Ford Recalls
Check open Ford recalls by VIN. CheckMyVIN queries NHTSA's live recall API on every lookup — no stale snapshots, no signup.
How Ford recall lookups work
When you enter a Ford VIN, CheckMyVIN first decodes the vehicle (make, model, model year) against NHTSA VPIC. Those three fields are then sent to the NHTSA recallsByVehicle API, which returns every open campaign on file. Each result shows the official NHTSA campaign number (format: two-digit year, "V" for vehicle, six-digit sequence — e.g. 19V472000), the affected component, a paraphrased plain-English summary, and the dealer remedy. Ford dealers perform recall work at no charge regardless of who currently owns the vehicle.
Why check Ford recalls before buying used?
A used-car dealer is not required to complete open recalls before sale in most US states. Run the VIN before the test drive — if a recall is open, you can either ask the dealer to complete it before delivery, negotiate the price, or schedule the free fix at a Ford authorized dealer after purchase.
Notable past Ford recall campaigns
A few well-documented campaigns to show the kind of data CheckMyVIN surfaces per VIN. Click any campaign number for the full record on nhtsa.gov. Summaries below paraphrase the official NHTSA records — verify against the source for the authoritative wording.
NHTSA campaign 19V075000
Power train: automatic transmission control module
2011-2013 Ford F-150 with the 6-speed automatic transmission
The transmission control module can intermittently signal an unintended downshift to first gear, which at highway speeds can cause loss of vehicle control or a rear-wheel lock-up. Ford dealers reprogram the powertrain control module at no charge.
NHTSA campaign 16V345000
Service brakes, hydraulic: brake fluid leak
2013-2014 Ford F-150 built August 2013 through August 2014 with 3.5L EcoBoost engine
The master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, reducing front-brake function and increasing stopping distance — particularly noticeable in a hard stop. Ford dealers replace the master cylinder and, where contaminated, the brake booster at no charge.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, via api.nhtsa.gov/recalls. Campaign numbers and components are verbatim from NHTSA; summaries are paraphrased.
What CheckMyVIN does not do
Some recalls are VIN-specific within a model year — only certain build dates or option packages are affected. NHTSA's public API returns the campaign for the year/make/model; for the final "is my exact VIN affected" answer, Ford also publishes a VIN-specific lookup on their owners site, and you can search any campaign number on the NHTSA recall portal. CheckMyVIN cites every campaign by its official number so you can verify independently.
Want the full spec decode for this Ford — engine code, assembly plant, model year, body class — alongside its recall history? Run it through the Ford VIN Decoder; the report covers both the NHTSA specifications and every open recall in a single sticker.
Researching before you have a VIN in hand? Browse the full Ford recall archive by model year — every NHTSA campaign since 1990, organized by year and model.