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Check for open recalls

A safety recall means the maker must fix a defect at no cost to you. A free government lookup tells you in a minute whether your car has one waiting.

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Last reviewed against 1 official source.

Who this is for

Every vehicle owner, and anyone about to buy a used car.

How do I check if my car has a recall?

NHTSA suggests checking for recalls twice a year.

From: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

What you need

Tools

  • A phone or computer

Supplies

  • Your license plate number, or your 17-character VIN

Steps

  1. Find your VINLook at the lower left of the windshield from outside. It is also on your registration card and may be on your insurance card.
  2. Go to nhtsa.gov/recallsSearch by license plate and state, or by VIN. Giving either is voluntary.
  3. Read the resultThe lookup shows recalls that have not been repaired on that vehicle. No open recalls shows as zero unrepaired recalls.
  4. Know what it does not showIt leaves out recalls already repaired, some very new recalls, most recalls more than 15 years old, and non-safety campaigns.
  5. Book the repairFor an open recall, follow any interim safety advice from the maker and contact a dealer for your brand. NHTSA says the dealer fixes the recalled part for free.
  6. Turn on alertsNHTSA’s free SaferCar app, or its email alerts, can tell you when a new recall appears.
  7. Set a reminder to check againNew recalls are added continuously.

Safety notes

  • Take recall notices seriously, especially for airbags. Tens of millions of vehicles are under recall for Takata airbags.
  • Makers must notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of telling NHTSA about a recall. Keep your registration address current so the letter reaches you.

When to call a professional

  • All recall repairs are done by the dealer. Never try to repair or remove an airbag yourself.
  • If a dealer cannot or will not do a recall repair, contact the vehicle maker, and you can file a complaint with NHTSA.

Sources

This guide is general information written in our own words from the sources above. Your owner’s manual and the instructions for your own equipment come first.

Tell it once. It remembers.

Twice a year at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

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