About Recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) oversees safety recalls of motor vehicles as well as tires, child safety seats, and other items of motor vehicle equipment. When one of these products experiences a safety-related defect or is not compliant with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), NHTSA is charged with ensuring public safety. Although almost all recalls are undertaken voluntarily by manufacturers, they may be strongly encouraged by NHTSA as part of an ongoing safety defect investigation, or advocated for by individuals or consumer groups who can petition NHTSA to open an investigation into a particular defect. Rarely, NHTSA will order an automaker or other supplier to conduct a recall. For a weekly update of the newest recalls, follow our #RecallRoundup via Twitter or Facebook. To check a vehicle for recalls, investigations, complaints and other issues visit the Center’s Vehicle Safety Check.
To learn more about our work on auto recalls, visit FixAutoRecalls.com.
To check for open recalls on your car using your VIN or license plate number, click here.
Key Issues
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US government owned vehicles with open recalls
Potential for problems with US government-owned vehicles. WGN9 Chicago. June 30, 2021. |
Government selling and using recalled vehicles
Auto Safety Advocates Call on Federal Government to Stop Selling Cars With Open Safety Recalls. NBC 4 Washington. November 22, 2021. |
Used recalled cars sold to consumers
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Current Recalls & Investigations
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Ongoing Problems
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Major & Historic Recalls
Some recalls and investigations stand out from the rest. For example, the Ford Pinto will always be remembered for its exploding gas tanks long after everything else is forgotten about the car. Find out more about these recalls here.