Methodology

Our Approach

Things Last analyzes publicly available data from U.S. government agencies to provide product lifespan information. Our data is sourced from official databases maintained by federal agencies including NHTSA, CPSC, FDA, and USDA.

We apply statistical analysis to identify patterns across large datasets and present the results in a consumer-friendly format. Every data point on this site can be traced to its original government source.

Important Notes

• Vehicle complaint data represents consumer-reported issues, not failure rates. Not every vehicle owner files a complaint, so complaint counts should not be interpreted as the probability of a specific failure occurring.
• Food storage durations are quality guidelines, not safety thresholds. Food stored continuously frozen at 0°F is safe indefinitely.
• We require a minimum sample size before publishing analysis for any product to ensure statistical relevance.
• We do not accept payment from manufacturers or allow commercial influence on our data presentation.