How To Know If Your Car Is Recalled — And What To Do About It
Millions of vehicles are recalled every year, but their drivers may not always know it.


Car recalls happen more often than you might expect. Some 27 million cars were recalled in 2024, according to BizzyCar, and 2025 is already kicking off with recalls to know about.
Whether it's a faulty airbag, a software bug or a mechanic flaw, recalls don’t happen until thousands of cars are already on the road, and one of them might be yours. If your car is part of a recall, the fix is usually easily manageable, but you have to know it's happening first.
Manufacturers are required to mail out notices to drivers whose cars have been affected, but that can happen weeks after the recall takes place. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall on Ford vehicles on December 20, 2024, but letters don't start going out to owners until January 13, 2025.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
That’s why it’s a good idea to periodically check to make sure your car is not part of a current recall.
Why do car recalls happen?
Car recalls have been on the rise recently. Data from the NHTSA show recalls going up particularly within the last decade. Part of the reason for all the recalls may be because car manufacturers have to use complex electronic parts in vehicles, which makes cars more likely to malfunction, ABC News reported.
Some recalls are for safety issues, like a recall of Kias for rollaway risk or of BMWs for fire risk. Others reasons for recalls sound slightly less alarming. Among the largest recalls last year was of Teslas, which were recalled over the font size on their instrument panels.
Who recalls cars?
Car recalls often come from two places. The automakers themselves will sometimes voluntarily issue recalls on their vehicles if they notice a defect.
Otherwise, the NHTSA, a government organization, will announce vehicle recalls if they believe a car doesn’t meet minimum safety standards.
How to know if your car is recalled
NHTSA has its own vehicle recall website that lists any announcements regarding car defects. To use it, you simply need to plug in your vehicle identification number (VIN). If you’re not sure where that number is on your car, you can plug in your license plate number or your vehicle’s make and model.
NHTSA also runs the SaferCar app, a mobile platform that automatically alerts you to any car recalls. Once you download the app on your phone, you can add different cars to your “garage,” and the app will keep tabs on recall efforts for those models.
Kelley Blue Book also has a recall portal that will require either a VIN, license plate number, or make and model.
Check these websites regularly. Sometimes, if a vehicle recall is recent, not all VINs will show up under the recall announcement. VINs are added regularly to the report, so you may still be entitled to get your vehicle fixed.
Car manufacturers will often have their own recall portals as well. If you know your car’s manufacturer, you can do a search for their recall websites and enter your VIN.
Car manufacturers will also send out notices in the mail to affected drivers. That letter will detail what defect is spurring the recall, a short-term solution for drivers (like “do not drive” or “engage the emergency brake”), and a detailed timeline of how the manufacturer will fix the problem.
What to do if your car gets recalled
If you find out your car is getting recalled through a notice in the mail, it will likely have instructions on how to proceed.
Usually, the automaker will instruct drivers to contact a nearby dealership that will make the necessary repairs to the car. Dealerships are required by law to make repairs in a timely manner, but the availability of parts, especially as manufacturing is bottlenecked, may slow down the process.
When a recall is issued, the automaker is required to fix the driver’s vehicle for free or reimburse the driver for any repairs they had to take on themselves. Even if you are the second or third owner of your car, you can get the defective part or mechanism fixed for free.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Keerthi Vedantam is a reporter covering finance, tech and science. She previously covered biotech and health at Crunchbase News and enterprise technology at Business Insider.
-
Ten Cheapest Places to Live in Texas
Property Tax Looking for a cheap place to live in Texas? Look no further. These counties have the lowest property tax bills in the Lone Star State.
-
AI Is Missing the Wisdom of Older Adults: What It Means for You
AI will increasingly affect your healthcare and finances, but young workers are primarily designing the systems and getting most of the jobs.
-
The Three C's to Financial Success: A Financial Planner's Guide to Build Wealth
Consistency, commitment and confidence in your chosen strategy are more critical to your financial success than finding the 'perfect' financial plan.
-
Baby Boomers vs Gen X: Who Spends More?
Baby Boomers and Gen X are guilty of spending a lot of money. Here's a look at where their money goes.
-
A Financial Expert's Tips for Lending Money to Family and Friends
What starts as a lifeline can turn into a minefield if the borrower ghosts the lender. Following these three steps can help you avoid family feuds over funds.
-
The 401(k) Mistake That Could Cost You Millions in Retirement Savings
Thinking about reducing your 401(K) contributions in the current market? Here are six reasons why you may want to reconsider.
-
I'm an Insurance Expert: Yes, You Need Life Insurance Even if the Kids Are Grown and the House Is Paid Off
Life insurance isn't about you. It's about providing for loved ones and covering expenses after you're gone. Here are five key reasons to have it.
-
7 Rules Frequent Flyers Swear By
From dodging long lines to avoiding bad coffee, these clever travel rules can help you save time, stay healthy and reduce stress every time you fly.
-
My Professional Advice: When It Comes to Money, You Do You
This is how embracing the 'letting others be' and 'learning to surrender' mindsets can improve your relationship with money.
-
Five Smart Moves for Retirement Healthcare: From HSAs to Medigap Policies
Unchecked health care costs in retirement could blow a hole in your savings. Here’s how to avoid that.