Does My Nissan Have a Recall? How to Check—and What to Do If It Does

There's an easy vehicle-maintenance task that costs nothing, takes only a few minutes and plenty of drivers never do:

Check your VIN for open recalls.

This is especially important if you bought your vehicle used.

You may never have received the original recall letter. You may have moved. The vehicle may have changed owners several times.

And just because a vehicle has been on the road for years doesn't necessarily mean every recall repair has been completed.

What Is a Vehicle Recall?

A safety recall happens when a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determines that a vehicle or piece of vehicle equipment has a safety-related defect or does not comply with applicable federal safety standards.

The manufacturer then provides a remedy to affected owners.

That can involve inspecting, repairing or replacing the affected component.

Are Recall Repairs Free?

For an applicable open safety recall, the manufacturer generally provides the recall remedy at no charge to the owner through an authorized dealer, subject to the recall's terms.

That's important because some drivers ignore recall notices because they assume:

“I can't afford another car repair right now.”

A safety-recall repair isn't the same thing as ordinary maintenance.

If your Nissan has an open safety recall, contact an authorized Nissan dealer and ask about completing the recall.

How Do I Check My Nissan for Recalls?

The most accurate way is to search using your Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN.

A VIN is the unique 17-character identifier assigned to your vehicle.

Nissan maintains a VIN recall lookup that can identify open Nissan safety recalls associated with a specific vehicle.

You can also search through NHTSA.

Where Can I Find My VIN?

You don't have to go digging through the engine compartment.

Your VIN can usually be found:

• At the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side

• On the driver's-side door or doorpost label

• On your vehicle registration

• On your insurance documentation

Enter the complete VIN into the recall lookup.

Why Isn't Searching “2021 Nissan Rogue Recall” Enough?

Because a recall may apply to only certain vehicles produced during a particular period or equipped with specific components.

Two Nissan Rogues from the same model year aren't necessarily affected by exactly the same campaigns.

Your VIN identifies your actual vehicle.

That's why a VIN lookup is more useful than simply Googling the year, make and model.

I Bought My Nissan Used. Should I Check?

Absolutely.

In fact, used-car owners have an especially good reason to check.

Recall notifications generally go to the registered owner information available at the time. If a vehicle changed owners, addresses or registration information, you may not know whether an earlier recall notice was received.

Don't assume:

“The previous owner probably handled it.”

Check.

What If I Bought My Nissan Somewhere Else?

You can still contact an authorized Nissan dealership about an applicable Nissan safety recall.

You don't have to return to the dealership where the vehicle was originally purchased.

That means if you recently moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast or bought your Nissan used somewhere else, Cannon Nissan Service can still help determine whether an applicable Nissan recall needs attention.

What If My Nissan Is Out of Warranty?

A safety recall and your regular vehicle warranty are different things.

An applicable safety recall does not simply disappear because your normal new-vehicle warranty expired.

If your VIN shows an open recall, contact an authorized Nissan dealer for instructions specific to that campaign.

Is a Recall the Same as a Service Campaign?

Not always.

Manufacturers can issue different types of service actions.

A federal safety recall specifically involves a safety-related defect or noncompliance.

Other manufacturer service campaigns may address different vehicle concerns.

That's another reason your VIN is useful: it allows the dealer to look at information associated with the specific vehicle rather than relying on a generic internet search.

Can I Keep Driving If My Nissan Has a Recall?

That depends on the recall.

Some recalls allow normal driving until the repair can be scheduled.

Others may include urgent instructions.

Nissan currently has particularly serious instructions associated with certain older vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall, including DO NOT DRIVE warnings for certain model-year Sentra and Pathfinder vehicles with unrepaired affected airbags.

Never assume every recall has the same level of urgency.

Read the instructions associated with your VIN and contact the dealership if you're unsure.

What If the Recall Part Isn't Available Yet?

Occasionally a recall is announced before every replacement part or remedy is immediately available.

If that happens, the dealership can explain the current status and any instructions issued by Nissan.

The important thing is knowing the recall exists.

Will a Recall Make My Check Engine Light Come On?

Not necessarily.

A check-engine light indicates that the vehicle's diagnostic system detected a problem.

A recall is a manufacturer or federal safety action affecting identified vehicles.

Sometimes a recall-related problem may trigger a warning light. Other times it may not.

Don't wait for the dashboard to tell you whether a recall exists.

Check the VIN.

What About Recalls When Buying a Used Car?

This is a smart step before purchasing any used vehicle.

Ask:

Does this vehicle have any open safety recalls?

A recall doesn't automatically make a used vehicle a bad purchase.

But you should know whether an open campaign exists and what the remedy involves.

How Often Should I Check?

You don't need to obsessively search every week.

But it's reasonable to check:

• When you buy a used Nissan

• If you haven't checked recently

• After moving or changing addresses

• When you hear about a Nissan recall in the news

• Before a long trip if you're uncertain about recall status

Nissan's recall information is updated as new campaigns are announced.

What Should I Do If My Nissan Has an Open Recall?

Don't panic.

Write down the recall information and contact an authorized Nissan service department.

Have your VIN available.

The service team can determine what repair applies to your vehicle, whether parts are available and what you need to do next.

The most important thing is simply not ignoring it.

Checking for a recall costs you a few minutes. Ignoring an important safety recall can cost considerably more.