Used Car Safety Guides
Practical, data-backed guides to help you buy a safer used car. Every guide is grounded in real NHTSA data and designed to give you an edge before you sign anything.
How to Check If a Car Has Been Recalled
Step-by-step guide to looking up NHTSA recalls by VIN or year/make/model. Includes what to do if your car has an open recall.
Used Car Buying Safety Checklist
A 10-point checklist covering recall checks, complaint history, VIN decoding, inspections, and negotiation tips based on safety data.
Understanding NHTSA Complaints
Learn how owner complaints differ from recalls, what severity levels mean, and how AutoTruth uses complaint data in trust scores.
Most Recalled Cars in America (2008-2022)
Data-driven breakdown of which makes and models have the most recalls on record, computed from NHTSA data across 15 model years.
What Is a Safety Recall?
Everything you need to know about safety recalls: who issues them, what happens during one, your rights as a consumer, and how to check recall status.
Lemon Law Rights — What Used Car Buyers Need to Know
Understand your lemon law rights when buying a used car. Learn how federal and state laws protect you and what steps to take if you bought a lemon.
Recall vs TSB — What's the Difference?
Understand the key differences between safety recalls and technical service bulletins, who pays for repairs, and why both matter for used car buyers.
Certified Pre-Owned vs Used Cars — Safety Comparison
Compare CPO and regular used cars on safety, inspections, warranty coverage, and recall completion to make a smarter buying decision.
How Car Recalls Work for Leased Vehicles
Learn how safety recalls apply to leased cars, who handles the repair, how notification works, and your rights at lease return with open recalls.
Dealer Obligations During a Recall — Your Rights Explained
Know what dealers are required to do during a safety recall, whether they can sell recalled vehicles, and how to escalate issues through NHTSA.
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Look up any car's recall and complaint history for free.
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