Guides › Free VIN check for recalls

Free VIN check for recalls: what is actually free

There are several free ways to check a car by VIN. This page explains which parts are free, which are not, and what each one can and cannot tell you.

Free: NHTSA open-recall lookup by VIN

NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls is free and is the best place to see whether a specific VIN has an open (unrepaired) safety recall. Safety recall repairs are generally free at an authorized dealer.

Free here: decode the VIN

Enter your VIN on this site and you'll see the year, make and model at no cost. If we can't find the vehicle, you're not charged for anything.

Paid here: a one-time compiled report

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.

Free elsewhere: theft and salvage checks

The non-profit National Insurance Crime Bureau offers a free VINCheck tool for theft and salvage records. We only link to it; we don't pull any data from it.

What none of the free tools replace

If you're buying a used car, free tools don't replace a pre-purchase inspection and, where appropriate, a full vehicle history report. Public recall, complaint and crash-test data tells you about the model, not the specific car's past.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a completely free way to check recalls by VIN?

Yes – NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Why would I pay for your report then?

Only if you want specs, model-year recalls, complaints, crash-test ratings and fuel economy gathered on one page. All of it comes from public sources you can also use yourself.