How To Discover If Your Car Was Recalled And If Is Safe To Drive (PDF)
There have been 50 million cars with open recalls on the roads. Many Fords, Nissan, Hyundai and Honda cars were recently added to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration list.
If a manufacturer notices that part of their car model is wearing out faster than expected, they’ll replace it for all of their customers. Similarly, if the software has developed a problem or has become outdated, you may experience significant issues. Sometimes these problems are more urgent, like with the Takata airbag recall that happened in 2013.
If you own a car, you’re going to want to read this article. We are going to tell you how you can go online to find out if your vehicle is subject to a recall and get notifications of future recalls, so follow the step by step:
1. Get Your Car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
The VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number, is found on most cars. It’s usually in the lower driver’s side corner of the dashboard or printed on an emblem on the door frame.
If you can’t find the VIN on your car’s title or registration, look in any of your vehicle insurance documents.
2. Keep Your Registration Up to Date
Always make sure you keep your registration up to date and update your address with the manufacturer. That way, should there be a recall, they’ll be able to contact you directly. You may also hear about a recall through the mail, but it’s best not to rely on that.
First, you need to check your vehicle. The plate registration sticker shows the if the year is current, so make sure it is accurate. You can also visit your state motor vehicle department’s website to see whether there are any fees to get the documents.
3. Check the NHTSA Recall Lookup Page
If you search by your VIN, this will show the number and type of recalls that apply to your vehicle. That way, you can make sure it’s safe and your car is up-to-date on any recalls. If you don’t have your VIN, try searching for your car’s year, make and model instead.
The search tool allows you to check for vehicle safety recalls from the last 15 calendar years. You will also see recalls from major auto and motorcycle manufacturers, as well as some medium/heavy truck manufacturers.
4. Be Cautions
Vehicle recalls are inevitable, so just because your car isn’t currently subject to any doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. To hedge your bets, head over to the NHTSA website and sign up for their recall email notifications.
