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Car seat recalls

A car seat can be recalled just like a car, but a VIN search won't find it. Here is how to check a seat for recalls, how registration gets the notice to you, and what NHTSA says to do after a recall, after a crash and before you use a second-hand seat.

By Pixoware. Published 26 October 2026.

The short answer

Car seats have no VIN. The federal VIN rules in 49 CFR Part 565 apply to motor vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, trailers and motorcycles, and NHTSA's VIN search tells you whether a specific vehicle needs a recall repair. A car seat is recalled as a separate item of equipment, so a clean VIN result says nothing about the seat in the back.

To check a seat, you need three things from its label: the brand, the model name or number, and the date of manufacture. NHTSA's used car seat checklist says you need the date of manufacture and model number “to find out if there is a recall on the car seat.” With those, you can ask the manufacturer or search NHTSA's recalls page, which has a separate car seat option alongside vehicles, tires and equipment.

Which seats are covered

New child car seats sold in the US must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213 (49 CFR 571.213). It defines a child restraint system as any device, other than an ordinary seat belt, designed to restrain, seat or position children who weigh 80 pounds (36 kg) or less. That takes in rear-facing infant seats, forward-facing seats and booster seats, which the standard defines as either a backless child restraint or a belt-positioning seat. Seats manufactured on or after December 5, 2026 are certified to an updated version, FMVSS No. 213b, which keeps the same definition and the attached registration form.

Read the label first

FMVSS 213 requires every seat to carry a label that includes:

Photograph the label when you first install the seat. A recall can be limited to certain model numbers built in a certain date range, so both numbers matter.

Register the seat

Car seats are not titled with a state the way cars are. NHTSA explains that equipment manufacturers keep lists of owners who have registered their products and use those lists to notify owners directly when a recall starts. Its advice: send in the card that came with your car seat or complete a quick registration on the manufacturer's website.

The registration card

FMVSS 213 (section S5.8) requires every seat, other than one built into a vehicle at the factory, to come with a registration form attached to a surface of the seat the child sits against. It is a postcard addressed to the manufacturer with the postage already paid, showing the seat's model name or number and date of manufacture, with space for your name and mailing address. For seats made on or after June 30, 2025, the card may carry nothing unrelated to registering and must come off without scissors or other tools.

Registering online

Manufacturers may print a web address on the card, and that address must open the electronic registration form directly. NHTSA's car seat page links to manufacturers' registration websites by brand. If you can't register with the manufacturer, NHTSA asks you to contact it at NHTSA.ODI.ced@dot.gov.

What the manufacturer must keep

The recordkeeping rule is 49 CFR Part 588, whose stated purpose is to help manufacturers contact owners of child restraints during recall campaigns. Under 588.5, the manufacturer must record each owner who sends in a registration form: name and mailing address, email address if collected, and the seat's model name or number and date of manufacture. Under 588.6, those records must be kept for at least six years from the seat's date of manufacture.

Get recall alerts from NHTSA too

NHTSA says you can sign up for its email alerts about car seat and booster seat recalls, or add a seat to its free SaferCar app, which sends an alert when it finds a recall for equipment you entered. NHTSA's recalls page advises checking for recalls twice a year, and its Vehicle Safety Hotline is 888-327-4236.

If your seat is recalled

Under federal law, a manufacturer that recalls equipment may repair or replace it at no charge, or refund the purchase price. For a car seat, the fix may come as a remedy kit. In a 2021 recall of certain Maxi-Cosi Pria convertible seats (NHTSA campaign 21C-004), limited to specific model numbers made from January 1, 2019 to August 17, 2021, the free kit was a replacement instruction booklet and labels that lowered the forward-facing harness limit.

  1. Read the recall notice. Under 49 CFR 577.5, it must explain the risk, state any precautions to take until the remedy is done, say the remedy is free and whether it is a repair, replacement or refund, and give the earliest date it will be available. The precautions are where you learn whether and how the seat can be used in the meantime.
  2. Contact the manufacturer. NHTSA notes that some problems can be fixed.
  3. Follow the instructions. Fit any remedy kit exactly as its instructions say, and keep updated manuals or labels with the seat.
  4. Report problems. If you suspect a defect, or a remedy is not provided free or within a reasonable time, you can report it to NHTSA.

For how recalls are opened and notices sent, see how vehicle recalls work.

After a crash

NHTSA recommends that car seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash. A seat does not automatically need replacing after a minor crash, which NHTSA defines as one where all of these are true:

If any one of those is not true, the crash is not minor. NHTSA also says to always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Expiration dates

FMVSS 213 requires the month and year of manufacture on the label but does not set an expiration date. NHTSA's used seat checklist says you need the date of manufacture to find out whether a seat is too old. How long a seat can be used is up to its manufacturer, so check the seat's labels and its instruction manual, which the standard requires the seat to have a place to store.

Buying or borrowing a used seat

In a 2005 interpretation letter, NHTSA's Chief Counsel said federal law does not apply to the resale of used child restraints, and that states may regulate it. NHTSA's used car seat checklist asks you to confirm that:

  1. the seat has never been in a moderate to severe crash;
  2. it has labels showing the date of manufacture and model number;
  3. it has no recalls;
  4. it has all its parts; and
  5. it has its instruction book.

NHTSA adds that missing parts and the manual can sometimes be ordered from the manufacturer. Once the seat is yours, register it in your own name so a future recall notice comes to you.

Vehicle recalls are a separate check

For the car itself, run the VIN through NHTSA or use our recall lookup to see campaigns by year, make and model. Our guide to recall history by VIN explains what that search covers and what it leaves out.

Quick answers

Can I check a car seat for recalls with my car's VIN?

No. A VIN identifies a vehicle, and car seats are recalled separately as equipment. Use the brand, model name or number and date of manufacture printed on the seat's label, and check with the manufacturer or search NHTSA's recalls page for car seats.

How do I register a car seat?

Mail the postage-paid card that came attached to the seat, or register on the manufacturer's website. The manufacturer keeps your name and address so it can reach you in a recall. If you can't register with the manufacturer, NHTSA asks you to contact it at NHTSA.ODI.ced@dot.gov.

Do I need to replace a car seat after a crash?

NHTSA recommends replacing a car seat after a moderate or severe crash. After a minor crash, as NHTSA defines it, the seat does not automatically need to be replaced. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Does RunThatVIN show car seat recalls?

No. RunThatVIN lists vehicle recalls by year, make and model. For a car seat, search NHTSA's recalls page using the car seat option, or contact the seat's manufacturer.

Sources

How vehicle recalls work →