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Check your car for open recalls before a holiday road trip

Most Thanksgiving travelers go by car. Before a long drive, take ten minutes to make sure the car you are driving has no unrepaired safety recalls.

Why check before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. In its 2025 forecast AAA projected a record 81.8 million holiday travelers, about 73 million of them by car (AAA has not published its 2026 forecast yet). Long highway miles, a full car and cold weather are exactly when an unrepaired defect matters most.

Step 1: Look up open recalls by VIN (free)

Find the 17-character VIN on the driver's-side dashboard, the door-jamb sticker, or your registration or insurance card.
Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. You can also search by state and plate; see checking recalls by license plate.
Read whether any open (unrepaired) safety recalls are listed.

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.

Step 2: If a recall is open

If the notice says "do not drive" or "park outside", follow it and call the dealer before the trip.
Call an authorized dealer now. Safety recall repairs are generally free, but parts and appointments can take time, so do not wait until the Tuesday before the holiday.
Ask whether an over-the-air software update is available; some recalls can be fixed that way.
If the repair cannot be done in time, ask the dealer whether the car is safe to drive in the meantime, and consider a different vehicle.

Step 3: Basic pre-trip checks

Tire pressure (cold) against the door-jamb sticker, tread depth and the spare.
Battery age; cold mornings expose weak batteries.
Oil, coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid rated for freezing temperatures.
Wipers, headlights, brake lights and turn signals.
Any warning light on the dash: get it checked before you leave, not on the highway.

Driving a rental, borrowed or newly bought car?

The same free VIN lookup works for any car. Rental companies are generally barred from renting vehicles with open safety recalls under federal law, but checking takes a minute. If you just bought a used car, decode the VIN on our free VIN decoder and browse recalls by make, model and year.

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.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my car for recalls before a trip?

Enter your 17-character VIN, or your state and license plate, at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows open, unrepaired safety recalls for that exact vehicle for free.

Can I still drive with an open recall?

It depends on the recall. Some say do not drive; others are lower risk. Read the notice and ask an authorized dealer before a long trip.

How long does a recall repair take?

It varies. Some are a short software update, while others wait on parts. Call the dealer as early as possible before holiday travel.

Should I check a rental car for recalls?

You can, using the VIN on the dashboard or door jamb. Federal law generally prohibits rental companies from renting cars with open safety recalls, but a quick check costs nothing.