VIN guides

Plain-English guides to VINs and recalls. Everything here is based on free public U.S. government data.

• VIN decoder – Decode a VIN for free to see the year, make and model, and learn what each of the 17 characters means. Optional $1 report with NHTSA recalls, complaints, crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy.
• Free VIN check for recalls – A plain-English guide to free VIN checks: NHTSA's free recall lookup, free VIN decoding, and what a $1 report from public government data adds. No exaggerated claims.
• Check car recalls by VIN – Step-by-step: find your VIN, check open safety recalls for free with NHTSA, and see model-year recalls, complaints and crash-test ratings in a $1 report. Honest, public-data based.
• Takata airbag recall check – How to check a Takata airbag inflator recall by VIN for free with NHTSA, what the recall is, why it matters and what to do if your car is on the list.
• Is my car under recall? – Find out whether your car is under a safety recall: where to find your VIN, how to check open recalls for free with NHTSA, and what to do if there is one.
• Check recalls by license plate – Yes, NHTSA lets you check open safety recalls with a state and license plate number. How it works, why results can show the wrong car, and when to use the VIN instead.
• Used car buying in winter – A practical winter checklist for used-car shoppers: check open recalls by VIN, cold-start and battery checks, rust and salt damage, tires and heat, and how to negotiate off-season.
• Black Friday used car deals – A practical Black Friday and Thanksgiving week checklist for used-car shoppers: spot real discounts vs marketing, check the VIN and open recalls before you visit, and protect your out-the-door price.
• Veterans Day used car deals – A practical Veterans Day checklist for used-car shoppers: tell real military discounts from marketing, check eligibility and the VIN for open recalls, and protect your out-the-door price.
• Used cars with open recalls – Yes. Federal law bans selling new cars with open safety recalls, but not used ones, from dealers or private sellers. Here is how to check the VIN for open recalls and get them fixed free before you buy.
• Odometer rollback check – NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 used cars are sold each year with false odometer readings. A free checklist: compare the title and service records, check wear against the miles, and get a mileage history from an NMVTIS-approved provider.
• Recall check before a road trip – Driving for Thanksgiving? A free 10-minute pre-trip checklist: look up open safety recalls by VIN, what to do if one is open, and the basic checks for tires, battery and fluids. Works for rental and borrowed cars too.
• Flood-damaged used car check – Flood cars can be cleaned up and sold far from where the storm hit. A free checklist: VIN and title checks, the physical signs of water damage, and what to ask the seller.
• Saw a recall in the news? – When headlines mention a new recall for thousands of cars, here is how to check whether YOUR vehicle is included: VIN lookup, why model-year lists are not enough, and what to do if the recall is brand new.
• What does a VIN tell you? – What a 17-character VIN reveals about a car (maker, model year, engine, plant) and what it cannot show (accidents, owners, mileage). Free decoder included.
• Free VIN decoder – Free VIN decoder for any 17-character VIN: see the year, make and model from official NHTSA data, check the VIN is valid, and learn how decoding works.
• Recall lookup by make – 30 makes: how to check recalls by VIN, plus a snapshot of public NHTSA recall data.