How to Check Car Recalls by VIN in the US and Canada

To check a car for recalls by VIN in the U.S., enter the 17-character VIN at NHTSA's free lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows safety recalls from the past 15 years that have not yet been repaired on that exact vehicle. In Canada, Transport Canada's recalls database searches by make, model and year. To see whether a specific Canadian vehicle has an open recall, use the VIN lookup on the manufacturer's Canadian website. Both checks are free, and you should run them before you buy any used car.

Below: what each official tool covers, what the law says about used cars with open recalls, and what to do if a dealer won't fix one. Everything is as of October 2026. Rules change, so check the official pages before you rely on them.

Model-level recall lists vs. VIN-specific open recall status

Most confusion about recalls comes from mixing up two different kinds of information:

• Model-level recall list: every recall campaign issued for a make, model and model year. It tells you what could apply, but many campaigns cover only part of a production run. As Transport Canada's database puts it: "Not all vehicles within a specified Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) range may be involved" (Transport Canada recalls database).
• VIN-specific open recall status: whether this particular car is covered by a recall and whether the repair has been done. Only the manufacturer's VIN data can answer that, and it is what NHTSA's VIN lookup and the manufacturers' own lookups show.

A model-level list is good for research. Before you buy, you need the VIN-specific answer.

How the NHTSA VIN recall lookup works (U.S.)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) runs the free lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Most of the data comes from a federal rule. Under 49 CFR 573.15, manufacturers that produce 25,000 or more light vehicles, or 5,000 or more motorcycles, in the current or prior calendar year must:

• offer a free VIN search for recalls that have not been completed on each vehicle, with no registration required;
• cover safety recalls whose owner notification campaign started within the previous 15 calendar years;
• update the data at least once every seven calendar days;
• for recalls where no fix exists yet, state that the vehicle is covered and that the remedy is not yet available;
• send the data to NHTSA so the agency can show it on its own website.

What the NHTSA VIN lookup does not show

NHTSA's recall page lists several gaps you should know about (NHTSA):

• recalls that have already been repaired on that vehicle (the tool reports open recalls only);
• very recent recalls, where the manufacturer has not yet identified every affected VIN;
• recalls older than 15 years, unless the manufacturer chooses to provide longer coverage;
• recalls by small manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury and specialty brands;
• international vehicles, and manufacturer campaigns that are not safety recalls.

So zero unrepaired recalls is good news, not a guarantee. For a small brand or a car built for another market, confirm with the manufacturer, and rerun old checks.

Step by step: check a VIN on NHTSA

1. Get the full 17-character VIN. Look at the lower driver's side of the windshield and the driver's door jamb label, and make sure it matches the title and registration. See our guide to decoding a 17-character VIN.
2. Open nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA offers a VIN look-up tool and also a license plate look-up option (NHTSA Vehicle Safety Recalls Week). Use the VIN when you can, because it identifies the exact vehicle.
3. Enter the VIN and search. The result either reports no unrepaired recalls or lists each open recall.
4. Read each open recall. Manufacturers' VIN results must give the NHTSA recall campaign number, the date the defect was reported, a short description of the defect and its safety risk, and a description of the remedy (49 CFR 573.15). If it says the remedy is not yet available, the car is covered but parts or a fix are not ready yet.
5. Look for urgent instructions. Some recalls tell owners not to drive the vehicle or to park it outside until it is repaired. NHTSA tells owners to follow these instructions from the automaker (NHTSA consumer alert).
6. Save the result as a dated screenshot for negotiating with the seller.
7. Turn on alerts after you buy. NHTSA lets owners sign up for recall alerts by email at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Its free SaferCar app for iOS and Android sends an alert if a recall is issued for a VIN you add (NHTSA). NHTSA also urges owners to check for recalls at least twice a year.

How to check recalls in Canada

Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database

Transport Canada's recalls database covers recalls issued in Canada from 1970 to the present (Transport Canada). As of October 2026, the vehicle search form asks for make, model and a year range. It has an option to include archived recalls (those created before January 1, 2010) and does not have a VIN field. The database recommends that owners contact the manufacturer or a local dealer to confirm whether their vehicle is affected.

Transport Canada also notes that its recall database covers vehicles produced for the Canadian market and originally sold in Canada (Transport Canada import FAQ). For a car that was first sold in the U.S., NHTSA and the U.S. manufacturer site are the relevant sources.

VIN-specific status comes from the manufacturer's Canadian website

For a VIN check in Canada, Transport Canada tells owners to use the vehicle identification number to look up recalls on the manufacturer's website. It keeps a list of manufacturers with their recall lookup links.

New federal rules are making these lookups standard. The Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Recall Information), SOR/2024-274, were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on January 1, 2025. Under them:

• companies that give a notice of defect or non-compliance must publish the recall information on their website, in both official languages;
• companies designated by the Minister of Transport must provide a VIN search tool;
• information must be updated within seven days after any change, and recall information for vehicles must stay on the website for at least 15 years.

Transport Canada said the rules came into force on January 1, 2025, and that all manufacturers must comply by mid-2026 (Transport Canada news release). For Canada-specific records beyond recalls, see our guide on how to check a VIN in Canada.

Canadian legal context in brief

Recalls in Canada fall under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Amendments that received Royal Assent in 2018 gave the Minister of Transport power to order a company to recall a vehicle to correct a defect, to order it to pay for repairs so consumers don't bear the cost, and to order it to fix a new vehicle before it is sold (Transport Canada, 2018). Transport Canada's consumer guidance says the manufacturer will almost always repair a recalled vehicle free of charge. It advises used-car buyers to check for recalls before buying and to ask the seller to do the repairs before pickup (Transport Canada).

Comparison: where to check recalls

Tool	Who runs it	What you search by	VIN-specific open status?	Cost
NHTSA recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls)	U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA	VIN or license plate; also make/model/year	Yes, for open recalls from covered manufacturers within the past 15 years	Free
U.S. manufacturer recall page	The automaker	VIN	Yes (same data that feeds NHTSA for covered manufacturers)	Free
Transport Canada Recalls Database	Transport Canada	Make, model, year range	No. It lists recall campaigns, not the status of one car	Free
Manufacturer's Canadian recall page	The automaker (Canadian site)	VIN	Yes, for vehicles in that manufacturer's Canadian records	Free
VIN Data Hub report	VIN Data Hub (private)	VIN	No. It lists NHTSA campaigns for the make, model and model year	Paid report; free preview

Is it legal to sell a used car with an open recall?

United States

For new vehicles, federal law bars a dealer that has been notified of a recall from selling or leasing a new vehicle in its possession until the defect is fixed (49 U.S.C. 30120(i)). That provision refers to new vehicles. The Federal Trade Commission stated the gap plainly in its 2016 statement on auto recall advertising cases. Federal law "does not prohibit auto dealers from selling used cars with open recalls" (FTC statement, December 2016).

The FTC's orders in those cases required certain dealers that advertise inspections to clearly disclose possible open recalls. State laws can add protections, so check with your state attorney general.

The FTC Buyers Guide that dealers must display on used cars tells shoppers to "check for open safety recalls" and points them to safercar.gov, using the VIN (FTC Used Cars; FTC Dealer's Guide to the Used Car Rule). In practice, the check is your job, and the Buyers Guide is a dealer requirement, so private sales come without one.

Canada

The 2018 power to order a fix before sale refers to new vehicles, and we found no federal rule requiring used-car sellers to repair recalls first. Transport Canada's advice is to check and ask the seller to do the repairs. Provincial dealer rules vary; ask your provincial regulator.

Is the recall repair free?

In the U.S., the manufacturer must provide the recall remedy without charge (49 U.S.C. 30120). The law sets limits:

• The free-remedy requirement does not apply if the vehicle was bought by its first purchaser more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice or order (30120(g)).
• For tires, the limit is 5 calendar years from the first purchase.
• A defective tire must be presented for remedy within 180 days after the later of the notice date or the date replacement tires become available (30120(b)).

Manufacturers may still repair older vehicles voluntarily, so ask an authorized dealer. In Canada, see the free-repair guidance and ministerial powers above.

What to do if a dealer refuses a recall repair

1. Document the refusal: VIN, recall number, date, dealer name.
2. Contact the manufacturer directly. NHTSA's guidance is that if a dealer refuses to perform a recall repair, the owner should notify the manufacturer immediately (NHTSA). Use the customer service number on the recall notice or the manufacturer's website.
3. Try another authorized dealer for the same brand.
4. File a complaint with NHTSA through "Report a Safety Problem" on NHTSA.gov or the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Include the dealership name and any staff involved (NHTSA).
5. In Canada, contact the manufacturer first. You can report a safety defect to Transport Canada through its defect complaint form or by phone at 1-800-333-0510 (Transport Canada).

A "remedy not yet available" status is not a refusal: there may be no parts or fix yet. Follow any interim instructions in the recall notice.

Recalls and cars imported between the U.S. and Canada

If you import a U.S. vehicle into Canada through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV), recall clearance is part of the process. Transport Canada says the importer must confirm that the vehicle has no outstanding recalls and submit proof to the RIV. It also warns that some manufacturers may not issue clearance documents for vehicles that were once declared salvage (Transport Canada import FAQ). Read the RIV recall clearance page before you buy. Our guide to VIN checks for importing a car from the USA to Canada covers the rest of the process.

Pre-purchase recall checklist

1. Confirm the VIN on the dashboard, door jamb and title all match.
2. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. For a Canadian-market car, also run it on the manufacturer's Canadian recall page.
3. For a Canadian-market car, browse the Transport Canada database by make, model and year to see the campaigns for that model.
4. Note every open recall: campaign number, risk, and whether a remedy is available.
5. Check for "do not drive" or "park outside" instructions. If there are any, don't test-drive the car until it is repaired.
6. Ask the seller to complete open recalls before delivery, or for a repair order showing they were done.
7. If not, ask a franchised dealer of that brand about parts and wait times.
8. For a U.S. car headed to Canada, confirm recall clearance is possible before you pay.
9. After purchase, register with the manufacturer as the new owner, as Transport Canada advises, and turn on NHTSA recall alerts or the SaferCar app.

Title, salvage and odometer problems need separate checks; our used-car scams guide covers them.

Where VIN Data Hub fits, and where it doesn't

A VIN Data Hub report's safety recalls section lists NHTSA recall campaigns for the make, model and model year. That is a model-level list. It does not show whether a recall is open on that specific VIN, and it does not include Transport Canada recalls, so still run the free NHTSA and manufacturer VIN lookups. The report is for the rest of the history: salvage records, auction damage, sales and listing history with mileage flags, theft records and market value (see pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Is the NHTSA recall check by VIN free?

Yes. The lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls is free, and federal rules require large manufacturers' VIN recall searches to be free and not require registration beyond entering the VIN. It shows open safety recalls from the past 15 years for covered manufacturers.

Can I check recalls by VIN on the Transport Canada website?

As of October 2026, Transport Canada's recalls database searches by make, model and year range, not by VIN. For a VIN-specific check, Transport Canada directs owners to the manufacturer's website, and new federal rules require designated manufacturers to offer a VIN lookup tool.

Are dealers required to fix recalls before selling a used car?

In the U.S., federal law requires dealers to fix recalls on new vehicles before sale, but the FTC has stated that federal law does not prohibit dealers from selling used cars with open recalls. Some states add their own rules. In Canada, Transport Canada advises buyers to check and to ask the seller to complete repairs before pickup.

Why does the NHTSA lookup show zero recalls when my model has recalls?

Either those recalls do not cover your VIN or they were already repaired, since the tool shows only open recalls. Very new recalls, recalls older than 15 years and small manufacturers may also be missing.

Is a recall repair still free on an old car?

In the U.S., the free-remedy requirement does not apply if the vehicle was first sold more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice, or 5 years for tires. Manufacturers may still offer a free repair voluntarily, so ask an authorized dealer.

Does a vehicle history report show open recalls?

It depends on the report. A VIN Data Hub report lists NHTSA recall campaigns for the make, model and model year, not the status of your specific VIN, so use the free NHTSA or manufacturer VIN lookup for that.

Related: Why check a VIN before buying a vehicle · Free VIN check vs. vehicle history report · How to check for a salvage title