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Checking for recalls

Enter your 17-character VIN (lower left of the windshield, or on your registration) or your plate at NHTSA.gov/recalls. "0 unrepaired recalls" means you're clear; anything else, call a dealer for your brand. Safety recall repairs are free, by law the manufacturer must fix, replace or refund. Check twice a year and get the free SaferCar app for alerts. If your car has a Do Not Drive warning, like certain Takata air bag vehicles, don't drive it except straight to the dealer.

Easy5 min to doFreeChecked October 2, 2026

Do it like this

Find your VIN on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration card, or possibly on your insurance card. Source: NHTSA
Enter it, or your plate number, at NHTSA.gov/recalls. If there's nothing to fix, you'll see "0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN". Source: NHTSA
If it shows an open recall, read the notice and follow any interim safety advice, then call a dealer for your brand to schedule the free repair. Source: NHTSA
Check twice a year, and register your car, tires and car seats. NHTSA's free SaferCar app sends a phone alert when it finds a recall for something you entered. Source: NHTSA
Watch your mail. Manufacturers must notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of telling NHTSA about a recall. Source: NHTSA Keep your address current with the DMV.

Watch out Some recalls are urgent. Do Not Drive warnings have been issued for certain vehicles with Takata air bags, which can explode when they deploy and have caused injuries and deaths. Those vehicles should be repaired immediately. Source: NHTSA Don't ask a dealer to disable an air bag while you wait: a disabled air bag has a 100% chance of failing to protect you. Source: NHTSA

What the VIN search won't show

Recalls already repaired on your car. Source: NHTSA
Some recently announced recalls where not every VIN has been added yet. Check again later. Source: NHTSA
Recalls more than 15 years old, unless the manufacturer covers longer. Source: NHTSA
Recalls by small manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury and specialty brands. Source: NHTSA
Non-safety campaigns from the manufacturer, and international vehicles. Source: NHTSA

What the manufacturer has to do

From NHTSA. Source: NHTSA

Question	Answer
Do I pay for the fix?	No. Safety recall repairs are free.
What are the options?	Repair, replace, refund, or in rare cases buy back the vehicle.
Do I get a loaner?	Not required, but ask. For some Do Not Drive recalls, manufacturers provide towing and loaners.
The dealer refuses?	Tell the manufacturer right away, and file a complaint with NHTSA with the dealer's name.

What to say to the dealer

Hi, my car has an open safety recall. The VIN is [VIN] and the recall number is [number from NHTSA or the letter]. I'd like to schedule the free repair. Do you have the parts? If not, can you put me on the list and tell me what to do in the meantime? Is a loaner available?

See it done

Routine Vehicle Safety Recall Check National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Length 1:07 · 2023 · Checked October 2, 2026

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.
Plate search shows your old car? Plate data comes from the state DMV. Ask the DMV to update it, and search by VIN in the meantime. Source: NHTSA
Got a temporary ("interim") air bag replacement? Still get it, because a newer air bag is safer than an old one, then get the final free repair too. Source: NHTSA
Think your car has a safety problem that isn't recalled? File a complaint with NHTSA. Similar complaints from many people can lead to an investigation and a recall. Source: NHTSA

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 Takata recall spotlight
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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