How Can You Find Out if Your Car was Recalled by its Manufacturer? Cars change hands frequently. Short-term leases and massive car-buying incentives lure prospective customers to new car lots, and customers trade-in vehicles they have not had for very long. Dealerships sell the trade-in on their lots or auction them off to other dealerships. […]
Cars change hands frequently. Short-term leases and massive car-buying incentives lure prospective customers to new car lots, and customers trade-in vehicles they have not had for very long. Dealerships sell the trade-in on their lots or auction them off to other dealerships. In the meantime, cars that are only two or three years from the initial purchase or lease date in excellent condition are sold to another customer. That customer might never know how to find out if his or her vehicle is the subject of a safety recall.
Automakers only notify the initial purchaser or lessee about the recall. They do not follow the chain of title to determine who owns the car when the company announces a recall. Fortunately, there are a few resources a vehicle owner can use to inquire if the car he or she is driving is part of the recall, such as SafeCar.gov.
The easiest method of accessing recall information about your car is navigating to the National Highway Traffic Safety’s recall website and entering your car’s VIN into the database. Your vehicle’s VIN is 17 numbers long and may be found in many locations on your car. The most convenient place to find the VIN is on the dashboard in front of the driver when looking at the windshield.
Most states obligate vehicle owners to update their vehicle registrations. Doing so can help vehicle manufacturers reach you if there is a recall. Failing to register a vehicle within your state could subject you to criminal or civil penalties.
The U.S. Department of Transportation hosts an extremely useful website known as Safercar.gov. This site contains a significant amount of valuable vehicle safety information, including recall information. You have the choice of registering your vehicle with Safercar.gov so that you can receive email notifications in the event of a manufacturer recall. Similarly, the private company CarFax has a portal that you can use to stay up to date on recall news pertaining to your vehicle in addition to other valuable information.
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