Checking for vehicle recalls

The end of the year is a perfect time to check all your vehicles for any safety recalls and it’s never been easier to do. Start the new year out right, by being sure your vehicles are safe. Go online today to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s official website at www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.

In 2017, there were 813 new vehicle safety recalls affecting more than 30 million vehicles in the United States. Every vehicle recall issued by the NHTSA affects your safety. Other recalls, issued by a manufacturer, may or may not affect your safety. Yet about 25 percent of recalled vehicles are not repaired, which may put their drivers, passengers and others on the road at risk. Don’t risk your safety. Take these steps to protect yourself and your family:

Check for Recalls. Visit Nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your vehicle’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN). In seconds, you’ll know if your vehicle is subject to a safety recall. In New York state, when your vehicle is inspected (emissions inspection) annually, any open recalls will be noted.

Get It Fixed. If your vehicle is affected by a safety recall, contact your dealer to schedule a repair. Every recall is fixed for free by the manufacturer of the vehicle, at a trusted local dealership.

Get Alerted. Sign up for recall alerts. If your vehicle is included in a future safety recall, you’ll receive an e-mail letting you know.

While manufacturers mail recall notices to owners, the task of reaching current vehicle owners becomes more difficult when vehicles have changed hands, particularly if they’ve had multiple owners. That’s why it is important to take the initiative, check for yourself and sign up for recall alerts to make sure you’re informed about a recall that affects your safety.

If you think your vehicle may have a safety-related defect that isn’t part of a current recall, contact NHTSA. Contact NHTSA online or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Keep yourself, your family, and your neighbors safe by checking for vehicle safety recalls and getting any open recalls fixed for free.