How to check a car for safety recalls

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finds a defect that poses a safety risk. Recall repairs are always done at no charge at a franchised dealer, and most safety recalls have no time limit.

There are two different questions, and it helps to keep them apart:

1. Which recall campaigns exist for this model? Enter the VIN on CarLogs and we list every NHTSA campaign for that year, make and model — what the defect is and how it is fixed. No account needed.
2. Has this particular car had the repair? That is recorded per vehicle. Enter the VIN on NHTSA.gov/recalls, or ask any franchised dealer for that brand to check their service system.

The VIN is 17 characters — on the base of the windshield (driver's side), the door-jamb sticker, the title or the registration.

Buying used? Look at the campaigns for the model first, then confirm the repair status of the exact car before you pay. An unrepaired recall is a bargaining point, and some are serious (airbags, brakes, fuel systems). CarLogs also shows the most-reported owner complaints for that year, make and model.