{
  "schema_version": "citation-answer/v1",
  "answer_key": "vehicle-recalls-explained",
  "artifact_slug": "vehicle-recalls-explained",
  "query": "what is a recall on a vehicle",
  "citation_slots": 3,
  "canonical_path": "/guides/vehicle-recalls-explained",
  "title": "What is a recall on a vehicle?",
  "description": "NHTSA safety campaigns, VIN checks, and count limitations.",
  "answer_capsule": "A vehicle recall is a safety campaign requiring a manufacturer remedy for an identified defect or noncompliance. NHTSA's FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip source through 2026-06-19 contains 15,035 distinct campaigns in Fonteum's dated projection. Check a specific 17-character VIN at NHTSA because campaign counts do not show whether that vehicle has an open remedy.",
  "scope": "This guide explains campaign records and the official VIN handoff. It does not infer the open-recall status of a specific vehicle from aggregate data.",
  "methodology_version": "citation-answer/v1",
  "reproducibility_note": "Re-derive this answer from the named source and dated scope; no Fonteum account is required.",
  "limitations": [
    "Campaign records do not encode the current remedy status of every VIN.",
    "This aggregate public-record answer is not a consumer report, person-level dossier, eligibility decision, or risk score."
  ],
  "related_links": [
    {
      "label": "NHTSA recalls search",
      "href": "/recalls"
    }
  ],
  "data_as_of": "2026-06-19",
  "source_artifacts": [
    {
      "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
      "kind": "fonteum-derived",
      "file_name": "most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
      "file_url": "/gov/research/most-recalled-vehicle-brands-2026/most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
      "creator": "Fonteum LLC",
      "generated_date": "2026-07-14",
      "published_date": "2026-07-14",
      "data_as_of": "2026-06-19",
      "sha256": "723e850f0aa5981a2d83ca57e9707b693742b97c241de864070a15b39b7576af",
      "is_based_on": {
        "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
        "name": "FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
        "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
        "official_url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
        "source_date_kind": "snapshot",
        "source_date": "2026-06-19"
      }
    },
    {
      "source_key": "nhtsa-vin-recall-lookup",
      "kind": "upstream",
      "file_name": "NHTSA vehicle recall lookup",
      "file_url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls",
      "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
      "published_date": null,
      "retrieved_date": "2026-07-21",
      "data_as_of": "2026-07-21",
      "sha256": null
    }
  ],
  "published_date": "2026-07-21",
  "modified_date": "2026-07-21",
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
      "name": "FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
      "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
      "official_url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
      "source_date_kind": "snapshot",
      "source_date": "2026-06-19",
      "limitation": "The retained projection was captured 2026-06-24 and covers campaigns reported through 2026-06-19. Counts do not show whether a specific VIN has an open remedy or rank vehicle quality.",
      "retrieved_date": "2026-06-24",
      "retained_artifact": {
        "kind": "fonteum-derived",
        "file_name": "most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
        "file_url": "/gov/research/most-recalled-vehicle-brands-2026/most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
        "creator": "Fonteum LLC",
        "generated_date": "2026-07-14",
        "published_date": "2026-07-14",
        "data_as_of": "2026-06-19",
        "sha256": "723e850f0aa5981a2d83ca57e9707b693742b97c241de864070a15b39b7576af",
        "is_based_on": {
          "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
          "name": "FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
          "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
          "official_url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
          "source_date_kind": "snapshot",
          "source_date": "2026-06-19"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "source_key": "nhtsa-vin-recall-lookup",
      "name": "NHTSA vehicle recall lookup",
      "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
      "official_url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls",
      "source_date_kind": "accessed",
      "source_date": "2026-07-21",
      "limitation": "The live lookup uses a specific 17-character VIN. Aggregate campaign counts cannot substitute for the current vehicle-specific result.",
      "retrieved_date": "2026-07-21"
    }
  ],
  "facts": [
    {
      "fact_key": "campaigns",
      "label": "Distinct campaigns in dated projection",
      "value": "15,035",
      "source": {
        "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
        "name": "FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
        "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
        "official_url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
        "source_date_kind": "snapshot",
        "source_date": "2026-06-19",
        "limitation": "The retained projection was captured 2026-06-24 and covers campaigns reported through 2026-06-19. Counts do not show whether a specific VIN has an open remedy or rank vehicle quality.",
        "retrieved_date": "2026-06-24",
        "retained_artifact": {
          "kind": "fonteum-derived",
          "file_name": "most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
          "file_url": "/gov/research/most-recalled-vehicle-brands-2026/most-recalled-vehicle-brands.json",
          "creator": "Fonteum LLC",
          "generated_date": "2026-07-14",
          "published_date": "2026-07-14",
          "data_as_of": "2026-06-19",
          "sha256": "723e850f0aa5981a2d83ca57e9707b693742b97c241de864070a15b39b7576af",
          "is_based_on": {
            "source_key": "nhtsa-flat-recalls-2026-06-24",
            "name": "FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
            "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
            "official_url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip",
            "source_date_kind": "snapshot",
            "source_date": "2026-06-19"
          }
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "fact_key": "vin",
      "label": "Vehicle-specific lookup key",
      "value": "17-character VIN",
      "source": {
        "source_key": "nhtsa-vin-recall-lookup",
        "name": "NHTSA vehicle recall lookup",
        "publisher": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration",
        "official_url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls",
        "source_date_kind": "accessed",
        "source_date": "2026-07-21",
        "limitation": "The live lookup uses a specific 17-character VIN. Aggregate campaign counts cannot substitute for the current vehicle-specific result.",
        "retrieved_date": "2026-07-21"
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "Does a campaign count show whether my vehicle has an open recall?",
      "answer": "No. Use NHTSA's VIN lookup for the specific vehicle."
    },
    {
      "question": "Is a recall count a vehicle-quality ranking?",
      "answer": "No. Campaign counts have model-year, scope, and reporting limits."
    }
  ]
}