Reference
Getting a recall repaired
The repair is free and the process is short, but there are edge cases: parts that are not ready, repairs you already paid for, cars bought used and dealers who say no.
1. Check the VIN with NHTSA
Start at nhtsa.gov/recalls and search by VIN or license plate. This is the one lookup that answers the question for a single vehicle: it lists unrepaired recalls on that car, or shows “0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN.” If you do not have the VIN to hand, where to find the VIN covers the usual places.
Read a clean result for what it is. NHTSA says its VIN search will not show:
- a recall that has already been repaired;
- some recently announced recalls for which not all VINs have been identified yet, which is why NHTSA says to check regularly;
- recalls more than 15 years old, unless the manufacturer offers more coverage;
- recalls by small manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury and specialty brands;
- customer service or other non-safety campaigns;
- recalls on vehicles built for other markets.
Our own recall lookup, and the list you get when you decode a VIN here, are by year, make and model. They are useful for seeing what has been recalled on that model and for reading the details of each campaign. They cannot tell you whether your car has had the work done.
2. Call a dealer for that brand
Recall work is done through the manufacturer's franchised dealers, and the law requires the manufacturer to pay a dealer fair reimbursement for providing the free remedy. When you call, give the VIN and the campaign number from NHTSA's result or your letter, and ask three things: whether the parts are in stock, how long the job takes, and whether you need an appointment. The recall letter itself has to give an estimate of the time the repair takes.
If you got a letter, follow any interim advice in it while you wait. NHTSA's general advice to owners is to follow any interim safety guidance the manufacturer provides. A few recalls carry a do-not-drive warning; in the Takata air bag cases NHTSA has publicized, manufacturers offered free towing or mobile repair, so ask.
3. It should cost you nothing
Under 49 U.S.C. 30120 the manufacturer must remedy a safety recall “without charge when the vehicle or equipment is presented for remedy.” It chooses how: repair, replacement, or a refund of the purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation. You do not get to pick, and a dealer quoting you for recall work has misunderstood something.
The limits are narrow. The free-remedy rule does not cover a vehicle that the first purchaser bought more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice, or a tire bought more than 5 years before. Tires must also be presented within 180 days of the notification. The age is measured when the recall is issued, so an old car with an old open recall is still covered.
A free remedy does not mean a free loaner. In its Takata guidance NHTSA notes that dealers are not required to provide loaner cars, though you can ask; some manufacturers do offer them for particular campaigns.
4. If the parts are not ready yet
Recalls are often announced before the fix exists. In that case NHTSA requires the manufacturer to send an interim notice, which describes steps that may reduce the risk in the meantime, and Part 577 requires a second notice once the remedy is available. You do not need to keep calling; you do need to read the second letter when it comes.
Once a fix is available and you present the car, the law sets an outer limit. If a repair is not done adequately within a reasonable time, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle or refund it instead, and a failure to repair within 60 days of the car being presented is treated as prima facie evidence of an unreasonable delay. NHTSA can extend that period by order. This is the statutory rule, not a prediction of how any particular dispute will go.
5. If you already paid for the repair
Manufacturers have to reimburse owners who paid to fix the problem before the recall was announced. Each recall has a reimbursement plan under 49 CFR 573.13, and the owner letter must say that you may be eligible and how to get the details.
| Point | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Window opens | For a defect, generally one year before the manufacturer notified NHTSA, or earlier if NHTSA had opened an engineering analysis; for a noncompliance, the first test or observation suggesting one. |
| Window closes | For vehicles, 10 calendar days after the manufacturer mails the last owner letters. |
| Paperwork | At most your name and address, the recall number, and a receipt (an original or a copy), plus proof of ownership in some equipment cases. |
| Amount | No less than the lesser of what you paid and the cost of parts plus labor at local rates, with fees and taxes. Parts may be capped at the manufacturer's list price. |
The plan may exclude costs incurred while the car was under its original or extended warranty, under conditions the rule sets. In short: keep receipts for any repair that sounds like a known problem, and claim promptly if a recall follows.
6. If you bought the car used
Owner letters are mailed first-class to whoever is registered as the owner under state law when they go out. If you bought the car afterward, the letter went to the previous owner. The remedy is still yours: the statute ties it to the vehicle being presented, not to the person who got the letter. Check the VIN with NHTSA when you buy, and keep your registration address current so later letters reach you.
7. Sign up for alerts
NHTSA offers general recall alerts by email and a free SaferCar app that notifies you when a recall is announced for a vehicle or equipment you have entered. For tires and car seats, return the manufacturer's registration card or register online; those registration lists are how equipment manufacturers find owners.
8. If a dealer refuses or stalls
- Contact the manufacturer. NHTSA's advice for problems getting a recall remedy is to notify the manufacturer immediately, through its customer service department rather than the dealer. Have the VIN, the campaign number and the dealer's name ready.
- Complain to NHTSA. The owner letter is required to tell you that you may complain to NHTSA if the remedy is not provided free or within a reasonable time, which for a repair is not longer than 60 days. File online at NHTSA's Report a Safety Problem page or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. NHTSA's own FAQ confirms that a dealer telling you a recall repair is not covered is something you can complain about.
Dealers and rental companies
Federal law restricts who may hand over a recalled vehicle before it is fixed.
- New-car dealers. Under 49 U.S.C. 30120(i), a dealer who receives recall notice about a new vehicle in its possession may sell or lease it only after the defect is remedied. The provision is written for new vehicles; it does not by its terms cover used-car sales, which is one more reason to run the VIN before buying used.
- Rental companies. Since the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015, part of the FAST Act signed on 4 December 2015, the same rule covers rental vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less in fleets of 35 or more. The company must stop renting a recalled vehicle as soon as practicable and within 24 hours of receiving the notice, or 48 hours if more than 5,000 of its vehicles are affected. If the fix is not yet available and the notice specifies a temporary change that removes the risk, it may rent the car after making that change, but not sell or lease it. Larger rental trucks are not covered.
Quick answers
Do I have to pay for a recall repair?
No. Under 49 U.S.C. 30120 the manufacturer must remedy a safety recall without charge when the vehicle is presented, by repair, replacement or a refund less a reasonable allowance for depreciation, at its choice. The free-remedy rule does not cover a vehicle the first purchaser bought more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice, or a tire bought more than 5 years before.
Can I get reimbursed if I paid for a repair before the recall?
Yes, within limits. Manufacturers have to reimburse owners who paid to fix the problem before the recall was announced, under the reimbursement plan each recall has under 49 CFR 573.13, which sets a time window. The plan may exclude costs incurred while the car was under its original or extended warranty, under conditions the rule sets, and the owner letter must say how to get the details.
Is a recall repair still free if I bought the car used?
Yes. The statute ties the remedy to the vehicle being presented, not to the person who got the recall letter, so it is still yours if the letter went to the previous owner. Check the VIN with NHTSA when you buy.
What if a dealer refuses to do a recall repair?
Contact the manufacturer through its customer service department, not the dealer, with the VIN, the campaign number and the dealer's name. If the remedy is not provided free or within a reasonable time, you can complain to NHTSA online or through its Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
Sources
- NHTSA, Check for Recalls
- NHTSA, Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls (DOT HS 808 795)
- NHTSA, Resources Related to Investigations and Recalls
- NHTSA, Takata Recall Spotlight
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 and 49 U.S.C. 30102 (definitions)
- 49 CFR 573.13, Reimbursement and 577.11, Reimbursement notification
- 49 CFR 577.5 and 577.7, owner notification
- NHTSA, Report a Safety Problem
- NHTSA, report to Congress on rental truck safety recalls (October 2017)