Recall answer
How do I find a recall on an RV part made by another company?
An RV often includes parts from other companies. The recall for an axle, a tire, a refrigerator, or a cooktop can be filed by the company that made the part, by the company that built the RV, or by both. Search the VIN, and search the part. 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. Search the vehicle, then search the part
NHTSA's resources page says you can search recalls by license plate, by VIN, by year, make, and model, and by equipment type such as car seats, tires, or other equipment. A VIN search is about that vehicle. A year, make, and model search, or an equipment search, returns general results. Start at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA's booklet says manufacturers of motor vehicle equipment, particularly tires, car seats, and boosters, keep lists of owners who registered the product, and use those lists to notify owners. The booklet says you can contact the manufacturer, call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or use the VIN lookup if you are unsure whether a tire, car seat, or booster is recalled. The same lookup habit applies to a part on an RV. Read the name on the part, then search that name on NHTSA.
2. Who files when more than one company built the RV
49 CFR 573.5 says each motor-vehicle manufacturer is responsible for a safety-related defect in the vehicle or in original equipment. Each manufacturer of replacement equipment is responsible for a defect in that equipment. 49 CFR 573.3 says that when original equipment is used in the vehicles of only one vehicle manufacturer, a report from either the vehicle manufacturer or the equipment manufacturer can count for both. When the same original equipment is installed in vehicles of more than one manufacturer, the equipment manufacturer reports on the equipment, and each vehicle manufacturer reports on its own vehicles.
49 CFR 577.3 is the notice rule for a vehicle built in more than one stage. A notice from the incomplete-vehicle manufacturer, a later manufacturer, or the maker of the affected replacement equipment can count as the owner notice. The letter still names the company that is writing to you. Follow that letter for that campaign. A chassis letter and a coach letter are separate.
3. What RV makers tell owners to check
Grand Design's owner recall list names parts from other companies next to NHTSA campaign numbers, including a Dometic cooktop, Dexter axles, Lippert axles, and a Norcold refrigerator. That list is Grand Design's list of campaigns. It is not a VIN match. Use Grand Design's recall lookup for a Grand Design VIN, and use NHTSA for the same VIN.
Forest River's recall search tells an owner of a motorized Forest River product to use the chassis VIN on the registration and to check the chassis manufacturer's site. Forest River gives Ford, Daimler Chrysler, and FCA as examples. A towable trailer still has its own VIN. Check that VIN at NHTSA, and check a tire or an appliance under the company named on the part.
Where to check
- NHTSA recalls lookup
- NHTSA investigations and recalls
- NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
- 49 CFR 573.3, equipment used by more than one manufacturer
- 49 CFR 573.5, who is responsible
- Grand Design recall list
- Forest River recall search
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Latest recalls
- Recall and issue alerts
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- How do I report an RV or truck safety defect to NHTSA?
- How are RV recall notices mailed, and how do I update my address?
- Does my Forest River Cedar Creek have a recall?
- Does my Winnebago Micro Minnie have a recall?
- Forest River recalls
- Grand Design recalls
Questions people ask
- How do I find a recall on a part another company made?
- Search the RV or truck VIN at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls, then search the part by the name on it. NHTSA's resources page says recalls can be searched by VIN and by equipment type, including tires and other equipment (https://www.nhtsa.gov/resources-investigations-recalls). The letter names the company that is writing about that campaign.
- Does the RV manufacturer always file the part recall?
- No. 49 CFR 573.3 says that when original equipment is installed in vehicles of more than one manufacturer, the equipment manufacturer reports on the equipment and each vehicle manufacturer reports on its own vehicles (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-573/section-573.3). When the equipment is used by only one vehicle manufacturer, a report from either company can count for both. Read the letter for the campaign.
- Where do chassis recalls show up on a motorhome?
- Forest River's recall search tells owners of a motorized product to use the chassis VIN on the registration and to check the chassis manufacturer's site (https://www.forestriverinc.com/owners/Recall-Search). Check the coach VIN as well. The two campaigns are separate.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This page explains how NHTSA and the recall rules divide a vehicle campaign from an equipment campaign. It is not legal advice. Read the letter for your VIN and for the part.
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 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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