Guides › Check car recalls by VIN

How to check car recalls by VIN

A safety recall means a manufacturer or NHTSA has determined a vehicle or part poses a safety risk. Checking takes about a minute.

1. Find your VIN

Look at the driver's-side dashboard through the windshield, the driver's door-jamb sticker, or your registration or insurance card. It is 17 characters (no I, O or Q).

2. Check open recalls for that VIN

Use NHTSA's free lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If a recall is open, contact an authorized dealer for your brand; safety recall repairs are generally done at no charge.

3. Optionally review model-year information

On this site you can decode a VIN for free to see the year, make and model. A full report costs a small one-time fee and adds factory specifications, NHTSA safety recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for that model and year. If we can't find your car's details, there's no charge. The report is compiled from free public U.S. government sources – the same sources you can use yourself for free – and it is not an accident, title or ownership history report.

Important: the recalls in our report are listed for the vehicle's make, model and year, so not every campaign applies to every car. The most reliable free way to see whether a specific VIN has an open (unrepaired) recall is NHTSA's own VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Buying a used car?

Check the VIN on the car matches the paperwork, check open recalls, and get an independent inspection. Recall data alone does not show accident or ownership history.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my car has an open recall?

Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls). It reports open recalls for that VIN.

Does a recall mean my car is unsafe to drive?

It depends on the recall. Read the notice and contact a dealer; some recalls carry a "do not drive" warning, which our report flags when the public data says so.