Your place · Car ownership
Checking for recalls
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls. It tells you whether your car has a safety recall that hasn't been fixed.
Do it like this
- Find your VIN on the lower left of the windshield or on your registration card. Source: NHTSA
- Enter it at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
- If it shows an unrepaired recall, call a dealer for your car's brand and schedule the fix.
- Check again every so often. NHTSA says new VINs are added continuously. Source: NHTSA
Watch out The VIN search won't show some recently announced recalls, or recalls run by some small manufacturers. Source: NHTSA
See it done
Routine Vehicle Safety Recall Check National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Length 1:07 · 2023
Video blocked on this network? You don't need it. The written steps are the whole lesson, and the video is extra. Watch it on YouTube later.
If it doesn't work
- The VIN doesn't come up? Check that you typed all 17 characters. The letters I, O and Q aren't used in VINs, so those are usually 1s and 0s.
- The dealer says the part isn't available yet? Ask to be put on the list, and ask what to do in the meantime.
- Think your car has a safety problem that isn't recalled? You can report it to NHTSA from the recalls page.
Good to know
Buying used?
Run the VIN before you buy, so you know whether a safety fix is outstanding. The FTC also says to check for recalls when buying used. Source: FTC
Tires get recalled too
NHTSA also tracks tire recalls. Source: NHTSA
Keep the paperwork
Ask for a completed repair order for any work done. Source: FTC
Sources
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Recalls
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Tires
- Federal Trade Commission Buying a used car from a dealer
Lesson H5.5 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.
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