Published July 26, 2025
What Happens If You Ignore a Vehicle Recall?
Millions of Americans drive vehicles with open recalls every day. While there is no law requiring you to get a recall repaired, ignoring a recall can put you and your passengers at risk, affect your insurance coverage, and reduce your vehicle's resale value. Here is what can happen when you ignore a vehicle recall.
Safety Risks
The most obvious risk of ignoring a recall is the safety hazard itself. Recalls are issued because NHTSA or the manufacturer has determined that a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Depending on the defect, driving with an unrepaired recall could mean your airbags might not deploy in a crash, your brakes could fail, your vehicle could catch fire, or your steering could lock up while driving.
The severity varies widely by recall. A recall for a labeling error is not the same as a recall for a fuel system defect that can cause fires. Check the specific recall notice to understand the risk level, and prioritize repairs for defects involving brakes, steering, airbags, or fire risk.
Insurance Implications
While your auto insurance does not explicitly exclude coverage for accidents caused by recalled defects, having an unrepaired recall can complicate your claim. If an accident is caused by a known defect that you were notified about and failed to repair for free, the insurance company or opposing counsel in a lawsuit could argue that you were negligent.
This is particularly relevant for high-severity recalls involving brakes, steering, or airbags. If an airbag fails to deploy in a crash because of an unrepaired recall, proving that you were not at fault becomes more complex. The financial risk of a lawsuit or reduced insurance payout far exceeds the inconvenience of scheduling a free repair.
Resale Value Impact
Open recalls directly affect your vehicle's resale value. Franchise dealerships cannot sell a vehicle (new or certified pre-owned) with an open recall — they must complete the repair first. When you trade in a vehicle with an open recall, the dealer will factor the repair time and logistics into the trade-in offer, even though the recall repair itself is free.
Private buyers who are informed about recalls may also negotiate lower prices for vehicles with open recalls, or walk away entirely. Running a recall check is now a standard part of the used car buying process.
The Recall Completion Problem
Despite free repairs and safety risks, Recall completion rates remain stubbornly below 100%. NHTSA estimates that approximately 75% of recalled vehicles eventually get repaired. The remaining 25% represent tens of millions of vehicles on American roads with known safety defects.
The most common reasons owners skip recall repairs include not receiving the recall notification (especially for second and third owners), inconvenience of scheduling dealer visits, long wait times for parts, and general unawareness of the recall.
How to Stay on Top of Recalls
The easiest way to avoid driving with an open recall is to check regularly. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls at least twice a year, and register for automatic notifications at SaferCar.gov. Learn more in our complete recall checking guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not illegal for an individual to drive a car with an open recall. However, dealerships are prohibited from selling new vehicles with unrepaired recalls. Some states have proposed legislation to extend this to used car sales, but no federal law currently prevents driving a recalled vehicle.
Your insurance will typically cover the accident, but if the crash was caused by a known recalled defect that you failed to repair, your insurer could potentially argue contributory negligence in some jurisdictions. Having an unrepaired recall can complicate insurance claims.
Yes. Dealers will typically deduct the cost of the recall repair from your trade-in value, even though the recall repair is free. Additionally, franchise dealers cannot resell a vehicle with an open recall until it is repaired, which may reduce their willingness to accept the trade-in.
According to NHTSA data, approximately 25% of recalled vehicles are never repaired. For older vehicles and less severe recalls, the unrepaired rate can be even higher. Some vehicles are scrapped before the recall is completed, while many owners simply never respond to recall notices.