Car Recall Center
What is a recall?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) oversees safety recalls of motor vehicles as well as tires, child safety seats, and other items of motor vehicle equipment. When one of these products experiences a safety-related defect or is not compliant with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), NHTSA is charged with ensuring public safety.
Although almost all recalls are undertaken voluntarily by manufacturers, they may be strongly encouraged by NHTSA as part of an ongoing safety defect investigation, or advocated for by individuals or consumer groups who can petition NHTSA to open an investigation into a particular defect. Rarely, NHTSA will order an automaker or other supplier to conduct a recall. For a weekly update of the newest recalls, follow our #RecallRoundup via Twitter or Facebook.
Does my car have a recall?
Select your vehicle and see what safety issues it has.
Latest Auto Recall News
Safety Improvement Campaigns
On March 28, 1995, Chrysler announced it would replace the rear liftgate latches on 4.5 million minivans manufactured in 1984 through 1995 to settle a NHTSA investigation. NHTSA labeled this as a Safety Improvement Campaign, much less than a safety recall because it was not subject to any of the sanctions under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act if the manufacturer did not meet the reguirements of Safety Act or the rules thereunder.
Geographic Recalls Listed by Manufacturer
AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
NHTSA Recall No. 05V-385/Acura Recall No. P92
Vehicles: 2001-02 Acura MDX made from August 2000 through December 2001.
Population: 22,861 sport utility vehicles sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and District of Columbia.
Regional/Geographic Recall Overview
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 treats all vehicles equally regardless of where they are sold or registered. There is no specific statutory provision providing for recalling vehicles in one part of the country and not another. For the first 25 years of its history enforcing the Safety Act, NHTSA required manufacturers to do national recalls. Given the mobility of society with cars traveling from one area to another, regional recalls made little sense if safety was a priority.
Buyback Recalls Overview
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 requires manufacturers to remedy vehicles with safety defects or failures to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard(s). 49 U.S.C, ยง 30120 The Act contemplates that some safety defects or standard noncompliances may be too difficult or too expensive to repair and gives the manufacturer the option of refunding the purchase price or replacing the vehicle as follows.
Wisconsin Attorney General to DOT Secretary Mineta on Regional Recalls 11-15-05
Click here to view the letter
Info on Car Safety Off-Limits to Public
BY JEFFREY McCRACKEN
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
August 18, 2004
The federal agency that oversees auto safety has decided — based largely on arguments from automakers and their Washington, D.C., lobbyists — that reams of data relating to unsafe automobiles or defective parts will not be available to the public.