A recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle, piece of motor vehicle equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. If there’s a safety recall, your manufacturer is required to notify you and fix the problem for free.
If you’ve been notified of a recall, the first step is to closely read the notification and follow the manufacturer’s guidance. Every recall is serious, and the details of all recalls and their remedies vary. Do not wait; contact your vehicle dealer immediately to receive your free fix.
If you’re concerned that your vehicle or piece of motor vehicle equipment has a safety defect, or if you feel that your dealer or manufacturer isn’t fulfilling its obligations to fix a problem, report the issue to NHTSA. We read every complaint because it helps us root out safety defects and make our roads safer.
Even if you don’t believe your vehicle has a defect, we recommend that you use NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup Tool at least twice per year, to search for recalls by your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which is a unique number assigned to your car or truck. You are also encouraged to sign up for NHTSA’s Recall Alerts that will notify you if your vehicle is included in a recall. We also offer our SaferCar mobile app for Apple and Android devices so you can receive mobile recall alerts and access other helpful safety tools.
For additional details, check out these Frequently Asked Questions or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline (Toll-Free: 888-327-4236 / Hearing Impaired (TTY): 800-424-9153).