How to check whether your car has an open recall

Step-by-step: find your VIN, check NHTSA's recall lookup, understand park-outside and do-not-drive warnings, and get a free repair.

Recall repairs are free, but they only happen if the owner brings the car in. Roughly a quarter of recalled vehicles in the United States are never fixed. Checking takes two minutes.

1. Find your VIN

The 17-character vehicle identification number is on the driver's side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb sticker, on the registration and on the insurance card.

2. Look it up

Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) or in the free SaferCar app. The result lists every unrepaired safety recall for that exact vehicle. Manufacturer websites offer the same lookup and sometimes show customer-satisfaction campaigns that are not safety recalls.

Outside the United States, use your national authority: Transport Canada, the UK DVSA, the EU Safety Gate, Australia's Product Safety site, Japan's MLIT, or the local importer's site. A recall issued in one market is usually, but not always, mirrored in others.

3. Read the warning level

• Park outside: a fire risk exists even when the vehicle is off. Park away from buildings until repaired.
• Do not drive: the defect can cause loss of control or a crash. Arrange a tow or a dealer pickup.
• Over-the-air: the fix is a software update the vehicle installs itself; confirm it has actually been applied.

4. Book the repair

Any franchised dealer of the brand must perform the recall at no charge, regardless of where the car was bought or whether it is out of warranty. If parts are not yet available, ask to be put on the notification list and check for interim guidance. If a dealer refuses or charges, report it to NHTSA.

5. Keep the paperwork

The repair order proves the recall was completed and matters at resale. If you paid for a repair before the recall was announced, the manufacturer may reimburse it; ask the dealer for the reimbursement process.

On this site, every model-year page lists the recalls on record with their campaign numbers and any park-outside or do-not-drive flags, and every model page shows how many complaints fall in component areas a recall already addresses.