1. Check the VIN before the RV sits
Enter the VIN at https://www.rigfixhq.com/vin-check to see the make, model, and year, and the campaigns on file for that model year. Confirm the exact VIN at the NHTSA recalls lookup, https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. A campaign on a model-year page is not proof your VIN is included.
NHTSA's booklet says the manufacturer mails the letter to the registered owner, using names from state motor vehicle offices. If you think the RV is in a campaign and no letter arrived, the booklet says to call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or 800-424-9393, use the VIN lookup, or contact the manufacturer or a dealer. A missing letter does not close the campaign.
NHTSA's resources page says that once a vehicle has been recalled, that recall never expires. Parking the RV for the winter does not take it off that record. The free repair has a separate age limit, which a different answer explains.
2. Use the parked months to ask for the date in the letter
49 CFR 577.5 says that when the remedy is a repair, the letter must give the earliest date the manufacturer reasonably expects dealers or other shops to have the parts and instructions. The same rule says the letter must include the manufacturer's estimate of the time reasonably necessary to perform the labor, and any precautions you should take before the repair.
NHTSA's booklet says there is often a wait while the manufacturer finds owners, prepares the repair, instructs dealers, and ships parts. The booklet says a dealer is not required to do the repair before the date in the letter. If that date falls while the RV is stored, call the manufacturer named in the letter and ask which shop can do the campaign on or after that date. You are asking for the appointment the letter already describes. This page does not say one season is busier than another.
If the parts are not ready when the first letter goes out, 49 CFR 577.7 says the manufacturer must send a second notice within a reasonable time once the remedy is available. A second letter can arrive while the RV is parked. Keep the state registration current so that letter has an address, and check the VIN again before the next trip.
3. Follow a park-outside warning while the RV sits
NHTSA's recalls page says that when you receive a notification, follow any interim safety guidance and have the recalled part fixed for free (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). When a campaign on this site is marked Park outside, that mark is the warning on the NHTSA record. It is not proof your VIN is included. If your letter says to park away from buildings, follow that while the RV is stored.
The truck and the trailer are separate campaigns. Check both VINs. A heavy-duty tow truck has its own year pages. Owner reports on fresh-tank straps, slide floors, and springs are a different section. They are not recalls.
- NHTSA recalls lookup
- Is it safe to use or tow an RV with an open recall?
- Heavy-duty tow truck recalls to check before winter
- Fresh-water tank straps and supports to look at before storage
- Slide-outs and slide floors to look at before storage
- Leaf springs, axles, and brake wires to look at after a towing season
- Recall and issue alerts
Where to check
- NHTSA recalls lookup
- NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
- 49 CFR 577.5, repair date and precautions
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Latest recalls
- Recall and issue alerts
- Is it safe to use or tow an RV with an open recall?
- What if the parts for an RV recall are not available?
- Is a problem found while winterizing a recall, a known issue, or a warranty item?
- Does my Grand Design Imagine have a recall?
- What recalls affect Ram 2500 and 3500 for towing?
- Browse RV and tow-vehicle brands
Questions people ask
- Should I check for recalls before I store the RV?
- Yes. Confirm the VIN at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's booklet says to use that lookup, or call 888-327-4236, if you think the vehicle is in a campaign and no letter arrived (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). Storing the RV does not close the campaign.
- Why ask for the repair while the RV is parked?
- 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter must give the earliest date the parts and instructions are expected, and the manufacturer's time estimate for the labor (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-577/section-577.5). NHTSA's booklet says a dealer is not required to do the repair before that date (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). If the date falls while the RV is stored, ask the shop named in the letter for an appointment on or after that date.
- Does winter storage end a recall?
- No. NHTSA's resources page says that once a vehicle has been recalled, that recall never expires (https://www.nhtsa.gov/resources-investigations-recalls). The free repair has a separate age limit. Read the letter for your VIN.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This page explains the VIN check and what the recall letter is supposed to say about dates and precautions. It is not legal advice. The letter for your VIN controls that campaign.
Related answers
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- What if a dealer will not do an RV recall repair?
- What is the difference between a recall, a warranty, and a technical service bulletin?
- Can I get reimbursed if I already paid for a repair that was later recalled?
- Is it safe to use or tow an RV with an open recall?
- How do I report an RV or truck safety defect to NHTSA?
- Do RV recalls expire?
- Can I buy or sell a used RV or truck with an open recall?
- What if the parts for an RV recall are not available?
- How do I find a recall on an RV part made by another company?
- How long does an RV recall repair take, and which dealer can do it?
- How are RV recall notices mailed, and how do I update my address?
- Fresh-water tank straps and supports to look at before storage
- Slide-outs and slide floors to look at before storage
- Leaf springs, axles, and brake wires to look at after a towing season
- Heavy-duty tow truck recalls to check before winter
- Is a problem found while winterizing a recall, a known issue, or a warranty item?
- Does my Grand Design Imagine have a recall?
- What recalls affect Ram 2500 and 3500 for towing?
- Does my Keystone Cougar have a recall?
- Does my Grand Design Reflection have a recall?
- Does my Grand Design Solitude have a recall?
- Does my Grand Design Momentum have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Montana have a recall?
- Does my Alliance Paradigm have a recall?
- Does my Jayco North Point have a recall?
- Does my Ford F-250 crew cab have a recall?
- Does my Ford F-350 crew cab have a recall?
- Does my Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have a recall?
- Does my GMC Sierra 2500 have a recall?
- Does my Jayco Eagle fifth wheel have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Montana High Country have a recall?
- Does my Brinkley Model Z have a recall?
- Does my Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have a recall?
- Does my GMC Sierra 3500 have a recall?
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- Does my Alliance Avenue have a recall?
- Does my Forest River Cedar Creek have a recall?
- Does my Alliance Valor have a recall?
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- Does my Jayco Pinnacle fifth wheel have a recall?
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- Does my Keystone Alpine have a recall?
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- Does my Airstream Globetrotter have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Hideout have a recall?
- Does my Forest River Surveyor have a recall?
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- Does my Forest River Wildwood have a recall?
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- Does my CrossRoads Redwood have a recall?
- Does my Coachmen Brookstone have a recall?
- Does my Dutchmen Kodiak have a recall?
- Does my CrossRoads Zinger have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Sprinter have a recall?
- Does my Airstream Bambi have a recall?
- Does my Ram 2500 have a recall?
- Does my Ram 3500 have a recall?
- Does my Ford F-350 SD have a recall?
- Does my Vanleigh Beacon have a recall?
- Does my DRV Mobile Suite have a recall?
- Does my Vanleigh Vilano have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Fuzion have a recall?
- Does my Highland Ridge Open Range fifth wheel have a recall?
- Does my Keystone Outback have a recall?
- Does my Ford F-250 SD have a recall?