NHTSA safety campaigns
Free vehicle recall lookup by year, make and model.
Review model-level recall summaries, consequences and remedies. A VIN-specific NHTSA search is still required to identify unrepaired campaigns on one vehicle.
How a recall lookup works, and what it can’t tell you
Every result here comes directly from NHTSA’s public recalls database, filtered by the model year, make and model you enter. A campaign record names the defect, the safety consequence, and the manufacturer’s remedy, but it describes the CAMPAIGN, not your specific vehicle. Two vehicles of the identical year, make and model can differ: one may already have the remedy performed, the other may not. Confirming that requires the VIN-specific check, which cross-references your vehicle’s own repair history against the open campaign. By federal law the remedy is free for as long as that campaign stays open, regardless of the vehicle's age, mileage or ownership history. 5 common questions, including how a recall differs from a complaint or a technical service bulletin, are answered below.
Read the full explainer: recall vs. complaint vs. service bulletin
Is there a free vehicle recall lookup?
Yes. NHTSA publishes every U.S. safety recall campaign at no cost, and this tool queries that same public data directly by model year, make and model: no account, no fee.
Why do I need to check by VIN too, not just by model?
A model-level search returns every campaign issued for that year/make/model combination. It cannot tell you whether YOUR specific vehicle already had the remedy performed. For that, NHTSA's VIN-specific recall check (linked from any manufacturer's site or NHTSA.gov/recalls) is required.
What do 'summary,' 'consequence' and 'remedy' mean on a recall record?
Summary describes the defect itself. Consequence describes what could happen if it is not fixed (the safety risk NHTSA is documenting). Remedy describes the manufacturer's free fix: typically a dealer repair, software update or part replacement.
Are recalls the same thing as complaints or service bulletins?
No: three different NHTSA record types. A recall is a manufacturer- or NHTSA-determined safety defect with a mandatory free remedy. A complaint is a self-reported driver account, not independently verified. A technical service bulletin is manufacturer guidance for a known issue that was not judged serious enough to require a recall.
Is a recall repair free?
Yes, by federal law, for the remedy described in that specific campaign, regardless of the vehicle's age, mileage or ownership history, as long as the campaign is still open. Contact an authorized dealer for that make to schedule it.
Public-data tools