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March 4, 2024 - While setting your clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission reminds everyone to “spring forward for safety” by checking for critical vehicle safety recalls.
Vehicle recalls are issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal agency issues recalls when vehicles are found to have safety defects. NHTSA directs car manufacturer dealerships to fix the defects at no cost to the vehicle owners.
Vehicle Safety Recalls Week is March 4-10, which coincides with the beginning of Daylight Saving Time on March 10. LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman urges all vehicle owners to take advantage of the national recall program to ensure their vehicles’ safety.
“If you received a notice in the mail that your vehicle is under recall and you thought, ‘I’ll deal with it later,’ now is the time to deal with it,” Freeman said. “Some of these recalls are easy and involve relatively minor fixes, but some are very serious and pose significant safety hazards.”
In 2023, NHTSA announced a “park outside” recall of 3.3 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles because they posed a fire risk and should not be parked near homes. Tens of millions of vehicles have been recalled in recent years because of faulty airbags that could send metal shards into a vehicle’s interior in a crash.
Since 2002, NHTSA has issued more than 15,000 recalls, affecting more than 550 million vehicles. If you’re unsure of your vehicle’s recall status, there are several online lookups that can give you an answer immediately.
NHTSA has two free, easy ways to check your vehicle for any government-issued safety recalls. You’ll need either your license plate number or unique Vehicle Identification Number, a 17-digit number stamped on the dashboard on the driver’s side. The VIN is also on your car registration and insurance card:
Vehicle owners also can sign up for NHTSA Recall Alerts by email for future vehicle recalls.
Additionally, the National Safety Council features a program called Check to Protect. Drivers can visit their website, checktoprotect.org, and look up their vehicle’s status using a license plate number or VIN.
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