(NAPSI)—When school years come to a close, many families hit the road for vacations, camps, and college visits. This makes summer an excellent time for drivers to do a routine check to make sure their vehicle is safe—checking the tire pressure, lights, and fluid levels; confirming that there are safety supplies in the trunk; and making that scheduled visit to a dealer or mechanic to change the oil or replace the wiper blades.Ìý
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One important step drivers often forget is checking for vehicle safety recalls. Unlike other vehicle maintenance, repairing a safety recall is completely free at any authorized dealer.Ìý
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The Problem
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A recent public opinion survey commissioned by Stellantis, maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, found that 43% of American drivers don’t know how to check if a vehicle has an open safety recall.Ìý
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An Answer
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Drivers can check for recalls by visiting CheckToProtect.org and entering a license plate number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into the search tool. Within seconds, the site will indicate the vehicle’s recall status. If a vehicle does have an open safety recall, drivers can use the site to find their closest dealership to schedule a free recall repair appointment.
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The same public opinion survey also found that around 22% of drivers believe that a dealership would request personal information that they don’t have or don’t want to provide.Ìý
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More Good News
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When customers bring a vehicle in for a recall repair, they only need to provide enough personal information for the dealer to contact them when the repair is complete. Recall repairs can take as little as one hour, and customers can ask dealers about rideshare vouchers, loaner cars, and other transportation services they may offer.Ìý
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Drivers of older, used vehicles or those who have moved recently may not receive recall notifications from the dealership. For this reason, many drivers could be unaware of open safety recalls on their vehicle. In 2024, CARFAX estimated that more than 57.7 million vehicles in the United States had an open safety recall—roughly one in five vehicles on the road.
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Be Safe, Not Surprised
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Drivers may also assume that if their vehicle drives normally that it’s safe. The public opinion survey commissioned by Stellantis shows that around 40% of American drivers believe that a recall is fine as long as it doesn’t affect the performance of a vehicle. However, the reality is that some recalls don’t impact the way a vehicle drives. Recalls can affect a variety of components including electrical systems, fluid lines, airbags, and batteries, so certain recalls may not be noticeable to drivers until defective parts fail or malfunction. Unrepaired vehicle recalls can pose significant risks to the safety of drivers and passengers.Ìý
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Don’t let vehicle trouble spoil fun travel plans. Checking for and repairing recalls ahead of road trips is the route to peace of mind on the roads this summer.Ìý
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Ìý"Checking for and repairing open vehicle safety recalls is a simple way to make the roads safer for everyone this summer."
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