Recall guides

Plain-English guides to U.S. vehicle, FDA and consumer product recalls, each linked to the rule or agency page it comes from.

• Are car recall repairs free?
  When federal law requires a free recall repair, the 15-year and 5-year tire limits in 49 U.S.C. 30120, and how to find open recalls for your vehicle.
• Can a rental company rent out a car with an open recall?
  What 49 U.S.C. 30120(i) requires of rental companies when a recall notice arrives: the 24- and 48-hour windows, the repair rule and the temporary-fix exception.
• FDA recall classes: Class I, Class II and Class III
  What FDA Class I, II and III recalls mean under 21 CFR 7.3, how a market withdrawal differs, and how to search FDA recalls by class.
• How to check if a product has been recalled
  Which U.S. agency handles which recalls (NHTSA, FDA, CPSC), where each publishes them, what a recall record tells you, and how to get recall emails.

These guides summarize public federal rules in plain English. It is not legal advice. Rules have exceptions and can change; read the linked text, and for a specific vehicle or product ask the manufacturer, dealer, pharmacist or the agency. RecallLens is published by Starry Night and is not affiliated with NHTSA, FDA, CPSC or any government agency.