The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is urging drivers across the state to check their vehicles for open recalls during Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, which runs through Sunday (March 8).

According to CBS6 Albany, one out of every five cars on the road in 2024 had an open recall — including more than 2 million vehicles right here in New York. Recalls can affect nearly any part of a vehicle, including tires, child car seats, and potentially deadly airbags.

Light trucks had the highest recall rate, with 24% needing repair work. Twenty-three percent of minivans and 21% of cars also had open recalls. The numbers show just how widespread the problem is.

Among the most urgent concerns is the Takata airbag recall, which remains the largest single recall in U.S. history. The defective airbags — found in roughly 42 million vehicles nationwide — can explode and send sharp metal fragments flying at 200 miles per hour. Drivers with a "Do Not Drive" warning tied to an unresolved Takata airbag recall will not be able to get their vehicle inspected until the recall is fixed. The DMV says it has helped facilitate 7,181 of these critical repairs since 2023.

Nationally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 1,073 recalls in 2024 for vehicles, car seats, tires, RVs, and other equipment, affecting more than 29 million vehicles. Hundreds of recalls are issued every year.

Checking for recalls is simple and free. As reported by WKTV, the DMV's website links to an online tool where drivers can search for open recalls using either a license plate number or a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN can be found on a vehicle's registration or insurance card, on the driver's side of the dashboard near the windshield, or on the driver's side doorjamb.

Recalls can also apply to child car seats, tires, and vehicle-related equipment like bike racks. If those items are affected, manufacturers are required to repair or replace them — or offer a refund — at no cost to the owner.

New Yorkers should also know that open high-risk safety recalls can block a vehicle from passing its annual inspection or being re-registered until the repair is completed. Drivers can also sign up online to receive automatic recall alerts for their vehicles.

Chris Davis