Millions of cars on the road have open safety recalls that were never fixed. Many of their owners don’t know it, especially people who bought their cars used. A new federal grant program aims to change that by alerting drivers when they register their vehicles. Here’s what it means for you, and how to check your car today.

What happened

On November 5, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced up to $1.5 million for states that notify vehicle owners about open safety recalls at the time of registration or renewal. NHTSA expects to make awards of about $300,000 to $500,000 each.

Under the State Process for Informing Consumers of Recalls program, a state that receives a grant must:

• Develop a way to identify open recalls on vehicles registered in the state
• Tell owners and lessees about those recalls when they register or renew
• Measure whether the notices lead to completed repairs, and report its methods and results to NHTSA

State agencies that register motor vehicles can apply. Applications are due February 4, 2027. The announcement does not involve any new vehicle recall.

Why it matters

When a manufacturer issues a recall, it mails notices to the owners it has on record. Those letters often miss people who bought the car used, moved or changed their name. As a result, many recalled vehicles never get the free repair.

Registration is one of the few times every driver deals with the state. A notice at that moment could reach owners who never got a letter. If the programs work, they could also support broader state requirements to notify drivers about recalls.

What this means for used-car buyers

Federal law generally bars dealers from selling new vehicles with open recalls that haven’t been fixed. There is no similar federal ban for most used car sales. A used car can be sold with an open safety recall, and you may not find out until after you buy it.

That’s why you should check before you buy and after.

What you can do

• Check your VIN now. Enter your 17-character vehicle identification number at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It’s on your registration, insurance card and the driver’s side of the dashboard.
• Check before you buy used. Run the VIN yourself before signing anything, and ask the dealer in writing whether any recall repairs are open.
• Get recall repairs done. Safety recall repairs are generally free at authorized dealers for most vehicles, even if you aren’t the original owner.
• Keep every repair order. Make sure each one lists your complaint, the date, the mileage and what was done.
• Sign up for alerts. NHTSA’s SaferCar app and manufacturer owner websites can notify you of new recalls.

When to get help

A recall by itself doesn’t make a car a lemon. But talk to an attorney if:

• The recall repair doesn’t fix the problem, or the problem keeps coming back.
• Your car has spent weeks at the dealer waiting for parts or repairs.
• A dealer told you a car had no open recalls when it did, or hid a known safety problem.
• You’ve had repeated warranty repairs for the same defect.

State lemon laws, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and dealer fraud laws may give you options, and in many cases the manufacturer or dealer may have to pay your attorney’s fees if you win. Learn more in our post on when a recall can turn into a lemon law claim.

Talk to Ginsburg Law Group

If your car has a defect the dealer can’t seem to fix, or you think a dealer misled you, Ginsburg Law Group can help. Contact us for a free review of your repair history.

This post is for general information and isn’t legal advice. Reading it doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship.