--- title: "NHTSA complaint dates: FAILDATE, LDATE, and DATEA" description: "Read NHTSA complaint date fields, compare incident and receipt months, and preserve dated source observations in a worksheet for attorney review." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/nhtsa-complaint-incident-received-added-dates" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # NHTSA complaint dates: separate the incident, receipt, and file addition A complaint timeline needs a date label before it needs a chart. An incident month answers a different question from a receipt month. A file-addition date introduces a third event. A research note should preserve all three meanings so an attorney can inspect the sequence. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes a complaint flat-file dictionary. FAILDATE means incident date, LDATE means agency receipt date, and DATEA means addition to the file. The format is YYYYMMDD. See fields 8, 17, and 16 in the [current complaint layout](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/cmpl/CMPL.txt), reopened October 28, 2026. This guide proposes a reading worksheet for the public-source stage. It uses invented dates and record labels throughout. The [personal injury firm overview](/for/personal-injury-law-firms) places research within a broader attorney-controlled process. No private matter information is needed for the exercise. ## Choose the timeline question first Write the intended question at the top of the worksheet. For example: “Which incident months appear in the selected complaint records?” That question calls for FAILDATE. “Which months contain agency receipts?” calls for LDATE. Preserve the field name beside either answer. Use DATEA when the question specifically concerns the date recorded for file addition. Keep your own access date in another column. Reading a record on October 28 does not make October 28 its incident, receipt, or addition date. | Question for this worksheet | Date basis | Suggested summary label | | --- | --- | --- | | When did the reported incident occur? | FAILDATE | Records grouped by incident month | | When did NHTSA receive the complaint? | LDATE | Records grouped by agency receipt month | | When was it added to the file? | DATEA | Records grouped by file-addition month | | When did our researcher inspect this evidence? | Locally recorded access date | Source observed on this date | These summary labels are editorial recommendations. They keep the research question visible when someone copies a table into a meeting note. Avoid an unlabeled “date” heading. Another reader should not need to infer its meaning from the surrounding paragraphs. Decide the counting unit separately. This exercise counts synthetic references, with one row per reference. Actual component rows require the separate [ODI reference and row-count guide](/articles/nhtsa-complaint-odi-reference-component-row-counts). Changing the date basis cannot correct an undefined counting unit. ## Follow one synthetic record through three dates Assume an invented reference, TRAIN-A, carries FAILDATE 20260112, LDATE 20260304, and DATEA 20260306. These values describe no real complaint. The reported incident belongs to January. Receipt and addition belong to March. A January incident summary includes TRAIN-A when that record is available in the selected snapshot. A January receipt summary excludes it. A March receipt summary includes it. The difference follows the question, even though the underlying reference remains the same. Do not describe that difference as evidence of three incidents. The worksheet holds one synthetic reference with three date meanings. Keep the source values beside the readable dates so a reviewer can check the transformation. | Field | Synthetic source value | Reading for TRAIN-A | | --- | --- | --- | | FAILDATE | 20260112 | January 12, 2026, reported incident date | | LDATE | 20260304 | March 4, 2026, agency receipt date | | DATEA | 20260306 | March 6, 2026, file-addition date | | Researcher access date | 2026.03.10 | March 10, 2026, illustrative local observation | The interval between these dates is a feature of this invented example. It establishes no typical reporting delay. Do not turn a training sequence into a statement about agency processing speed or complainant behavior. An attorney may ask why a real record contains a particular interval. Preserve that question without supplying a motive. The date fields alone do not explain why someone reported later or why a record entered a file on another day. ## Compare two monthly summaries of the same evidence Now use four synthetic references. The table deliberately spreads incident and receipt months. Each reference appears once, so the exercise isolates date semantics. All calculations below use this exact table and no external complaint totals. | Synthetic reference | FAILDATE | LDATE | DATEA | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | TRAIN-A | 20260112 | 20260304 | 20260306 | | TRAIN-B | 20260125 | 20260202 | 20260203 | | TRAIN-C | 20260210 | 20260308 | 20260309 | | TRAIN-D | 20260301 | 20260302 | 20260303 | Grouping by FAILDATE produces two January references, one February reference, and one March reference. Grouping by LDATE produces zero January references, one February reference, and three March references. Both summaries contain four references overall. | Month | Synthetic references by incident month | Synthetic references by receipt month | | --- | --- | --- | | January 2026 | 2 | 0 | | February 2026 | 1 | 1 | | March 2026 | 1 | 3 | | Total | 4 | 4 | The March receipt column cannot support “three March incidents.” Its three references include incidents dated January, February, and March. A careful heading preserves that distinction even when the table travels without the source worksheet. For an actual review, state the selection rules beside the table. Name the vehicle labels, period, counting unit, and snapshot used. Keep excluded or unresolved dates visible in a separate tally. A monthly total should be traceable to the records admitted by that rule. Do not compare a receipt-based series from one worksheet with an incident-based series from another. First align the date basis and counting unit. Then ask whether the source selections and observation dates permit the proposed comparison. ## Keep API labels outside the flat-file definition NHTSA provides a complaint API alongside its flat-file downloads. The [Complaints section of the dataset directory](https://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa-datasets-and-apis#complaints) documents retrieval routes and links the dictionary. That arrangement does not establish a one-to-one field mapping for this worksheet. If another researcher supplies an API export, preserve its exact field names. Mark their correspondence to FAILDATE, LDATE, and DATEA as unverified until supporting documentation establishes it. A familiar display label is insufficient evidence for renaming a column. For example, a synthetic export headed “date” should remain “date, meaning unresolved.” Ask the supplier which interface produced it and which definition controls it. Keep that question attached before combining the export with a flat-file timeline. This guide verifies the flat-file meanings only. It offers no API alias table. That boundary makes the worksheet useful across handoffs because the next researcher can see which definitions were checked and which remain open. ## Preserve observations when an older month changes Suppose a researcher first sees TRAIN-A in a March review. Its incident field still places it in January. The appropriate note is “first observed in this review on March 10, with a January incident date.” New observation does not establish new occurrence. Keep the earlier worksheet when producing the next one. Record which snapshot supported each summary. If an older month's total changes, compare the underlying selections before describing a trend. A revised total needs an explanation of changed evidence or changed treatment. The dictionary warns that record data can change between output files. Its historical notes also describe label changes and data cleanup. See [CMPL.txt, field 1 and change notes](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/cmpl/CMPL.txt). Preserve the inspected version rather than assuming a later download reproduces it. Use a change note with three distinct possibilities: newly observed reference, changed source field, or changed local rule. More than one may apply. If the cause is unresolved, say so. Do not manufacture a cause because the new total differs. A stable research record can keep the original result and the corrected result together. Label the correction date and reason. Ask the attorney which version belongs in the present review. Retaining both avoids silently rewriting what an earlier memo relied upon. ## Handle dates that do not support grouping Before grouping, preserve the original text and check whether it represents a valid calendar date. For this proposed worksheet, place blank, malformed, or unexplained values in an unresolved category. Do not substitute a receipt date when an incident date is missing. Keep the unresolved tally beside the monthly table. For example, a synthetic selection might contain four dated references and one unresolved reference. Report those groups separately. Assigning the unresolved reference to the current month would create an unsupported date. Review unexpected sequences rather than correcting them by intuition. If a source value looks inconsistent, capture the exact fields and ask for verification. An apparent sequence problem is a research question. It gives the researcher no authority to replace published values. When formatting dates for a memo, retain the YYYYMMDD value in the worksheet. A readable date helps the attorney scan the timeline. The original value supports a later check against the dictionary and the saved evidence. ## Prepare a dated source-reading worksheet Use the following headings as an editorial template. Complete only what the source and review establish. Keep private files outside the public-source worksheet. The attorney can connect approved research to a matter through the firm's separate confidential process. | Worksheet section | What to preserve | | --- | --- | | Research question | Incident month, receipt month, or file-addition month | | Source identity | Official URL, collection name, and saved snapshot reference | | Dictionary version | Stated update date and controlling field numbers | | Retrieval record | Access date, time if recorded, and researcher role | | Selection | Included vehicle labels, period, and counting unit | | Source dates | Original FAILDATE, LDATE, and DATEA values | | Local observation | First observation within the team's retained research | | Exceptions | Missing values, changed fields, and unresolved mappings | | Proposed statement | Exact wording the reviewer will assess | | Attorney review | Assigned owner, questions, decision, and decision date | An example proposed statement is: “These four synthetic references include two January incident dates and no January receipt dates.” The reviewer can reproduce it directly. It states neither a failure rate nor a conclusion about any real vehicle. Keep legal questions in the attorney-review section. This worksheet calculates no filing deadline and predicts no claim value. Complaint reports alone establish no defect, causation, comparative safety, injury total, or legal eligibility. The deliverable is a source-reading record for further inquiry. ## Retain the reasoning with the source The [injury-firm intelligence overview](/intelligence/personal-injury-law-firms) describes how dated evidence can support a controlled research queue. Start with a worksheet that a second researcher can follow. Expand only after the attorney accepts its definitions and limits. The [business memory guide](/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) explains why source revisions, rejected interpretations, and review decisions belong in records the business controls. For this task, retain the question, date basis, snapshot, and decision together. Scale With Search can scope a source-reading workflow around those accepted boundaries. Describe the required evidence and the person responsible for review before requesting a build. [Discuss the research workflow](/work) ## Source and example notes Sources reopened October 28, 2026: [NHTSA datasets and APIs, Complaints](https://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa-datasets-and-apis#complaints) and [CMPL.txt](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/cmpl/CMPL.txt). The dictionary states April 30, 2026 as its last update. Fields 8, 16, and 17 control the date definitions. Field 1 and historical notes address changes between outputs. All sample rows and calculations are invented. No complaint archive, narrative, vehicle identifier, or identifiable incident was retrieved. Continue the website review: [AI-native injury law firms: the first functions to build](/articles/ai-native-injury-law-first-functions); [Chicago crash injuries: distinguish the most severe category from the number of people](/articles/chicago-crash-injury-severity-person-counts); [Chicago crash maps: keep missing locations in the coverage count](/articles/chicago-crash-map-missing-location-coverage); [Injury law firm AI rules: data, approvals, and spend](/articles/injury-law-firm-ai-rules-data-approvals-spend); [NHTSA complaint counts: distinguish ODI references from component rows](/articles/nhtsa-complaint-odi-reference-component-row-counts); [Injury firm rebrand: map old website pages first](/articles/personal-injury-firm-rebrand-website-redirects); [AI gets your injury firm wrong: check the source facts](/articles/personal-injury-firm-wrong-ai-answer-facts); [Injury law firm virtual offices and Google profiles](/articles/personal-injury-law-firm-virtual-office-profile); [Injury website settlement calculators: check the promise](/articles/personal-injury-settlement-calculator-website-review); [Spanish injury firm pages: review the whole inquiry path](/articles/personal-injury-spanish-website-page-review); [Personal injury website leads: test the case review path](/articles/personal-injury-website-case-review-delivery); [Injury firm website fees: explain costs separately](/articles/personal-injury-website-contingency-fee-costs); [Injury website form spam: protect the real inquiry path](/articles/personal-injury-website-form-spam-control-review); [Injury website file uploads: define the private handoff](/articles/personal-injury-website-medical-record-upload-brief); [Personal injury settlement results on your website](/articles/personal-injury-website-settlement-results); [Injury website thank-you pages: keep the receipt plain](/articles/personal-injury-website-thank-you-page-privacy). [personal injury law firms](/for/personal-injury-law-firms): website and search resources. ## Related: personal injury law firms - [NHTSA complaint counts: distinguish ODI references from component rows](/articles/nhtsa-complaint-odi-reference-component-row-counts) - [Injury firm rebrand: map old website pages first](/articles/personal-injury-firm-rebrand-website-redirects) - [AI gets your injury firm wrong: check the source facts](/articles/personal-injury-firm-wrong-ai-answer-facts) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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