third-party aggregators are used.

Data Sources

  • FDA (Food and Drug Administration): Food, drug, biologics, and medical device enforcement actions. Sourced from the FDA openFDA Enforcement API. Covers recalls, market withdrawals, and safety alerts.
  • CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission): Consumer product recalls including toys, electronics, furniture, appliances, and household goods. Sourced from the CPSC Recall database.
  • NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration): Vehicle safety recalls covering cars, trucks, motorcycles, tires, car seats, and other automotive equipment. Sourced from the NHTSA Recalls API.

Processing Pipeline

We pull recall data directly from official government APIs on a regular schedule and normalize it into a consistent schema:

  • Record deduplication by recall ID and agency source
  • Normalization of product categories across agency-specific classification systems
  • Extraction of company names, recall dates, hazard descriptions, and remedy types
  • Full-text indexing for search by product name, company, category, and date
  • Agency tagging to enable filtering by source (FDA, CPSC, NHTSA)

Recall Classification

FDA and CPSC both use tiered recall classification systems:

  • Class I (FDA) / Urgent (CPSC): Serious risk of injury or death. Highest priority.
  • Class II (FDA) / Serious (CPSC): May cause temporary adverse health effects or has low probability of serious harm.
  • Class III (FDA) / Moderate (CPSC): Unlikely to cause health problems, but violates regulations.

NHTSA safety recalls are all considered serious by definition.

Data Collection Method

Each of the three source agencies publishes recall data through official APIs or structured data feeds. FDA makes enforcement actions available through the openFDA API, CPSC publishes recall notices through their public API, and NHTSA provides recall data through their Recalls API. We query these sources on a regular schedule, downloading new records and updating existing ones. Each record is ingested with its original agency-assigned recall ID, ensuring traceability back to the official source.

The FDA enforcement series (food, drug and medical-device recalls) is ingested in full from the openFDA API across its complete date range, alongside the full CPSC and NHTSA recall records. All counts shown on the site describe the recalls held in this archive; figures update as the agencies publish new actions and as we refresh each source.

Editorial Workflow

PlainRecalls combines two kinds of content. The recall records — covering tens of thousands of individual recall notices — are ingested programmatically from official agency APIs (FDA, CPSC, NHTSA) into a normalized schema; they are not individually hand-written or hand-edited, and are presented as published by the issuing agency. The guides, methodology, and editorial commentary are written and reviewed by the PlainRecalls Editorial team at Kiznis Studio. We follow the Google Search Central guidance (Danny Sullivan, February 2023; reaffirmed 2024) that mixed workflows — programmatically generated data pages alongside human-written editorial content — are acceptable when disclosed, which is what this page does. We do not accept payment for coverage, placement, or rankings — severity classifications and recall records are taken directly from federal agency databases and are never edited to favor any manufacturer.

Update Frequency

We update our database regularly to include the latest recalls from all three agencies. FDA and CPSC data is typically refreshed weekly, while NHTSA data is refreshed as new notices are published. For urgent safety decisions, always verify with the official agency source, as our database may lag by 24-72 hours. Historical recall records remain in our database indefinitely — even if a recall is resolved, the original notice is preserved for reference.

Limitations

  • FDA historical coverage. The FDA food, drug and medical-device series are ingested in full from the openFDA Enforcement API across its available date range. openFDA's enforcement records begin in the early 2000s, so a small number of FDA recalls issued before then may not appear; CPSC and NHTSA records are loaded across their full published history.
  • PlainRecalls reflects recalls publicly announced by agencies. Voluntary market withdrawals not announced through official recall channels may not appear.
  • Recall status (active vs. closed) may not always be current. Verify with the official agency for recall resolution status.
  • Product category normalization across three agencies with different classification systems introduces some imprecision — the same type of product may be categorized slightly differently depending on the source agency.
  • NHTSA recall data covers vehicles and automotive equipment only; non-automotive transportation recalls (aircraft, boats) are handled by separate agencies not included in our database.
  • Always check the primary agency source before making safety decisions.

How to read recall counts

Not Affiliated

PlainRecalls is not affiliated with the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA, or any government agency. We are an independent portal aggregating publicly available government recall data into a more accessible format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PlainRecalls' data come from?

All recall records come directly from three U.S. federal agencies: the FDA (openFDA Enforcement API — food, drugs, biologics, medical devices), the CPSC (Recalls API — consumer products, toys, appliances), and NHTSA (Recalls API — vehicles, tires, car seats). We do not use third-party aggregators.

How often is the data updated?

We refresh recall records from each agency on a regular schedule — FDA and CPSC data is typically updated weekly, while NHTSA notices are incorporated as they are published. There can be a 24–72 hour lag between an agency's official announcement and its appearance on PlainRecalls. For urgent safety decisions, always verify with the issuing agency.

How accurate is PlainRecalls' recall data?

Every record traces back to an official federal recall notice via its agency-assigned recall number. We preserve original severity classifications (FDA Class I/II/III, CPSC hazard descriptions, NHTSA safety campaigns) and link to the primary source on each detail page. We do not editorialize, re-rank, or filter records.

What are PlainRecalls' limitations?

PlainRecalls only displays recalls that agencies have officially published — voluntary market withdrawals not announced through official channels, hazards still under investigation, and recalls from non-U.S. regulators are not included. Historical records may have incomplete fields. Recall status (active vs. closed) may lag official updates. Product categorization across three agencies introduces some imprecision. Always check the primary agency source before acting on a recall.