What To Do if You Think Your Car Is Under a Recall: 2023

Screenshot: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Image: Lalita Chemello

Last year, we coined 2022 as the “Year of Automotive Recalls” with NHTSA recording over 1,000 recalls from automakers over the calendar year, affecting millions of vehicles across the country. Even the most reliable and safe car companies issued recalls.

Chances are, some of you may be affected. Now that EVs are becoming common, NHTSA has even added more urgent notices to its site to address a series of battery-related fires in 2021. If you suspect your car — whether EV or ICE — is under an open recall, there is an easy way to check, and you can do it all from your phone!

This is the 21st Century, so you don’t have to rely on physical mail like some 20th Century yutz — you can use NHTSA’s SaferCar app — now in its third year.

The easy-to-use VIN tool is free to use and works similarly like the tool on the NHTSA website, where you type in your VIN and get immediate results detailing any pending notices or safety recalls.

The app makes it even easier to check than the website, with a dedicated interface where you can put in your vehicle’s year, model and make for general information. From there, you can punch in your VIN, or use the SaferCar app feature that turns your phone camera into a scanner. Scan your car’s VIN barcode (found in your door jamb) and get the most up-to-date info on any recalls your specific vehicle has.

Screenshot: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

All of our previous advice applies. Don’t panic! Bring your car to your nearest dealer. You may have to schedule a service visit at a dealership, which sucks, but recalls are for your safety. These recalls can be a little mundane, but it’s best to act in a timely fashion. And remember that any service mandated by the recall is free! You don’t have to pay a dime, unless for any reason the recall period has expired.

Screenshot: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Sure, the trip to the dealer means someone might pester you about a trade-in, but let them know you’re there because the company has to fix their own snafu, so thanks, but no thanks.

Since mail notices are still in use, you’ll get a letter delivered at some point if your car is indeed under an active recall. But if you want to be ahead of the curve, I recommend downloading the app and inputting your car’s info.

Screenshot: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

There are two caveats. The first is the concern about your privacy. Only you can judge whether it’s worth inputting your data into the SaferCar app. The second is that the app will refresh in the background and keep up to date only if left open on your smartphone.

If you swipe the app away or kill it in the background, this might delay any recall notifications. Developers with NHTSA say you can get around that by opening the app every once in a while and letting run. If leaving the app open in the background doesn’t sit well with you, however, you can always sign up for email alerts through NHTSA.

Between the SaferCar app, the website, automated e-mail alerts and even snail mail, drivers can stay up to date on potential issues without too much effort.

Illustration: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration