Recall answer

Can I get reimbursed if I already paid for a repair that was later recalled?

2026-10-15

Sometimes. If you paid to fix a problem before the recall letter went out, the manufacturer must have a reimbursement plan. The plan has dates, paperwork, and limits. The letter, or a phone number in the letter, explains how to ask. This page is not legal advice. Read the recall letter for your VIN, and ask the manufacturer named in that letter if you are unsure.

1. 1. The letter must say that reimbursement may be available

   49 CFR 577.11 says the manufacturer must tell owners they may be eligible for reimbursement of a pre-notification remedy, consistent with the plan in 49 CFR 573.13. The notice has to point you to that information, either in an enclosure or through a toll-free telephone number. There is an exception. The manufacturer does not have to include those instructions if NHTSA finds that every covered vehicle is under warranty, or that no one would be eligible under 49 CFR 573.13.

   NHTSA's booklet says manufacturers must provide reimbursement for certain costs owners paid to remedy a safety defect before the recall, and that you need documentation. The booklet is a summary. The dates and the limits that apply to your campaign are the ones in the letter and in 49 CFR 573.13.

   • 49 CFR 577.11, reimbursement notice
   • 49 CFR 573.13, reimbursement plan
   • NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls

2. 2. The plan has to cover a set window of dates

   49 CFR 573.13 says the plan must specify the reimbursement period. For a safety defect found without an NHTSA Engineering Analysis, the window has to start no later than one year before the manufacturer reported the defect to NHTSA. If NHTSA had opened an Engineering Analysis, the window has to start no later than the earlier of the day that analysis opened and one year before the manufacturer's report. For a failure to meet a safety standard, the window has to start no later than the first test or observation, by NHTSA or the manufacturer, that a noncompliance may exist.

   For a motor vehicle, the window has to stay open until at least 10 calendar days after the manufacturer mailed the last owner letters. A repair outside the dates in the plan can be left out. The letter states the dates for that campaign. Do not assume every repair in the year before the letter qualifies. Read the dates in the letter.

   • 49 CFR 573.13, reimbursement dates

3. 3. What you may need to send, and what can be denied

   49 CFR 573.13 says the plan may require your name and mailing address, the make, model, year, and VIN, the recall number, who owned the vehicle when the repair was done, and a receipt. For a repair, the receipt may need to show that the work addressed the defect, or a manifestation of it, and the total amount you paid. The manufacturer must act on a claim within 60 days of receiving it. A denial must explain the reasons in that same 60 days. If the claim is incomplete, the manufacturer must say what is missing and let you send it again.

   For a vehicle, the amount has to be at least the lower of what you paid, or the cost of parts plus local labor, disposal fees, and taxes. Parts can be limited to the manufacturer's list retail price for authorized parts. Taxes and disposal fees may not be capped. The plan may not require your earlier repair to be identical to the remedy the manufacturer later chose. It may exclude a repair that was a different type, that did not address the defect, or that was not reasonably necessary.

   The plan may also exclude a repair made while the original or extended warranty would have fixed that problem at no charge, unless a dealer denied the warranty repair or the warranty repair did not fix the problem the recall covers. An extended-warranty exclusion applies only if the manufacturer gave owners written notice of that warranty. The reimbursement requirement does not apply if the first purchaser bought the vehicle more than 10 calendar years before the recall notice. For a tire, that period is 5 calendar years. That 10-year reimbursement limit is separate from the 15-year limit on a free recall repair in NHTSA's booklet. A separate answer explains that age limit. The rule does not require payment of a fraudulent claim.

   If you and the manufacturer disagree, 49 CFR 573.13 says the dispute is between you and the manufacturer. NHTSA will not mediate or resolve a dispute about eligibility or the amount. Ask the manufacturer for the plan. The rule says the manufacturer must make the plan available to the public on request.

   • 49 CFR 573.13, reimbursement plan
   • NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
   • Who pays for an RV recall repair?