Truck Recalls by Make & Model

How a truck recall works

Heavy trucks are covered by the same federal vehicle safety law as cars. When a defect is safety-related, the manufacturer has to fix it. The process below is the same for a Class 8 tractor as for any other vehicle.

1. 1

   A defect or compliance problem is found

   It can come from the manufacturer's own testing, warranty and complaint data, or an NHTSA investigation. If the problem affects safety, or the vehicle fails a federal safety standard, a recall is required.

2. 2

   The recall is filed and numbered

   The manufacturer reports it to NHTSA. NHTSA assigns a campaign number in the form 24V-123 (year, V for vehicle, then a sequence). That number is what you quote to a dealer.

3. 3

   Owners are notified

   Manufacturers notify registered owners by mail (49 CFR Part 577). Trucks change hands often and mail goes to old addresses, so do not wait for a letter: search by VIN.

4. 4

   The dealer performs the remedy

   The fix is a repair, replacement or software update done at an authorized dealer. Parts can lag behind the announcement. In that case the recall shows as remedy not yet available, and you should ask to be put on the list.

What a recall entry tells you

Each recall on the make and model pages carries the same four things. Read the consequence first. It is NHTSA's own statement of what can go wrong if the problem is left alone. It shows how urgent the repair is.

• Component: the system involved, such as brakes, steering, electrical or fuel.
• Summary: what the defect is and which vehicles it affects.
• Consequence: the safety risk if it is not fixed.
• Remedy: what the manufacturer will do about it, and whether the parts are available yet.

How to check one specific truck

A recall covers a range of build dates or VINs, not every truck of that model year. So the browse pages above show what has been issued, not whether it applies to yours. To find out for one truck:

1. Read the 17-character VIN from the cab door jamb or the registration.
2. Search it on NHTSA's recall lookup, or run it through our VIN Decoder, which checks recalls for that exact vehicle.
3. If a recall shows as unrepaired, call an authorized dealer with the VIN and the campaign number.
4. Keep the completed repair order with the truck's maintenance records.

Check before you buy a used truck, too. Open recalls stay with the vehicle when it is sold. So a used truck can arrive with a repair still open.

Recall or technical service bulletin?

A shop may tell you there is a bulletin on your problem rather than a recall. They are different things. Only one of them is a federal safety duty.