Recall answer
Do RV recalls expire?
The recall record does not expire. A free repair has a separate age limit, and a tire has a shorter one. Read the letter for your VIN. 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. The campaign stays on the record
NHTSA's resources page says that once a vehicle has been recalled, that recall never expires. The same page says a VIN search shows an unrepaired recall when one is on file for that VIN, and it says to contact the manufacturer if you still have questions.
Ford's recall page answers the question of whether recalls expire. Ford says its safety, compliance, and emissions recalls do not expire, and that its customer-satisfaction programs often have expiration dates and mileage limits. That sentence is about Ford programs. A customer-satisfaction program is not a NHTSA safety recall. The NHTSA rule for a safety recall is the one in the resources page and in the statute below.
2. A free repair has an age limit
49 USC 30120 says the manufacturer must remedy the defect or noncompliance without charge when the vehicle or replacement equipment is presented, subject to the limits in that section. Subsection (g) says the requirement to provide a remedy without charge does not apply if the first purchaser bought the vehicle or the replacement equipment more than 15 calendar years, or bought the tire more than 5 calendar years, before notice under 49 USC 30118(c) or an order under 49 USC 30118(b), whichever is earlier.
NHTSA's booklet explains the vehicle limit to owners. It says a free remedy is not required when the vehicle is more than 15 years old on the date the defect or noncompliance is determined, counted from the sale to the first purchaser. The booklet's example is a defect found in 2025, with a free correction required only for vehicles purchased new going back to 2010. The booklet also says a safety problem can still exist on an older vehicle, and that the manufacturer is not obligated to pay for the remedy past that age. Read the letter for your VIN. It has to say whether the remedy is without charge.
3. A tire has a shorter window
NHTSA's booklet says a free tire repair or replacement is required only for tires bought within five years of the determination. It also says you must bring the tire in within 180 days of the letter. If replacements are not available when you present the tires, the booklet says to get a written acknowledgment from the dealer and keep it until the dealer tells you more tires are in stock.
49 USC 30120(b) states the presentation rule. The owner or purchaser presents the tire not later than 180 days after the later of the day they receive the notice, or, if the manufacturer is replacing the tire, the day they receive notice that a replacement is available. If the replacement is not available during that 180 days, a later 180-day period starts only after notice that a replacement will be available. The letter states the last date, if any, for a tire remedy without charge.
Where to check
- NHTSA investigations and recalls
- NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
- 49 USC 30120, recall remedies
- Ford recall lookup
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Latest recalls
- Recall and issue alerts
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- Can I get reimbursed if I already paid for a repair that was later recalled?
- What is the difference between a recall, a warranty, and a technical service bulletin?
- Does my Airstream Flying Cloud have a recall?
- Does my Ford F-250 SD have a recall?
- Airstream recalls
- Ford recalls
Questions people ask
- Do RV recalls expire?
- The recall record does not. NHTSA's resources page says that once a vehicle has been recalled, that recall never expires (https://www.nhtsa.gov/resources-investigations-recalls). A free repair has a separate age limit. 49 USC 30120(g) says a remedy without charge is not required if the first purchaser bought the vehicle more than 15 calendar years, or the tire more than 5 calendar years, before the notice or the order, whichever is earlier (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:49%20section:30120%20edition:prelim)).
- Can an older RV still have a safety problem?
- Yes. NHTSA's booklet says a safety problem can still exist when the vehicle is past the age for a required free remedy (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). The booklet says the manufacturer is not obligated to pay for the remedy past that age. Read the letter for your VIN.
- How long do I have to bring in a recalled tire?
- NHTSA's booklet says a free tire remedy covers tires bought within five years of the determination, and that you bring the tire in within 180 days of the letter (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). 49 USC 30120(b) measures that 180 days from the later of the notice or the notice that a replacement is available, with a further 180 days if the replacement was not available (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:49%20section:30120%20edition:prelim)).
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This page explains what NHTSA, 49 USC 30120, and the recall letter rules say. 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?
- 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?
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