How to look up your car's recalls by VIN in the NHTSA database
- Steps
- 6
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Reading
- 5 min
- Checked
- Oct 27
The short version
Go to nhtsa.gov/recalls, paste your 17-character VIN, and it shows every open safety recall on that exact car from the last 15 years. Repairs are free at any franchised dealer for the brand. For a whole model, or to automate the check, the free NHTSA API returns the same data as JSON with no key.
What you need
- Your 17-character VIN
- A web browser
- Optional: curl or Python for the API step
Part of the article Car software recalls: 32M cars sent to the dealer for a code fix. This page answers one question from it in depth.
On this page · 12 sections
TL;DR: We pulled the NHTSA API on Oct 27 2026: a 2021 Ford F-150 has 29 recalls on file and none carry the over-the-air flag; a 2019 Tesla Model 3 has 22, of which 14 are flagged over the air. Across NHTSA's flat file, 568 of 708 software recalls from 2022 to 2026 still needed a dealer or other remedy, covering 32.3 million vehicles. Five minutes with your VIN tells you whether one of them is yours.
Recall letters get lost, cars change owners, and nobody mails the third owner. The government database does not care who owns the car; it tracks the VIN. Checking takes less time than reading the letter, and our count of software recalls sent to the dealer says most fixes still need you to show up.
NHTSA recall flat file, 708 software campaigns. Tensorust count, Oct 27 2026.
Key facts
| What | Number | Source (checked Oct 27 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Software recalls 2022 to 2026 needing a dealer or other remedy | 568 of 708 | NHTSA recall data (our count) |
| Vehicles in those dealer recalls | 32.3 million | Our data.csv |
| 2021 Ford F-150 recalls on file / flagged over the air | 29 / 0 | NHTSA API |
| 2019 Tesla Model 3 recalls / flagged over the air | 22 / 14 | NHTSA API |
| How far back the VIN search goes | 15 calendar years | nhtsa.gov/recalls |
| Cost of a safety recall repair | $0 | NHTSA recalls FAQ |
Before you start
The VIN search shows open recalls only, meaning not yet repaired on your car. If it says "0 unrepaired recalls," that is the answer you want. A make/model/year search (Step 6) shows every recall ever issued for the model, which is useful when buying used.
Step 01: Find your VIN
It is 17 characters, letters and digits, never I, O or Q. Look through the windshield at the bottom of the driver's side dashboard, or on the sticker in the driver door jamb. It is also on your registration, title and insurance card.
Step 02: Run it on nhtsa.gov/recalls
Paste the VIN into the search box at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The result comes from the manufacturer's records for that exact vehicle. Motorcycles, trucks and RVs work the same way. Tires and car seats have their own search on the same page.
Step 03: Read the remedy line
Every recall has a Summary (what is wrong), a Consequence (what can happen) and a Remedy (the fix). The Remedy tells you whether it is an over-the-air update or a dealer job. In our data, a Ford owner with a software recall had about a 1 in 6 chance of getting it over the air; a Tesla owner, every time.
Step 04: Check for park-outside or do-not-drive warnings
The API carries parkIt and parkOutSide flags for the worst cases. The 2021 F-150 list includes one Park It recall. If you see either warning, follow it first and call the dealer about towing.
Step 05: Book the fix
Call any franchised dealer for the brand with the NHTSA campaign number (like 22V037000) or the maker's own recall number. You do not need to have bought the car there. For an over-the-air remedy, confirm the installed software version matches the notice.
Step 06: Automate it
The free API needs no key:
curl "https://api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle?make=ford&model=f-150&modelYear=2021"
Each result includes NHTSACampaignNumber, Summary, Remedy, parkIt, parkOutSide and overTheAirUpdate. Don't know the exact model name? Decode the VIN first with NHTSA's vPIC API (https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVinValues/<VIN>?format=json) and feed its Make, Model and ModelYear into the recall call. Run it monthly from a cron job for every car in the household, or subscribe to NHTSA email alerts.
api.nhtsa.gov recallsByVehicle, pulled by Tensorust Oct 27 2026. Counts are every recall for the model year, not open recalls on one car.
What goes wrong
- "No recalls found" on a car you know has one. The VIN search drops recalls already repaired, and very new recalls can take a few days to load. Run the make/model/year search to see the full list.
- The over-the-air flag is missing. The API's
overTheAirUpdateflag is not always set: three of the F-150's 29 recalls mention an over-the-air update in the Remedy text while the flag is false. Read the Remedy text. - Model name does not match. The API wants NHTSA's spelling ("model 3", "f-150"). Use the vPIC decode to get it exactly.
- The dealer says parts are not available. Ask for the interim notice date in writing; owners are entitled to the free remedy once parts ship.
Related
- Car software recalls: 32M cars sent to the dealer for a code fix
- Zipline is the biggest airline in the FAA registry
- FDA AI device first-timers wait 199 days
- How to search USAspending for a vendor's federal contracts
FAQ
How do I check if my car has a recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows open, unrepaired safety recalls on that exact vehicle from the last 15 calendar years. You can also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
Are recall repairs free?
Yes. Under federal law, safety recall remedies are free at a franchised dealer for the brand, regardless of where you bought the car.
Does a VIN search show recalls that were already fixed?
No. The VIN search shows open recalls only. A search by make, model and year shows every recall for that model, fixed on your car or not.
Can a recall be fixed over the air?
Yes, if the manufacturer's remedy is an over-the-air software update. In NHTSA's flat file, 140 of 708 software recalls from 2022 to 2026 were fixed over the air; the other 568 needed a dealer visit or other remedy.
Is there a free API for car recalls?
Yes. api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle takes make, model and modelYear and returns JSON with the campaign number, summary, remedy and an overTheAirUpdate flag. No key is needed.
Sources
All checked October 27, 2026.
- NHTSA, Recalls lookup: VIN search, 15-year coverage, free remedies, hotline.
- NHTSA, Datasets and APIs: recall flat file and recallsByVehicle API.
- NHTSA API pulls: 2021 Ford F-150, 2019 Tesla Model 3, 2020 Toyota Camry, 2019 Honda Civic.
- NHTSA vPIC, VIN decoder API.
- Tensorust, software recall count, 708 campaigns 2022 to 2026.
- Images: cards and charts by Tensorust.
Do this next
Every number on this page links to its source and was checked on Oct 27, 2026. Spot an error or a newer figure? Email matt@tensorust.com and it gets fixed.
Read next
- Article · Oct 27, 2026Car software recalls: 32M cars sent to the dealer for a code fix
- Article · Oct 27, 2026Zipline now has more FAA aircraft than United: 3,077 to 1,219
- Article · Oct 27, 2026FDA AI devices: first-timers wait 199 days, big makers 128
- Guide · Oct 26, 2026How to fix "MAC verification failed during PKCS12 import" (the legacy .p12 fix)
- Explainer · Oct 26, 2026What is an IPO lock-up expiration, and why do stocks drop around it?
Get the next one by email.
What my AI agents tried this week, with the real numbers: what worked, what flopped, what made money. One email when there is something worth reading.
No spam, never sold. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
.jpg){kind=link}