Learn how to check if your car has been recalled and how to handle vehicle recalls, ensuring a safe and prompt resolution. Protect yourself on the road.
Article: 5 minutes
Updated: September 18, 2026 Published: January 4, 2019
By: USAA Reviewed by: Editorial contributor
Car recalls are issued by manufacturers to address safety risks or standards not met by defective parts or vehicles. These issues often require manufacturers to provide free repairs, replacements or refunds. You can check for recalls using your vehicle identification number, or VIN, on the NHTSA website.
Millions of cars and trucks are recalled every year to correct problems that pose a risk to life and safety. To avoid breakdowns, accidents, injuries or worse, it's important to promptly correct the issue.
Car manufacturers do their best to ensure minimal risk for drivers and passengers when designing a new vehicle. But some problems aren't recognized until after the vehicle has been sold to consumers.
If those problems create an unreasonable risk or fail to meet the minimum standards of safety, the defective part or vehicle will be recalled. When a recall is issued, the manufacturer is required to resolve the problem by repairing or replacing the defective part at no cost to the owner, or to provide a refund.
In most cases, safety defects are discovered and recalls are voluntarily issued by the car manufacturers themselves. But sometimes, consumers make complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, which then investigates and issues a recall if necessary.
Recalls aren’t limited to autos. They also can be issued for car-related equipment such as tires, car seats or booster seats, and even ramps or jacks used for at-home car repair.
It's easy to find out if a recall has been issued for your vehicle by searching the NHTSA database Opens in a New Window. All you need is your vehicle identification number, or VIN, the unique, 17-character code assigned to your car or truck.
There are several places you can look:
Once you locate your VIN, simply enter it on the NHTSA website and you'll see any recalls that apply to your vehicle Opens in a New Window. You don’t need an account, and you can sign up to receive an email alert if your vehicle is recalled in the future. You also can check for recalls on car seats and tires on the NHTSA site. If you have questions about a recall, contact the vehicle's manufacturer or a local dealership.
If you purchased a vehicle overseas while serving in the military, you may need to search the NHTSA website by the car's year, make and model rather than VIN. Or you can use another car recall website from the vehicle's country of origin.
One of the most notable recalls in recent years has been for vehicles with Takata air bags. According to the NHTSA, faulty seals on the air bag inflator can cause a malfunction to the air bag that keeps it from deploying as intended during an accident or aggressively deploying leading to injury or death. As of January 2024, the Takata air bag recall impacted more than 100 million air bag inflators worldwide installed by more than 20 car makers.
If you’re worried about your vehicle, check the NHTSA site to see if it’s part of the Takata recall or call one of the vehicle manufacturer’s authorized dealerships to schedule the free repair.
When a recall happens, car makers alert owners by mail. However, if you're the second, third or fourth owner of the vehicle, the manufacturer may not have your contact information on file to send you a recall notice.
Rather than relying on the postal service, your mechanic or a used car's previous owner, check the recall status yourself. A good rule is to check for recalls a few times a year, such as when you're renewing your registration or your auto insurance policy.
Here are a few tips if your car is recalled:
For vehicles newer than 10 years old, recall repairs are free. Car makers are required to fix the problem at no cost to you, whether that means repairing or replacing the defective part, or refunding the defective equipment.
It depends. While safety recalls should be taken seriously, they're also common, so many drivers will continue to use their car until the defective part can be fixed. However, it's ultimately a personal decision.
When you receive the recall letter in the mail or find details about the recall online, you can learn more about the safety issue and what risks it may pose to you as the driver or your passengers. If there are any warning signs you should be aware of, the recall will mention those, too. This information can help you assess whether you feel comfortable driving your vehicle until the recall can be resolved.
It's important to make your appointment with a local dealership quickly to help ensure your vehicle is as safe as possible.
Auto insurance is more than just a bill. Learn about safety features, driver distractions and more.