How to check for open recalls on your car by VIN

Check by VIN or license plate at NHTSA

NHTSA is the federal agency that oversees vehicle recalls. Its page at nhtsa.gov/recalls has a Vehicle tab where you enter a VIN or a license plate. NHTSA says that when you search this way, you learn whether that specific vehicle needs to be repaired as part of a recall.

The VIN is the 17-character number on the lower left of the windshield. It is also on the registration card, and it may be on your insurance card. If the license plate shows a different vehicle, NHTSA says the plate data comes from the state motor vehicle agency, so search by VIN instead and ask the agency to update its record.

How to read the result: open or repaired

An open recall means the vehicle has a recall that has not been repaired. If there is none, NHTSA's page shows the message “0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN.” A recall that has already been fixed does not appear in this search, so a clean result tells you only that nothing is outstanding.

The lookup has gaps. NHTSA says it may not show recently announced recalls for which not all VINs have been identified, recalls more than 15 years old (unless the maker offers more coverage), recalls by small manufacturers, non-safety campaigns or recalls on international vehicles. Check again every few months and do not treat one clean result as permanent.

Other ways to look up a recall

Searching by year, make and model returns general results for the model, not a verdict on your car. NHTSA's data service shows what such a record holds. A 2015 Toyota Camry record, campaign 15V144000, lists the component (the electric power steering system), the consequence (a loss of power steering raises the risk of a crash) and the remedy, which says the part will be replaced free of charge. Use that kind of entry to understand a recall, then use the VIN to learn whether it applies to you.

Manufacturers run their own VIN pages as well. Ford's recall page, for example, searches recalls since January 1, 2004 by VIN. NHTSA adds that its own VIN lookup uses recall information provided by the manufacturer, which may not be posted on NHTSA's site yet. If you use NHTSA's SaferCar app, it sends an alert when it finds a safety recall for a vehicle you entered.

Get the repair for free

NHTSA says manufacturers must notify registered owners by first class mail within 60 days of telling NHTSA of a recall decision. When you get the notice, follow any interim safety guidance and contact a local dealership to fix the recalled part for free. If your VIN shows an open recall, you can call a dealer without waiting for the letter.

Federal law backs this up. Under 49 U.S.C. 30120 the manufacturer must remedy the defect without charge when the vehicle is presented, and may do it by repair, replacement or, for a vehicle, a refund. If the repair is not done adequately within a reasonable time, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price, less an allowance for depreciation. A failure to repair adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time. The free remedy does not apply when the first purchaser bought the vehicle more than 15 calendar years before the notice.

Keep the proof that it was fixed

This part is our own advice. When the dealer finishes, ask for the repair order and keep it with the car's other records, with the date, the mileage and the recall number (the NHTSA campaign number). A buyer or your next mechanic can then see the work was done, and you can show it if the lookup ever lists the recall again.

In Carumi, a recall repair fits as a service record with its receipt and photos stored with the vehicle, so it sits on the same timeline as your oil changes. Carumi does not check recalls itself, so use NHTSA for that.

How often to check

NHTSA's tip is to register your vehicle, tires, car seats and equipment and to check recalls twice a year. Also check before you buy a used car, and again after you buy it, because a recall may be announced or a VIN added after the seller's check.