How to check if your car has a recall

Why a make and model isn't enough

A vehicle recall rarely covers every car of a model. It covers the ones built in a certain factory, between two dates, or with a certain part, so two identical-looking 2024 SUVs can have different recall histories. What decides it is the vehicle identification number (VIN), the 17-character code that belongs to your car alone.

So checking takes two steps: find out which recalls exist for your make and model, then confirm with the VIN whether your car is one of the affected ones and whether it has already been fixed.

Step 1: see what's been recalled

Open the vehicle recalls list and search for your make and model, such as Ford F-150 or Jaguar F-PACE. It covers recalls from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Transport Canada, the EU's Safety Gate and other agencies, newest first. Filter by country to see the recalls where you bought the car.

Each recall names the model years, the defect, the risk and the fix. Two warnings matter more than anything else:

• Do not drive. The vehicle is unsafe until repaired. Arrange a tow to the dealer.
• Park outside. The vehicle can catch fire even when switched off. Park away from buildings until it's fixed.

In the 12 months to September 2026, NHTSA published 960 recalls: 854 for vehicles, 85 for equipment such as lights and wheels, 13 for tires and 8 for child car seats. Twenty-five carried a do-not-drive warning and 24 a park-outside warning.

Step 2: check your VIN

Find the VIN on the dashboard at the bottom of the windshield, on the driver's door pillar, or on your registration and insurance documents. Then check it with:

• In the US: NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Enter the VIN to see any recall not yet repaired on that vehicle, for recalls from the past 15 years from the major manufacturers.
• Everywhere else, and as a second check: the manufacturer's own recall lookup on its website, or any franchised dealer. They can see every campaign on that VIN and whether it has been completed.

Getting it fixed

Recall repairs are normally free at a franchised dealer for the brand, whether or not you're the first owner and whether or not the warranty has run out. Call ahead: parts for a new recall can take weeks to arrive, and the dealer can tell you whether the car is safe to drive in the meantime. If the manufacturer hasn't got a fix ready yet, the recall notice usually says when owners will be notified, often by letter.

Buying a used car

Run the VIN check before you buy. An unrepaired recall doesn't have to be a deal-breaker, since the fix is free, but a do-not-drive recall means the car shouldn't leave the lot on its own wheels. Ask the seller to have open recalls done first.

Car seats and tires

Car seats and tires are recalled by model and production date, not VIN. Check the label on the seat's shell or base for the model number and date of manufacture, and the DOT code on the tire's sidewall, then search the vehicle recalls list or the kids and baby recalls. Register a new car seat with its maker so you're told directly about any recall.