How to Check Car Recalls by VIN or License Plate for Free
A free federal lookup tells you in seconds whether your car has an unrepaired safety recall and whether parts for the fix are ready yet.
You can check any car for open safety recalls for free at nhtsa.gov/recalls by entering its 17-character VIN or its license plate and state. The search shows unrepaired safety recalls from the past 15 calendar years for the major automakers, and the fix for any open recall is free at a franchised dealer of that brand.
The check takes under a minute. It is worth running when you buy a used car, when a recall makes the news, and about twice a year for every car in the household.
How do I check my car for recalls by VIN?
Enter the VIN on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall page and read the result for that exact vehicle.
- Find the VIN. It is printed on a plate at the lower left corner of the dashboard, visible through the windshield, and on the sticker in the driver’s door jamb. It also appears on your registration, title and insurance card.
- Go to nhtsa.gov/recalls and choose the vehicle search.
- Type all 17 characters. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q, so a character that looks like an O is a zero.
- Check that the year, make and model shown match your car.
- Read the recall list. Each open recall shows the NHTSA campaign number, the problem, the safety risk and the remedy.
Automakers also run their own VIN lookups on their owner websites. A 2013 NHTSA rule made major automakers offer a free online VIN recall search, and their results come from the same data the NHTSA tool uses.
Can I look up recalls by license plate instead?
Yes. The lookup on nhtsa.gov/recalls accepts a license plate number and state, so you can search without hunting for the VIN.
The plate search pulls the vehicle from state registration records. If the result shows a car you no longer own, or a different model, the state record is out of date. Run the search again with the VIN, and contact your state DMV to correct the registration data.
What do the recall search results mean?
The result tells you whether the specific VIN still needs a recall repair, and whether parts for that repair exist yet.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Zero unrepaired recalls | No open safety recall in the tool’s coverage for this VIN | Check again in a few months; new recalls are added all the time |
| Recall INCOMPLETE | A safety recall applies and the repair has not been recorded as done | Call a franchised dealer of the brand and book the free repair |
| Recall INCOMPLETE, remedy not yet available | The recall applies, but the automaker has not finished the fix or parts have not reached dealers | Follow the interim advice in the owner letter and wait for the second notice that parts are ready |
| A “do not drive” or “park outside” warning | The defect is serious enough that the automaker tells owners to stop driving the car or park it away from buildings | Do not drive it; ask the dealer to arrange towing |
A “do not drive” notice means exactly that. Our guide to do not drive and park outside recall warnings covers towing, loaner cars and what to ask the dealer.
What should I do when the remedy is not yet available?
Keep the car’s recall in view and follow the automaker’s interim instructions until the parts arrive. When a fix is not ready, the automaker usually mails an interim letter first and a second letter once dealers can do the repair.
The interim letter may tell you to avoid a certain use, such as carrying passengers in one seat, or to watch for a warning light. Call the brand’s customer service line and ask when parts are expected and whether a loaner or rental is offered for that recall. Policies vary by recall and by automaker.
The repair itself costs nothing, even when the car is out of warranty. Our explainer on who pays for recall repairs covers the federal rules, reimbursement if you already paid for the fix and the age limit on free remedies.
Why does my older car show no recalls?
An older car can show zero recalls even though it once had one, because the federal tool has limits on what it covers.
- Age. The search covers safety recalls from the past 15 calendar years, unless the automaker chooses to provide more.
- Completed repairs. A recall that was already fixed on that VIN does not appear.
- Brands. Major car and motorcycle makers report to the tool. Some small manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury and specialty brands, are not covered.
- Campaign type. Customer service campaigns and other non-safety programs are not listed. Ask a dealer about those.
- Very new recalls. A recall announced in the past few days may not show until the automaker loads the affected VINs.
- Imports. Vehicles built for other markets and brought into the US are not covered.
If the tool shows nothing but a news report names your model and year, call a franchised dealer with the VIN, or search the recall by make, model and year on the same NHTSA page.
How do I keep track of future recalls?
Automakers mail recall notices to the owner address on state registration records, so the simplest step is keeping your DMV address current.
Creating an account on the automaker’s owner website adds email or app alerts for your VIN. If you just bought a used car, run the VIN check the same week. Recall letters can still go to the previous owner, and buying from a private seller gives you no guarantee that open recalls were done. Our guide to free vehicle history checks lists the other free lookups worth running before you buy.
Bottom line
A VIN or plate search at nhtsa.gov/recalls is free, fast and specific to your car. If it shows an open recall, book the free repair at a franchised dealer now, and if it says not to drive the car, arrange a tow instead of driving in.
FAQ
Is the NHTSA recall check really free?
Yes. The search on nhtsa.gov costs nothing and needs no account. Sites that charge for a “recall report” use the same public data.
Do dealers check for open recalls during service visits?
Many franchised dealers look up open recalls when a car comes in for service, but you should not rely on it. Ask at check-in and give them the VIN so the repair can be done in the same visit if parts are in stock.
Can I check recalls for several cars at once?
NHTSA’s tool works one vehicle at a time for most owners. Run each VIN separately, or create accounts on each automaker’s owner site to get alerts for every car you own.
Does a recall show up on a vehicle history report?
Some paid reports list open recalls, but the data can lag. The NHTSA search is the most direct check for open safety recalls on a specific VIN.
