NHTSA offers e-mail alerts for vehicle recalls

November 12, 11:43 AMDC Car ExaminerBrady Holt

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a new tool that lets consumers sign up to receive e-mail alerts if their automobile, motorcycle, child seat, or tire could be the subject of a safety recall.

There are nearly 700 of those types of recalls every year, NHTSA says, and you would be likely to get NHTSA's e-mail before a notification from the manufacturer makes its way to you via snail mail. 

You can specify the year and make of up to five cars you want to see recall information on, or get a weekly summary of every car recalled in the last week. With each alert, you will need to verify that your specific product is included. The e-mail alert system is not specific enough to filter what it sends by identification numbers or production dates, but it will include that information for you.

It would be a good idea to get a subscription for any vehicle that you own and for tires. If you own a child seat, you should subscribe for that as well.

You can also search the NHTSA site for past or present recalls at any time. When buying a used car or even a new one, check for recalls and verify that any recall work was performed.

NOTE: It seems the recall section of the NHTSA web site is having issues this morning. If the page is down when you try the link, don't forget to try it again later.