When your vehicle is subject to a recall, you should have it repaired right away. Why? To ensure it is safe. After all, if you own a vehicle, you are responsible for your personal safety, the safety of anyone who drives the vehicle, your passengers, anyone who owns the car after you and other road users.
The manufacturer will almost always make these repairs free of charge.
What you need to do
- Get your recalled vehicle repaired as soon as you’re notified by the manufacturer to do so, and follow any interim instructions they provide
- Check Transport Canada’s Road Safety Recalls Database regularly for any new recalls that may apply to your personal vehicle, the vehicles in your fleet or your rental vehicles
- Inform the vehicle manufacturer of any change in your mailing address
- Register your used vehicle with the manufacturer
Learn more about how to stay informed of vehicle recalls
How to ensure you will be notified of recalls
If you own a newer vehicle, you don’t need to do anything to get recall notices. The manufacturer will use your warranty registration to find your contact information.
For older vehicles, companies rely on provincial motor vehicle registration records to find vehicle owners. To make it easier for a company to contact you, inform the manufacturer of your new address when you move. And when you buy a used vehicle, register it with the manufacturer by contacting the company or one of its authorized dealers. This way you will be notified promptly of any recall notices the manufacturer issues.
Contact a vehicle manufacturer to register your used vehicle
When you buy a used vehicle
Before you buy a used vehicle, check to see if any recalls apply to it:
- Consult the Road Safety Recalls Database
- Use the manufacturer’s vehicle identification number (VIN)-based recall lookup tool, if available: check the manufacturer’s website to find out if this option is available
To confirm whether any recalls exist for your particular vehicle, or to find out if a recall has already been repaired, you can also contact the nearest authorized dealer. Using the VIN, the dealer can tell you if the vehicle you’re about to buy has any outstanding repairs. If so, you can ask the seller to do the repairs before you pick up the vehicle.