Recall answer
Who pays for an RV recall repair?
The manufacturer named in the recall letter provides the remedy. When the law requires that remedy, it is at no charge to the owner. An RV often has more than one manufacturer, so a chassis letter, a coach letter, and a parts letter can send you to different shops. 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 remedy is without charge when the law requires it
NHTSA's Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls booklet says that if a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer must remedy the problem at no charge to the owner. NHTSA's recalls page says the agency monitors each safety recall so owners receive safe, free, and effective remedies, and it tells you to have the recalled part fixed for free after you get the letter.
The owner-letter rule, 49 CFR 577.5, says the letter must state that the manufacturer will remedy the defect without charge, and whether that remedy is a repair, a replacement, or a refund of the purchase price. For a vehicle, a refund is less depreciation. If the manufacturer is not required to remedy the defect without charge and will not do so, the same rule says the letter must say that, and must say what the manufacturer will do instead.
There is an age limit. NHTSA's booklet 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. That age is counted from the date of sale to the first purchaser. The booklet says a safety problem can still exist on an older vehicle. The manufacturer is not obligated to pay for the remedy past that age. Tire recalls have a separate limit in the same booklet: a free tire repair or replacement is required only for tires bought within five years of the determination, and you must bring the tire in within 180 days of the letter.
2. Chassis, coach, and parts can be different campaigns
An RV is often built in stages. A chassis maker may build the incomplete truck. Another company may finish the coach or the trailer. A third company may make a tire, an axle, or another part. 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.
Who files the report depends on the part. 49 CFR 573.3 says that for a vehicle built in more than one stage, a report from the incomplete-vehicle manufacturer or from a later manufacturer can count for all of them. For original equipment used by only one vehicle manufacturer, a report from either the vehicle manufacturer or the equipment manufacturer can count for both. For original equipment used by more than one vehicle 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 multi-stage vehicle, a notice from the incomplete-vehicle manufacturer, a later manufacturer, or the maker of the affected replacement equipment can count as the owner notice. Those rules are about who may file. They do not mean every company on the RV pays for every campaign.
The letter names the company that is writing to you. 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter identifies that manufacturer and the vehicles or equipment. Follow that letter for that campaign. A letter from the chassis maker is about the chassis. A letter from the company that built the living quarters or the trailer is about that coach. A letter from a parts maker is about that part. The letter says where to get the work done. When the repair is not through that manufacturer's dealers, 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter must recommend service facilities. Search the part itself when the campaign may be filed by the company that made the axle, the tire, or the appliance.
3. Check the VIN, then use the letter
A campaign on a model-year page is not proof your VIN is included. Enter the VIN at the NHTSA recalls lookup, https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. RigFix does not look up a VIN. If NHTSA shows an open recall, read the letter for that campaign and call the manufacturer it names.
Where to check
- NHTSA recalls lookup
- NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
- 49 CFR 577.5, owner notification
- 49 CFR 573.5, who is responsible
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Latest recalls
- Recall and issue alerts
- Can I get reimbursed if I already paid for a repair that was later recalled?
- What if a dealer will not do an RV recall repair?
- Do RV recalls expire?
- 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?
- Does my Grand Design Imagine have a recall?
- What recalls affect Ram 2500 and 3500 for towing?
- Ford recalls
- Forest River recalls
Questions people ask
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- The manufacturer named in the recall letter provides the remedy. NHTSA's booklet says the manufacturer must remedy a safety defect at no charge to the owner (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter must state that the remedy will be made without charge when the law requires it, or must say when the manufacturer is not required to pay (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-577/section-577.5).
- Does the RV dealer always do the work?
- No. A chassis letter, a coach letter, and a parts letter are separate campaigns. 49 CFR 573.5 places responsibility on the manufacturer of the vehicle or the equipment (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-573/section-573.5). The letter names that manufacturer and says where to get the remedy. Follow the letter for that campaign.
- Is every older RV still eligible for a free repair?
- No. NHTSA's booklet says a free remedy is not required when the vehicle is more than 15 years old on the date the defect is determined, counted from the sale to the first purchaser (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). The booklet also says a free tire remedy has a five-year purchase limit and a 180-day window after the letter. Read the letter for your VIN.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This page explains what NHTSA and the recall 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
- 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?
- 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?
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- Does my Brinkley Model G have a recall?
- 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 Airstream Flying Cloud have a recall?
- Does my Forest River Riverstone have a recall?
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- Does my Ford F-250 SD have a recall?