# NHTSA Vehicle Recalls Lookup: Car Recalls by Make, Model (`transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup`) Actor

NHTSA vehicle recalls lookup: car recalls and other US vehicle safety recalls by make, model and year from the free NHTSA API. Campaign number, component, summary, consequence, remedy, park-it flags and a severity score. No login, no VINs, no personal data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [Detroit Web Agent - Open Data](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Automation, News
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.47 / 1,000 recall rows

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## NHTSA Vehicle Recalls Lookup

**NHTSA vehicle recalls lookup** by make, model and model year: every safety recall campaign with component, summary, consequence, remedy, report date, park-it and park-outside flags, a link to the official recall page and a 0-100 severity score, highest severity first.

Look up US vehicle safety recalls by make, model and model year. Each row has the NHTSA campaign number, manufacturer, component, summary, consequence, remedy, report date, park-it and park-outside flags, a link to the official recall page and a severity score. The data is public NHTSA data. There are no VINs and no personal data.

### What is NHTSA Vehicle Recalls Lookup?

Look up US vehicle safety recalls by make, model and year from the free NHTSA API: campaign number, component, summary, consequence, remedy, park-it flags and a severity score. No login, no VINs, no personal data. Run it from the Apify Console, the API or a schedule, and export the results as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML.

### Why use it

- **Official source.** Data is read from the public NHTSA recalls API.
- **One table.** Every vehicle in the same shape, with ISO dates and a link to each campaign.
- **Repeatable.** Fixed filters and a fixed score, so runs can be compared over time.

### Output

One row per recall campaign per vehicle:

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `campaignNumber`, `recallUrl` | The NHTSA campaign number and a link to the official NHTSA recall page. |
| `manufacturer`, `make`, `model`, `modelYear` | Who recalled it and which vehicle. |
| `component` | The affected system, for example `FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP`. |
| `summary`, `consequence`, `remedy` | NHTSA text: what is wrong, the risk, and the fix. |
| `reportReceivedDate`, `daysSinceReport` | Date NHTSA received the report (ISO format) and its age. |
| `parkIt`, `parkOutside`, `overTheAirUpdate` | NHTSA flags: stop driving, park away from buildings, fix delivered over the air. |
| `severityScore` | 0 to 100, see below. |
| `scrapedAt` | When the run read the data. |

### Sample output

```json
{
  "campaignNumber": "20V682000",
  "manufacturer": "Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing",
  "make": "TOYOTA",
  "model": "CAMRY",
  "modelYear": "2020",
  "component": "FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP",
  "consequence": "If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.",
  "reportReceivedDate": "2020-11-04",
  "parkIt": false,
  "parkOutside": false,
  "severityScore": 38,
  "recallUrl": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=20V682000"
}
```

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `vehicles` | One vehicle per line as `Make,Model,Year`, for example `Toyota,Camry,2020`. Leave the model out (`Honda,2019`) to cover every model. Empty list uses the prefilled popular vehicles. |
| `parkWarningsOnly` | Keep only recalls where NHTSA flags park-it or park-outside. |
| `minSeverityScore` | Optional 0 to 100 threshold. |
| `maxItems` | Stop after this many rows, highest severity first. Default 500. |

Sample input:

```json
{
  "vehicles": ["Toyota,Camry,2020", "Ford,F-150,2018", "Honda,2019"],
  "parkWarningsOnly": false,
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per event. You pay a small fixed amount per recall row delivered, listed on the Pricing tab, plus a tiny start fee per run. You can set a maximum cost per run in the run options.

### What does this Actor do?

It reads the public NHTSA recalls API (`api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle`) for every vehicle you list. If you leave out the model (for example `Honda,2019`), it first asks NHTSA for the recalled models of that make and year (`api.nhtsa.gov/products/vehicle/models`) and looks each one up. Duplicates are removed and rows are sorted by severity score, highest first.

**Run in 30 seconds**

1. Open the Actor and press **Try for free** (a free Apify account is enough).
2. Keep the prefilled list of twelve popular vehicles and press **Start**. A run takes under a minute.
3. Open the **Output** tab. Use the table view or download CSV, Excel or JSON.

### Use cases

- Check a used car or a fleet vehicle list for open recall campaigns before you buy, insure or service it.
- Build a recall watch table for a dealership, repair shop or fleet manager, sorted by severity.
- Feed rows into an n8n, Make or Zapier workflow that opens a ticket when a park-it recall appears for a make and model you manage.
- Research which components (airbags, fuel systems, brakes, electrical) are recalled most for a make or model year.
- Power a content page, newsletter or dataset about recalls for popular vehicles.

### Severity score

A fixed rule of thumb, not an NHTSA rating: 20 for any recall, plus 35 if NHTSA flags park-it, plus 20 if it flags park-outside, plus 6 per kind of serious wording in the consequence text (for example fire, crash, stall, air bag, brake), up to 25. The maximum is 100. Use the official NHTSA page for the authoritative notice.

### Limits

- Covers US NHTSA vehicle recalls only (not tires, child seats or equipment lookups).
- Results depend on NHTSA spelling of make and model names.
- When the model is left out, at most 60 models per make and year are looked up.
- NHTSA data may change or be corrected after you read it.

### Related Actors

- [Developer Signals](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/developer-signals) tracks public developer activity signals for companies.
- [Website Tech Stack](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/website-tech-stack) detects which technologies a website runs on.
- [Sitemap Link Inventory](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/sitemap-link-inventory) lists every URL a site publishes in its sitemaps.

Found a bug or need a field? Open an issue on the Issues tab with the run URL.

### FAQ

**Do I need a VIN?**
No, and the Actor never asks for one. It looks up by make, model and year only, so it shows campaigns for that model, not whether a specific car has been repaired.

**Why do I get zero rows for my vehicle?**
Either no recalls exist for that exact make, model and year, or the model name differs from NHTSA's. Try a shorter name (`Silverado 1500` rather than `Silverado LT`) or leave the model out.

**Is this an official NHTSA product?**
No. It is an independent tool that reads the public NHTSA API. Check nhtsa.gov for authoritative notices.

**This Actor vs benthepythondev/vehicle-recalls-intelligence:** that one covers more NHTSA data, adding VIN decoding and consumer complaints. Choose this one for recall lists: leave the model out to cover every recalled model of a make and year, filter to park-it warnings, and get rows sorted by severity score.

### More from DWA Open Data

Browse all 69 data Actors, with live prices and sample output, at [open-data-actors.pages.dev](https://open-data-actors.pages.dev).

***

**Feedback:** if this Actor was useful, or if it fell short, an honest review on the [Reviews tab](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup/reviews) helps other users decide. Problems or feature requests: please open an [Issue](https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup/issues) and we usually reply within one business day.

### Changelog

- 2026-10-22: Initial release.
- 2026-10-25: Documentation updated: README refreshed.
- 2026-10-25: Pricing update announced, effective 2026-10-25: Price cut to stay the lowest on the Store.
- 2026-10-25: Listing refresh: new Store icon, README reorganised (overview, data fields, pricing, FAQ) and changelog tab added. No code change.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `vehicles` (type: `array`):

One vehicle per line as Make,Model,Year, for example Toyota,Camry,2020. Leave the model out (Honda,2019) to cover every model of that make and year. Leave the list empty to use the popular vehicles shown here.

## `parkWarningsOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Turn on to keep only recalls where NHTSA says owners should stop driving or park outside.

## `minSeverityScore` (type: `integer`):

Optional 0 to 100. Keep only rows at or above this score.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many rows, highest severity first. You pay only for rows delivered.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vehicles": [
    "Toyota,Camry,2020",
    "Honda,Accord,2019",
    "Ford,F-150,2018",
    "Chevrolet,Silverado 1500,2019",
    "Tesla,Model 3,2019",
    "Nissan,Rogue,2018",
    "Jeep,Grand Cherokee,2017",
    "Hyundai,Elantra,2019",
    "Kia,Soul,2018",
    "Honda,Civic,2017",
    "Toyota,RAV4,2019",
    "Subaru,Outback,2018"
  ],
  "parkWarningsOnly": false,
  "minSeverityScore": 0,
  "maxItems": 500
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "vehicles": [
        "Toyota,Camry,2020",
        "Honda,Accord,2019",
        "Ford,F-150,2018",
        "Chevrolet,Silverado 1500,2019",
        "Tesla,Model 3,2019",
        "Nissan,Rogue,2018",
        "Jeep,Grand Cherokee,2017",
        "Hyundai,Elantra,2019",
        "Kia,Soul,2018",
        "Honda,Civic,2017",
        "Toyota,RAV4,2019",
        "Subaru,Outback,2018"
    ],
    "maxItems": 500
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "vehicles": [
        "Toyota,Camry,2020",
        "Honda,Accord,2019",
        "Ford,F-150,2018",
        "Chevrolet,Silverado 1500,2019",
        "Tesla,Model 3,2019",
        "Nissan,Rogue,2018",
        "Jeep,Grand Cherokee,2017",
        "Hyundai,Elantra,2019",
        "Kia,Soul,2018",
        "Honda,Civic,2017",
        "Toyota,RAV4,2019",
        "Subaru,Outback,2018",
    ],
    "maxItems": 500,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "vehicles": [
    "Toyota,Camry,2020",
    "Honda,Accord,2019",
    "Ford,F-150,2018",
    "Chevrolet,Silverado 1500,2019",
    "Tesla,Model 3,2019",
    "Nissan,Rogue,2018",
    "Jeep,Grand Cherokee,2017",
    "Hyundai,Elantra,2019",
    "Kia,Soul,2018",
    "Honda,Civic,2017",
    "Toyota,RAV4,2019",
    "Subaru,Outback,2018"
  ],
  "maxItems": 500
}' |
apify call transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,transparent_meteorite/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-lookup"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/yLL803kuqSNejkeLq/builds/FrIeZ7797rqcw2W4t/openapi.json