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Takata airbag recall check: is your car affected?

The Takata airbag recall is the largest vehicle recall in U.S. history. Here is how to find out, in a minute and for free, whether your car has an open Takata recall.

What is the Takata airbag recall?

Takata made airbag inflators that used ammonium nitrate as a propellant. Over years of heat and humidity the propellant can degrade, and in a crash the inflator can rupture and throw metal fragments into the cabin. NHTSA has linked more than two dozen U.S. deaths and hundreds of injuries to these inflators. The recalls span many makes and many model years, with the oldest campaigns dating back to the early 2000s, so a car you are thinking of buying may be affected even if it looks fine.

How to check your car for a Takata recall (free)

Find your 17-character VIN on the dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door-jamb sticker, or your registration or insurance card.
Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The result shows open recalls reported for that VIN, including airbag inflator recalls.
NHTSA also keeps a dedicated page on the recall at nhtsa.gov (search "Takata recall spotlight") with the list of affected makes.

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.

What if my car has an open Takata recall?

Call an authorized dealer for your brand and book the repair. Safety recall repairs are generally done free of charge, and parts supply has improved a lot since the early years of the recall. Read the notice carefully: for some older vehicles NHTSA and the manufacturers have issued urgent "do not drive" warnings until the inflator is replaced.

Buying a used car? Check first

Before you pay, check the VIN of the exact car you are buying, not just the model. A seller may not know a recall is open. Our free VIN decoder shows the year, make and model, and the optional report lists NHTSA recall campaigns for that model and year in one place. See also our recall pages by make and model 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 know if my car has a Takata airbag?

Enter your VIN at NHTSA's free lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls). If the manufacturer has reported an open airbag inflator recall for that VIN, it will be listed.

Is the Takata airbag repair free?

Safety recall repairs are generally done free of charge by an authorized dealer.

Can I keep driving a car with an open Takata recall?

Read the recall notice. Some older vehicles carry an urgent "do not drive" warning; for others, get the repair done as soon as the dealer has the part.

Does VinCheck1 show open Takata recalls for my exact VIN?

No. Our report lists NHTSA recall campaigns for the make, model and year. For open recalls on your exact VIN, use NHTSA's lookup.