How to Check a Ford Recall and Get the Free Repair

Recall letters go to the owner on the state registration, which means a car bought from a private seller, or one whose owner moved, often has an open recall nobody has read about. The work stays free and the file stays open for years. On some older Ford and Lincoln models the open item is a Takata airbag inflator, and Ford's own advice on those is to stop driving. The check takes one number.

Read the 17-digit VIN off the vehicle

Ford's recall lookup page says the VIN appears in three places: the driver's side doorframe, the lower driver's side corner of the windshield where it is readable from outside the car, and your point of purchase documents, insurance card and registration form. Take it from the metal or the paperwork rather than memory, because one wrong character returns a different vehicle.

Run the VIN through Ford's lookup

On the same page, put the number in the field labeled VIN and press Search. If the vehicle is already attached to a Ford account, Sign In and use Check vehicles saved to your account instead. There is also a search by year and model for when you do not have the VIN in hand. Ford states that safety, compliance and emissions recalls do not expire, while customer satisfaction programs often carry expiration dates and mileage limits, so an old result is still worth acting on.

Stop driving if the result is an open Takata inflator

Ford's do-not-drive advisory of August 13, 2024 covers recalls 15S21, 17S42 and 19S01, about 374,300 inflators in the United States. Driver and passenger inflators are named on the 2004 to 2006 Ranger, 2005 to 2014 Mustang and 2005 to 2006 GT. Passenger inflators are named on the 2006 to 2012 Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ or Zephyr, the 2007 to 2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and the 2007 to 2011 Ranger. Ford's Takata FAQ tells owners of certain 2006 Rangers not to drive them until the repair is done.

Book the dealer visit and claim the tow, loaner or mobile service

Ford says an affected vehicle is repaired at no cost by a Ford dealer and that parts are now available for all affected vehicle lines, so a parts backorder is no longer a reason to wait. The advisory says customers can request mobile service, or the dealer will tow the vehicle in, and that a free interim loaner is provided where necessary. The FAQ adds that dealers are authorized to give a loaner at no charge apart from fuel and insurance, with ride-share or shuttle service where offered. Ask for the tow when you book rather than driving a vehicle under a stop-driving notice.

If the dealer will not schedule the work. Ford's customer contact line is 866-436-7332 in the United States and 800-565-3673 in Canada. Recall repairs are paid by the manufacturer, not the dealer, so a refusal is worth escalating.

If you bought the vehicle used. Notices follow the registered owner on file, so finishing the paperwork is what makes the next letter reach you. See how to transfer a car title. Re-run the VIN yourself once a year until then.

Sources. Ford Owner Support recall lookup, Ford do-not-drive advisory for open Takata recalls, Ford Takata airbag inflator recall FAQ.