Got a Tire Recall Notice? What to Do Next

The letter you shouldn't toss

It looks like junk mail until you read the envelope: SAFETY RECALL NOTICE, in big capital letters. Inside, the tire maker says some of its tires have a defect, and yours may be among them.

Most drivers know what to do with a car recall: call the dealer. A tire recall is less familiar. This post covers the moment the letter arrives: how to tell if it really applies to your tires, what the free remedy covers, how long you have, and what to do if you already paid for new tires.

For the bigger picture, including how to run a recall lookup on your own and how tire registration works, see our Learn guide on tire recalls and registration. This post picks up after the letter arrives.

How to spot the real thing

Federal rules (49 CFR Part 577) set the format for recall letters, so a real notice is easy to recognize:

• The envelope is marked SAFETY RECALL NOTICE, in capitals and larger than the address.
• The letter opens with IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL at the top, again in capitals.
• It's sent by the maker of the tire, and it names the tires affected and the remedy.

If something calls itself a recall notice but asks for payment or card details, treat it with suspicion. Check the recall on NHTSA's site at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call the tire maker at the number on its own website.

Step one: does it match your tires?

A tire recall doesn't cover a whole brand. It covers a range of tire identification numbers (TINs): certain sizes, made at certain plants, in certain weeks. Your letter lists the range. Your job is to compare it with the tires on your car.

1. Find DOT on each tire, spare included. The full number may be on one side only, often the inboard side.
2. Copy or photograph the full TIN on every tire.
3. Compare each one with the letter. Check the plant code, size and date range it lists.
4. Check every tire, not just one. A set that has been partly replaced can carry two makers or two date codes.

Not sure how to read the number? Our guide to reading the tire date code breaks it down, and the Learn guide shows where the TIN hides on the sidewall.

If none of your tires match, keep the letter with your car records and move on. If one does, read on.

The remedy costs you nothing

Here's the part that surprises people. Under federal law, 49 U.S.C. 30120, when a recall notice is required, the maker must remedy the defect without charge when you present the tire.

For tires, the maker picks the remedy. The statute lets it either:

• repair the tire, or
• replace it with an identical or reasonably equivalent tire.

The letter tells you which, and where to go. That may be a dealer the maker names, or a number to call to arrange it. Follow the letter's instructions rather than buying replacements on your own and hoping to be repaid later.

The clock is shorter for tires

Tire recalls come with a deadline that many drivers don't expect.

The federal statute gives tire owners 180 days, counted from the later of two dates: the day you receive the notice, or the day you're told a replacement is available. Present the tire after that window and the maker isn't required to provide the free remedy. Your letter should state the dates that apply, so go by the letter.

Practically, it means this: don't let the letter sit in a drawer. Write the deadline on the envelope, or in your phone, the day it arrives.

Already replaced them? Ask about reimbursement

Sometimes the letter arrives after you've already bought new tires, maybe because the old ones failed or wore out. You may still have a claim.

Federal rules (49 CFR 573.13) require makers to have a plan to reimburse owners who paid for a remedy before the notice, within a set period. Your letter explains how. Expect to need:

• your name and mailing address
• the receipt for what you paid
• details of the recalled tire, such as its size and model

That's one more reason to keep tire receipts and DOT photos with your car records.

What to do, by situation

No letter? That's what registration fixes

A recall letter can only reach you if the maker knows who you are. That's what tire registration does: it links your name and address to your tires' TINs. NHTSA's letter to new tire buyers suggests asking your retailer whether they registered you, or asking for a registration form.

If you've heard about a recall on the news and no letter came, don't wait for one. Run each full TIN through the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association's free Tire Recall Lookup, and check nhtsa.gov/recalls by tire brand and line. Our recalls and registration guide walks through both lookups and the registration rules.

Buying new tires? Set up the next notice now

Whether the recall remedy covers your set or you're replacing tires anyway, the habits are the same:

• Photograph every full DOT number when the tires arrive, before they're mounted. Our post on how old tires are when you buy online covers the date code check at the same time.
• Register each tire with its maker, or confirm your installer did it.
• Keep the receipt with those photos.

If you're buying online and having them installed locally, our post on getting online tires installed in Broward covers that handoff. For a quick read on whether the rest of your set is due, try Do I Need Tires Yet?.

Ready to shop? Find tires by size or vehicle. Free shipping covers the 48 contiguous states and DC. Extreme Tires installs at the Sunrise shop or by mobile van in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach; see how installation works, or call (954) 773-1896 with a question about a DOT number.