Does your car or truck have a safety recall? It’s easy to check

Itasca, IL — The National Safety Council is urging all drivers to do a quick online check to see if their vehicle has any open safety recalls.

During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, which takes place March 6-12 this year, NSC partners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to raise awareness of the importance of checking for recalls and getting any unrepaired recalls fixed immediately. 

Nearly 50 million vehicles on the road today – or roughly 1 out of 4 – have unrepaired safety recalls, NSC says. Many recalls involve defective parts that can pose life-threatening risks to everyone on the road. All recalls are repaired for free at authorized dealers, regardless of where the vehicle was purchased.

How can you find out if your vehicle(s) has an open recall? By visiting CheckToProtect.org and entering a photo of your license plate, or the license plate number and state. You can also enter your 17-digit vehicle identification number. Information entered is used only to identify open recalls.

NHTSA recommends checking for recalls every three months, as “hundreds of recalls are issued a year and some recalls are updated.”

Lonny Haschel, senior program manager with the Mobility Safety Impact Program at NSC, said, “Whether leaving for an errand or a long road trip, it is a critical part of safety to prepare your vehicle before you depart for your destination. Start by checking your vehicle for open safety recalls. It is important for the safety of all road users – both inside and outside the vehicle – and is easy to do.”