Check Your VIN During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week

As daylight saving time approaches, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is raising awareness about the dangers of ignoring vehicle safety recalls. During this Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, the agency is asking all drivers to check for safety recalls and get any recalled vehicle fixed immediately for FREE.

“Just as it’s important to regularly check your smoke alarm batteries or reset your clocks, consumers should also get in the habit of checking for vehicle safety recalls regularly,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said. “Recalls are a serious matter, and having a recalled vehicle repaired as soon as possible could save your life.”

New recall information collected by the safety agency shows that the number of vehicles recalled increased last year. In 2022, there were 932 vehicle safety recalls affecting more than 30.8 million vehicles in the United States. 

NHTSA data shows that auto manufacturers have increasingly administered over-the-air updates to these vehicles since 2019. OTA remedies allow manufacturers to repair some safety issues to vehicles electronically. There were 23 recalls involving an OTA remedy in 2022, more than double the number of OTA-remedied recalls in 2021.

While not all recalls are high profile, all recalls are important. Vehicle owners can use NHTSA’s recalls website to check for any recalls on their vehicles, tires and car seats.

How to check: 

• Use NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup Tool to check your Vehicle Identification Number for any open recalls.
• Download our SaferCar app, enter your VIN and let the app check automatically for you. 
• If your vehicle does have a recall, call your automaker’s local dealer to schedule the free repair. 
• Sign up at NHTSA.gov/Alerts to be notified by email if your vehicle is affected by a future safety recall. 

If you think your vehicle may have a safety defect that isn’t part of a current recall, contact NHTSA online or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.