How to see if your vehicle has a recall

Dara Bitler
·3 min read

Story at a glance

  • “Do Not Drive” warnings have been issued for hundreds of thousands of vehicles from multiple makers, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, and Acura, due to airbag defects that have resulted in deaths.

  • If you haven’t been notified of a recall on your car, you can doublecheck on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.

  • “Every day that passes when you don’t get a recalled airbag replaced, puts you and your family at greater risk of injury or death.”

DENVER (KDVR) – “Do Not Drive” warnings have been issued for hundreds of thousands of vehicles from multiple makers, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, and Acura, due to airbag defects that have resulted in deaths.

Earlier this month, Honda issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for select 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles over unrepaired Takata Alpha driver side air bag inflators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced.

In December, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reiterated its “Do Not Drive” warning for multiple older models, including Dodge Chargers and Challengers, after another person died as a result of a Takata airbag exploding upon deployment in a Fiat Chrysler vehicle. It was the third death attributed to a recalled Takata airbag in a Fiat Chrysler sedan in 2022 and the fifth in total involving such airbags in any car over the past year.

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“Left unrepaired, recalled Takata air bags are increasingly dangerous as the risk of an explosion rises as vehicles age,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said at the time. “Every day that passes when you don’t get a recalled airbag replaced, puts you and your family at greater risk of injury or death.”

Some states, like Colorado, have been notifying drivers who own an impacted vehicle – over 66,000 vehicles in Colorado alone, Nexstar’s KDVR reports – about the recalls.

If your state, dealership, or automaker hasn’t notified you, here’s how you can determine if your vehicle is impacted by this airbag recall and any other manufacturer recalls.

How to check your vehicle for recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that you can check to see if your vehicle has any recalls by using its website.

Once you are on the website, you can type in Vehicle Identification Number or VIN to see if it has a safety recall.

What are the little black dots on your car windows?

After you type in the VIN, it will load your vehicle on the page.

The VIN search tool will show if your vehicle is affected by a vehicle safety recall in the last 15 calendar years.

What won’t the VIN search tool show?

The NHTSA said the VIN search tool will not show the following information:

  • A vehicle with a repaired safety recall. If your vehicle has no unrepaired recalls, you will see the message: “0 Unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN”

  • Manufacturer customer service or other nonsafety recall campaigns

  • International vehicles

  • There may be a delay with very recently announced safety recalls for which not all VINs have been identified. VINs are added continuously so please check regularly.

  • Safety recalls that are more than 15 years old (except where a manufacturer offers more coverage)

  • Safety recalls conducted by small vehicle manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury brands and specialty applications

Where to find the VIN of your vehicle

The VIN is a 17-character identification that is specific to your vehicle.

The NHTSA said you can check for it on the lower left of your car’s windshield. You can also find it located on your car’s registration card. It may also be shown on your insurance card.

Nexstar’s Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.

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