Guide
Overview
Most recalls in the United States come from four federal agencies, each with its own database. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers vehicles, tires, child car seats and equipment, and its lookup by vehicle identification number shows the open recalls on a specific car, which the manufacturer must fix free unless the vehicle was first sold more than 15 years before the recall notice. The Food and Drug Administration covers food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and animal food, the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service covers meat, poultry and egg products, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission covers most other consumer goods.
Recalls.gov, run by six federal agencies including the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency, links all of these recall lists in one place, so a used car, a crib or a medication can be checked from one starting point. Most recalls are voluntary, announced by the manufacturer under agency oversight, and the notice states the hazard, the remedy and how to reach the company.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Vehicle recalls by VIN
The 17 character vehicle identification number is on the dashboard at the base of the windshield, on the driver's door jamb and on the title, and entering it at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall lookup shows the unrepaired recalls on that vehicle. The lookup covers cars, light trucks and motorcycles from the major manufacturers, and a separate search by make, model and year shows recalls, investigations, complaints and technical service bulletins. The SaferCar app watches a saved vehicle and alerts the owner to new recalls.
Guide
Food, drug and device recalls
The Food and Drug Administration posts recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts daily and publishes a weekly enforcement report that classifies each recall: Class I where use could cause serious harm or death, Class II where harm is possible but unlikely, and Class III where the violation is unlikely to cause harm. Its recall database is searched by product, company and date. Meat, poultry and egg product recalls are announced separately by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the two agencies share the FoodSafety.gov recall feed.
Guide
Consumer products, boats and everything else
The Consumer Product Safety Commission posts recalls of toys, furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing and household goods, with the hazard, the number of units and the remedy, and its SaferProducts.gov database holds consumer incident reports on products that have not been recalled. The Coast Guard posts boat and marine equipment recalls, and the Environmental Protection Agency handles pesticides and vehicle emissions defects. A product bought second hand or received as a gift is checked the same way as a new one.
Straight answers
Questions about product and vehicle recalls
How do I check if my car has a recall?
Enter the 17 character vehicle identification number at the NHTSA recalls lookup. It shows the unrepaired recalls on that vehicle. The repair is free unless the vehicle was first sold more than 15 years before the recall notice.
Are recall repairs free?
Yes for a vehicle first sold within the 15 calendar years before the recall notice, and for a tire first sold within the 5 years before it (49 U.S.C. 30120(g)). For consumer products the remedy is a repair, replacement or refund stated in the recall notice.
Where do I check food and drug recalls?
The FDA posts food, drug, device and cosmetic recalls daily, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service posts meat, poultry and egg recalls, and FoodSafety.gov combines the food recalls in one feed.