How to Check a Used Car for Open Recalls Before You Buy

How to run NHTSA’s official VIN or license-plate recall search on a used car, what that search will and will not show, and that a free dealer repair is the official remedy when a safety recall is open.

Updated November 13, 2026. Checked against NHTSA’s official recalls page on that date.

Quick answer

Get the vehicle’s 17-character VIN and run it through NHTSA’s official recall search before you buy. The VIN search is built to show whether that specific vehicle has an unrepaired safety recall. If one is open, NHTSA says the dealer repair is free. Recheck regularly, because some newly announced recalls do not yet include every VIN.

How to run the official search

On nhtsa.gov/recalls, search by VIN or license plate to learn whether a specific vehicle needs to be repaired as part of a recall. If there are no unrepaired recalls, NHTSA says you will see the message “0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN.” A year-make-model search is different: it returns general results, not a vehicle-specific unrepaired-recall finding.

NHTSA’s recalls page says every vehicle has a unique 17-character VIN. Look on the lower left of the windshield; the VIN is also on the registration card and may be shown on the insurance card. For the federal placement rule in more detail, see our guide on how to find and decode a VIN.

If a license-plate search shows a different vehicle than the one in front of you, NHTSA says the plate data come from the state DMV and may still reflect a previous owner. Use the VIN in the meantime.

What the VIN search will and will not show

NHTSA says a license-plate or VIN search will show an unrepaired recall for a vehicle from certain manufacturers. It will not show:

A safety recall that has already been repaired
Some recently announced safety recalls for which not all VINs have been identified (VINs are added continuously, so 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
Manufacturer customer service or other non-safety recall campaigns
A recall involving an international vehicle

Those limits are why a clean result is not the same thing as a vehicle-history report, and why NHTSA also tells owners to register the vehicle and check recalls twice a year.

If there is an open recall

NHTSA says a recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle. When you are notified, follow any interim safety guidance from the manufacturer and contact your local dealership to fix the recalled part for free.

If the remedy is not available yet, see our guide on what to do when a recall repair is not available yet. This page does not state that federal law requires a private seller to complete an open recall before a sale. It does say you can check, and that the official repair remains free at a dealer when a safety recall is open.

Frequently asked questions

Should I check recalls before I buy a used car?

Yes. NHTSA’s official recall search can tell you whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired safety recall when you search by that vehicle’s VIN (or, with limits, its license plate). An open safety recall is repaired free at a dealer. This guide does not claim that a private seller is required by federal law to get the repair done before a sale; it explains how to check, and what the official remedy is.

What will the VIN search not show?

NHTSA lists several gaps: a safety recall that has already been repaired; some recently announced safety recalls for which not all VINs have been identified (VINs are added continuously, so check regularly); safety recalls 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; manufacturer customer-service or other non-safety campaigns; and a recall involving an international vehicle.

Is a license-plate search as reliable as a VIN search?

Not always. NHTSA says license-plate information comes from state motor-vehicle agencies. If the result shows a vehicle you previously owned rather than the vehicle now using that plate, contact the state DMV to update the record, and in the meantime search by the vehicle’s VIN.

If the search finds an open recall, who pays for the repair?

NHTSA says manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle, and that you should contact your local dealership to fix the recalled part for free. A used-car purchase does not, on the official recalls page, convert that remedy into a paid repair.

Sources

NHTSA: Check for Recalls (VIN and plate search, what results show and omit, free dealer remedy)

MotorDeets is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer or dealer. Always confirm a specific vehicle’s open recalls on nhtsa.gov. This page is not a vehicle-history report and is not legal advice about a sale.