How to Check for Recalls Before You Buy a Car

Checking a car for open safety recalls takes two minutes and costs nothing. Type the VIN into NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls and it tells you whether that specific vehicle has a recall that has not been repaired. Do it for every used car you consider, and for a new one too.

Do the lookup

1. Find the VIN. It is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on the driver's door jamb, on the registration and often on the insurance card. Online listings usually show it. On The Motor Standard, each listing links to the dealer's own page where the VIN is posted.
2. Go to nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter the VIN. NHTSA's tool also accepts a license plate and state.
3. Read the result. If nothing is outstanding, NHTSA shows "0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN." Otherwise it lists each open recall with a description of the defect, the risk and the remedy.
4. Save a screenshot with the date. It is useful when you talk to the seller.

Searching by year, make and model instead gives general results for that model: recalls, investigations, complaints and manufacturer communications. That is good background on a model you are researching, but only the VIN search tells you about one particular car.

The FTC's used-car resources also point buyers to NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

What the VIN search will not show

NHTSA lists these limits on its own page:

• A safety recall that has already been repaired.
• Some recently announced recalls where not all VINs have been identified yet. NHTSA adds VINs continuously and suggests checking regularly.
• Safety recalls more than 15 years old, unless the manufacturer offers more coverage.
• Recalls by small vehicle manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury brands and specialty vehicles.
• Manufacturer customer-service or other non-safety campaigns.
• A recall involving an international vehicle.

So "0 unrepaired recalls" is strong evidence, not a certificate. For an older car, a low-volume brand or an import, also call a franchised dealer's service department with the VIN and ask them to check the manufacturer's system.

A vehicle history report is not a substitute. The federal NMVTIS title database does not include recall information at all, and commercial reports may not be current.

What the law says: new vs. used

New cars. Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120(i)) provides that when a recall notice has been issued for a new vehicle in a dealer's possession, the dealer may sell or lease it only if the defect is remedied before delivery. The dealer may still advertise and offer the car; it cannot hand it over unrepaired. The same section restricts rental companies from renting vehicles with open recalls.

In practice this is why a new car you want is sometimes on "stop sale" while the dealer waits for parts.

Used cars. That provision is written for new vehicles and rentals. It does not impose the same before-delivery requirement on a dealer selling a used car, and it does not apply to private sellers. A used car can be for sale with an open recall. State law may add requirements, and those vary, so check with your state attorney general's office if it matters to your purchase.

"Certified" and "inspected" claims. Do not assume a multi-point inspection included recall repairs. In 2016 the FTC announced actions against a manufacturer and two large used-car dealer groups, alleging they promoted rigorous inspections of used and certified cars without disclosing that some had unrepaired safety recalls. Under the proposed orders the companies could not claim their used vehicles were safe or had passed a rigorous inspection unless they were free of open recalls or the possibility of recalls was clearly disclosed. See is certified pre-owned worth it.

The Buyers Guide that dealers must post on used cars itself tells shoppers to check for open safety recalls. The responsibility, in practice, sits with you.

The car you want has an open recall. Now what?

An open recall is not automatically a reason to walk away. It depends on what the defect is and whether the fix is available.

A script you can copy:

"The NHTSA lookup shows an open recall on this VIN for [issue]. Can you have it completed before I take delivery and send me the repair order? If parts aren't available, when are they expected?"

If a dealer agrees, get it in writing on the purchase paperwork. Spoken promises are hard to enforce.

Getting a recall fixed for free

• Who does it: a franchised dealer for that brand. It does not need to be the dealer who sold the car, and you do not need to be the original owner.
• What it costs: nothing. NHTSA says manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle, and describes the remedy as free.
• The age limit: under 49 U.S.C. 30120(g), the requirement to provide a free remedy does not apply if the vehicle was bought by its first purchaser more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice. Tires have a shorter period. Some manufacturers go beyond this voluntarily, so still ask.
• How to book: call the service department, give the VIN and the recall number, and ask whether parts are in stock before you bring the car in.

If a dealer refuses or tries to charge you, contact the manufacturer's customer line, and you can report the problem to NHTSA.

After you buy

• Run the VIN again. New recalls are announced all the time, and NHTSA suggests checking twice a year.
• Register the car in your name promptly. NHTSA says manufacturers notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of notifying NHTSA of a recall decision, so the notice goes to whoever the records show.
• Consider NHTSA's free SaferCar app, which sends an alert if a recall is issued for a vehicle you have entered.
• If you experience a safety problem, file a complaint with NHTSA. Complaints are how many investigations start.

Where this fits in your checks

Recalls are one of four quick checks before money changes hands: recall lookup, history report, your own walk-around using the used car inspection checklist, and an independent pre-purchase inspection. The recall lookup is the only one that is both free and instant, so do it first.