The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Whistleblower Program is designed to protect employees who report potential violations of motor vehicle safety laws and regulations. The program offers confidentiality and immunity from reprisal for whistleblowers who come forward with information about possible wrongdoing.

A whistleblower is someone who has inside knowledge of someone or some entity violating the law and blows the whistle on their wrongdoing. Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation under both federal and state laws for exposing safety violations in the auto industry by blowing the whistle on wrongdoing.

If you believe that your employer has violated motor vehicle safety laws or regulations, you may be eligible for a whistleblower award. To be eligible for an award, you must provide information that leads to the successful enforcement of a motor vehicle safety law or regulation. A whistleblower may be entitled to anywhere between 10% and 30% of collected monies from the action if all requirements are met. This whistleblower program, unlike nearly all others, restricts eligibility to only those from within (those who work for automobile manufacturers) or those who have some connection to the automobile industry, like parts suppliers and dealers. 

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) is designed to protect consumers from unsafe vehicles, equipment and services purchased or leased throughout the United States and to allow whistleblowers to potentially receive a reward for exposing safety violations in the auto industry. 

The MVSA only applies to motor vehicles-this includes cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, trailers, and other equipment used in connection with a vehicle. The act does not apply to items that are not self-propelled, such as bicycles or walking, nor does it apply to boats or airplanes.