Is Your Car Under Recall?

A vehicle recall occurs when a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. When a recall is issued, the manufacturer is required to fix the problem at no cost to the vehicle owner.

The NHTSA manages vehicle recall data going back to 1966, covering over 50,000 individual recall campaigns affecting hundreds of millions of vehicles. Every year, tens of millions of vehicles are affected by new recall announcements — making it critical for every car owner to regularly check their vehicle for open recalls.

How to Check if Your Car Has an Open Recall

The fastest way is to use our VIN lookup tool above. Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character identifier that tells us exactly what your car is and whether any recalls apply to it. You can find your VIN on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the driver's side door jamb, or on your vehicle registration and insurance documents.

Are Recall Repairs Really Free?

Yes — federal law requires that manufacturers fix all safety defects covered by a recall at no charge to the owner. This includes parts and labor. You simply take your vehicle to an authorized dealership for your brand, show them the recall campaign number, and they must perform the repair for free regardless of whether you are the original owner.

How Long Do I Have to Get a Recall Fixed?

There is no strict deadline for getting a recall repair done. However, the manufacturer's obligation to provide free repairs under a recall is typically 15 years from the date of the original sale for motor vehicle recalls (10 years for tires). It's always best to get recall repairs done promptly, as the safety defect may increase your risk of an accident until it is fixed.