CARFAX: Free Recall Search Service Tops 10 Billion Checks Nationwide

CARFAX (SPGI) announced its free Vehicle Recall Search Service has completed over 10 billion checks nationwide and enabled more than 30 million open-recall repairs as of March 2, 2026.

Rhea-AI Summary

CARFAX (SPGI) announced its free Vehicle Recall Search Service has completed over 10 billion checks nationwide and enabled more than 30 million open-recall repairs as of March 2, 2026. The tool has checked over half of U.S. vehicles and is used by eight state DMVs plus Puerto Rico to identify unfixed safety recalls.

States can integrate the service into registration, titling, and inspection workflows at no cost to notify owners and reduce unresolved safety issues.

Positive

• 10 billion vehicle recall checks completed
• 30 million+ open recalls repaired
• Service has checked over half of U.S. vehicles
• Ohio: 13 million VINs checked, identifying 9 million open recalls

Negative

• An estimated 1 in 5 vehicles still has an unfixed recall
• Program participation limited to 8 states + Puerto Rico, leaving coverage gaps

Argus Mar 2 session

+0.27% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – SPGI

On Mar 2, the day this news came out, SPGI closed 0.27% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 2 session.

Key Figures

Recall checks: 10 billion Repairs completed: 30 million Unfixed recall rate: one in five vehicles +4 more

Recall checks

10 billion

Total Vehicle Recall Search Service checks for unfixed safety recalls in U.S.

Repairs completed

30 million

Open recalls found through the service that were repaired

Unfixed recall rate

one in five vehicles

Share of vehicles still carrying an unfixed recall

Program launch year

2018

Launch of Vehicle Recall Search Service

Participating DMVs

8 state DMVs

States using the Vehicle Recall Search Service

Ohio VIN checks

13 million

Unique VINs checked by Ohio since 2021

Ohio open recalls

9 million

Open recalls identified in Ohio via the program

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 26

5 events

1. Feb 26

   Conference keynote

   24h Move

   +3.3%

   Energy Secretary plenary address announced for CERAWeek by S&P Global.

2. Feb 24

   Housing index data

   24h Move

   +3.3%

   Case-Shiller indices reported modest year-over-year U.S. home price gains.

3. Feb 23

   Index launch

   24h Move

   -3.0%

   Launch of S&P Lincoln Senior Debt Indices for private loan benchmarking.

4. Feb 20

   Investor conference

   24h Move

   +0.2%

   Executives scheduled to present at Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference.

5. Feb 19

   Management update

   24h Move

   +0.2%

   Appointment of Chief Strategy Officer as mobility business prepares separation.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

VINs, emissions inspections

2 terms

VINs technical

"Ohio began using the Vehicle Recall Search Service in 2021 and has since checked more than 13 million unique VINs"

Vins are the unique Vehicle Identification Numbers assigned to individual motor vehicles, like a car’s fingerprint that records its make, model, year and manufacturing details. For investors, vins matter because they let analysts and regulators track a company’s inventory, sales, warranty exposure and recall history — similar to how a serial number helps trace a product’s origin and condition, affecting future resale value and potential liabilities.

emissions inspections technical

"or as part of safety and emissions inspections, in order to notify owners"

Emissions inspections are regulatory checks that measure pollutants released by vehicles, factories, or other equipment to ensure they meet legal limits. Like a routine safety check for a car, they confirm operations aren’t producing excessive pollution; failures can lead to fines, required repairs, production slowdowns or reputational damage. Investors watch these inspections because noncompliance can hurt revenue, increase costs, trigger liability or restrict operations, affecting a company’s value.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Vehicle Recall Search Service Empowers States to Continuously Identify Open Recalls

CENTREVILLE, Va., March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, CARFAX is announcing that its free Vehicle Recall Search Service, a powerful search tool built in partnership with Alliance for Automotive Innovation, has checked vehicles in the U.S. more than 10 billion times for unfixed safety recalls. Of the open recalls found, more than 30 million were repaired.

At no cost to participating entities, states and eligible businesses and organizations can identify vehicles with open recalls, reducing the number of unfixed safety issues, and boosting road safety. Participants can check recall status during registration and titling transactions, or as part of safety and emissions inspections, in order to notify owners about open recalls.

"CARFAX data shows some critical recalls have declined in recent years and that progress is encouraging. This Vehicle Recall Search Service has now checked more than half of all vehicles on U.S. roads," said Faisal Hasan, Vice President of Data Acquisition at CARFAX. "Still, one in five vehicles still has an unfixed recall, an ongoing risk for drivers. We encourage more states to participate. There is more work to be done."

Since launching in 2018, the Vehicle Recall Search Service has supported state motor vehicle agencies, public safety departments, and inspection programs, in identifying millions of vehicles with unresolved recalls. Today, eight state DMVs participate: California, New York, Ohio, Arizona, Texas, Connecticut, Maryland and Washington, with Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, joining most recently.

Ohio began using the Vehicle Recall Search Service in 2021 and has since checked more than 13 million unique VINs, identifying over nine million open recalls. The Ohio BMV said in a statement: The Ohio BMV believes that making information easily accessible is essential. Since the inception of the Ohio Recall Program, the number of recalls remedied has steadily increased. Ohio attributes this growth to including recall information on vehicle registration renewal reminders, sent in accordance with Ohio law, as well as adding a "Check for Recalls" link to its website. 

Consumers and vehicle owners can also check for open recalls at no cost by visiting carfax.com/recall or by downloading the free CARFAX Car Care app, which provides maintenance reminders ranging from routine oil changes to potentially life-threatening recalls.

"Almost a decade ago, we set out with CARFAX to build a tool that helps identify and close open vehicle recalls — and 10 billion checks later, it's clear the partnership is working. When drivers know about recalls and get their vehicles fixed, road safety increases. Who isn't for that?" said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Alliance for Automotive Innovation. "We can get even more vehicles checked if additional organizations, including state DMVs, sign up to use this no-cost, easy-to-use vehicle recall service."

Editor's Note: An interview can be made available at any time. Please reach out to Em Nguyen at emnguyen@carfax.com. In Ohio, Ohioans can also "Go Paperless!" by signing up to receive vehicle registration renewal notifications via email and/or text message. 

About CARFAX

CARFAX, part of S&P Global Mobility, helps millions of people every day confidently shop, buy, service, and sell cars with innovative solutions powered by CARFAX® vehicle history information. The expert in vehicle history since 1984, CARFAX provides CARFAX Car Listings, CARFAX Car Care, CARFAX History-Based Value , and the flagship CARFAX Vehicle History Report to consumers and the automotive industry. CARFAX owns the world's largest vehicle history database and is nationally recognized as a top workplace by The Washington Post. Shop, Buy, Service, Sell – Show me the CARFAX®.

S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity, and automotive markets.

About Alliance for Automotive Innovation

From the manufacturers producing most vehicles sold in the U.S. to autonomous vehicle innovators to equipment suppliers, battery producers and semiconductor makers – Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents the full auto industry, a sector supporting 11 million American jobs and more than 5 percent of the economy. Active in Washington, D.C., and all 50 states, the association is committed to a cleaner, safer and smarter personal transportation future. www.autosinnovate.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carfax-free-recall-search-service-tops-10-billion-checks-nationwide-302700454.html

SOURCE CARFAX

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What does CARFAX announce about the Vehicle Recall Search Service on March 2, 2026 (SPGI)?

CARFAX says the service has completed over 10 billion checks and supported more than 30 million repairs. According to CARFAX, the tool has now checked over half of U.S. vehicles and helps states identify unfixed safety recalls at no cost.

How many open recalls has CARFAX helped repair through the recall search service (SPGI)?

CARFAX reports the service helped repair more than 30 million open recalls to date. According to CARFAX, participating states and organizations use the free tool during registration, titling, and inspections to notify owners and increase remedies.

Which states use CARFAX Vehicle Recall Search Service and what is the program's coverage (SPGI)?

Eight state DMVs plus Puerto Rico currently participate, including California, New York and Ohio. According to CARFAX, broader sign-ups are encouraged because the service has checked over half of U.S. vehicles but participation remains limited.

What results has Ohio seen using CARFAX's recall search since 2021 (SPGI)?

Ohio has checked about 13 million unique VINs and identified over 9 million open recalls. According to CARFAX, Ohio links recall info to registration reminders and website tools, which officials say increased recall remedies.

How can vehicle owners check for recalls at no cost from CARFAX (SPGI)?

Consumers can check recalls free at carfax.com/recall or via the free CARFAX Car Care app. According to CARFAX, the app also provides maintenance reminders and recall notifications to help owners address safety issues.

What is the safety impact and next steps CARFAX recommends for the Vehicle Recall Search Service (SPGI)?

CARFAX says informing owners increases repairs and road safety, but one in five vehicles still has an unfixed recall. According to CARFAX, the company urges more state DMVs and organizations to sign up to expand coverage and reduce unresolved risks.