BIO ~ TANYA TOPKA
Tanya Topka is the Director, Office of Defects Investigation at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Her office is responsible for the identification, investigation, and recall of safety related defects in vehicles, child seats, and vehicle equipment.
This includes administering the agency’s safety recall program that monitors recall notification and remedy campaigns by manufacturers and providing accurate and timely recall information to the public.
Consumers can search for recalls by VIN, plate number, and model on nhtsa.gov or review interactive dashboards on recalls and recall completion rates. In her five years at NHTSA, Tanya has been the Deputy Director of ODI, the Division Chief for the Trends Analysis Division, and the Vehicle Defects Division A Chief.
Prior to joining NHTSA, Tanya held leadership and investigative positions at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for 17 years. She started at CPSC as a Product Safety Investigator focusing on investigating fires and defects in consumer products.
She worked as a Compliance Officer investigating defects and conducting recalls across various product areas in the over 15, 000 consumer products regulated by CPSC with a focus on off-road vehicles, battery hazards, power tools, appliances, fire hazards, new and emerging technology, cell phones, and computers. She served as the Lead for both the Fast Track Recall Division and the Fire, Electrical, and Mechanical Hazards Division. She managed some of the largest recalls in CPSC history.
Tanya holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is also a certified small engine mechanic.
For more information, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
