ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is urging New Yorkers to go to the DMV website and check for recalls affecting their vehicles during Vehicle Safety Recalls Week. One in five registered vehicles in New York State has an open, unfixed recall, including tens of thousands of vehicles equipped with potentially deadly Takata airbags that vehicle owners are urged not to drive.

Takata airbags are responsible for 28 deaths within the United States, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and vehicle manufacturers have issued "Do Not Drive" warnings for the impacted vehicles. The Takata airbag recall is the largest single recall in U.S. history, impacting roughly 42 million vehicles. The affected airbags can explode, sending sharp metal fragments flying at 200 miles per hour.

“No vehicle safety recall should be overlooked; getting the repairs made can be extremely important for your safety, especially if they involve airbags, defective steering systems or faulty brakes,” said Mark J.F. Schroeder, DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. “We want you to be safe. That’s why our website makes it easy to find the national safety recall lookup tool so you can check if your vehicle has a recall and find out how to get it fixed for free.”

In 2023 alone there were roughly 1,000 safety recalls affecting more than 34 million vehicles and other automotive equipment in the United States, according to NHTSA.

The DMV website links to an online tool to identify open recalls and instantly get information on how to fix or replace the part(s) free of charge. You will need your license plate number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to use the search tool. Your 17-character VIN is on your car’s registration or insurance card and on the driver's side of the dashboard near the windshield or on the driver's side doorjamb.

New Yorkers are informed of recalls affecting their vehicles during their annual vehicle inspections, and they can also sign up for Recall Alerts. New York drivers should also know that they may not be able to get a vehicle inspected or subsequently registered until a high-risk safety recall repair is completed.

According to a recent CARFAX study, 2.3 million vehicles in New York State – that’s one in five – had an open, unfixed recall at the end of 2024, up 17 percent from 2022. New York ranks fourth in the nation for the highest number of vehicles that have at least two or more unfixed recalls with a total of 528,000, behind Texas (1.6 million), California (1.5 million), and Florida (901,000). New York is also the fourth most populous state.

Recalls are also issued for child car seats, tires, and vehicle-related equipment, such as bike racks. If any of these items are affected, manufacturers must repair or replace the item or offer a refund. New Yorkers can check for such product recalls on the NHTSA website.