Introduction

The VSIRC search interface has been designed to accommodate a wide variety of searches. There are two search interfaces – Basic and Enhanced. Basic Search provides simple tools that allow Make, Model, Year and Text searches on vehicle, child restraints, tires, and equipment within the four datasets: Recalls, Investigations, Complaints and Crash / Compliance Tests. Enhanced search allows more advanced search capabilities of the records and datasets by providing a greater number of search fields and search options.

The search options offered in the Enhanced Search will continue to expand, along with the VSIRC data, to provide users with greater access to the current datasets, as well as any new data that are incorporated into the site. To review planned enhancements, visit What’s New at VSIRC. To provide feedback on the VSIRC search functionality, or to recommend additional features, contact us.

VSIRC Search Guidelines

VSIRC search pages are primarily comprised of two types of fields – those that contain lists of predetermined values that users may select from, and text fields that can be filled in by users. This creates the opportunity for unlimited search combinations within a controlled framework.

Predetermined search fields have been populated with simplified variable lists that are mapped to the equivalent original NHTSA data. The most significant of these include manufacturers, makes, models, and component categories. VSIRC implemented this remapping process primarily to address issues of duplication and redundancy in these and other fields. When possible, this process has been extended to fill in missing data and/or recode improperly coded records so that they are retrievable. Records in which these or other variables are coded as “unknown” or “missing” have been remapped liberally so that they can be retrieved using a variety of search criteria.

All text fields included in the search interface, when used in conjunction with other fields on the page, provide an additional level of specificity. In other words, if a user selects a value from a pull-down menu and enters text in the text field, both requirements must be met in the returned results.

Text Searching

VSIRC text searching incorporates Boolean Logic and truncation. Following is a brief description of how to utilize those features.

Single Word Searches

Entering a single term into a text field in the VSIRC interface returns results containing that term in the appropriate text-searchable fields (see detailed Basic and Enhanced Search instructions to determine which fields are searched using text criteria). Simple variants of terms, such as plurals and other similar tenses, are automatically searched.
Example: accelerate – returns results containing accelerate, accelerated, and accelerates.

Multiple Word Searches

Entering multiple words into a text field without including connectors produces records containing all words searched.
Example: brake pedal – returns results containing both terms, regardless of their proximity to each other in the text.

Phrase Searching

Entire phrases can be searched by inserting them in quotation marks.
Example: “pedal stuck” – returns results containing this exact phrase.

Truncation

Terms can be truncated on either end using an asterisk.
Example: accelerat* – returns records containing accelerate, accelerates, accelerated, as well as accelerator, accelerating, etc.
Example: *bags – returns records containing bags, as well as airbags

Connectors
The following connectors can be used in text fields.