Recall FAQ

What should I do if my food is recalled?

Check the lot code, best-by date, and UPC on your package against the affected lots listed in the recall notice. If your package matches, follow the remedy in the notice — usually return to the point of purchase for a refund or dispose of the product. Don't taste-test pathogen recalls (Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli O157) — they don't change the food's flavor or smell. If you've already eaten the recalled food and aren't feeling sick, monitor for symptoms but you don't need to seek medical care preemptively unless you're in a vulnerable group (pregnant, under 5, over 65, immunocompromised).

What should I do if my prescription drug is recalled?

Call your prescriber or dispensing pharmacist before doing anything. Don't stop taking the drug on your own — abruptly stopping a prescribed medication can be more dangerous than the issue prompting the recall. The pharmacist will either swap your supply for an unaffected lot or coordinate a refund with the manufacturer. If the recall is for a controlled substance, the swap might need to happen in person.

How do I find out if my vehicle is under recall?

Use our vehicle lookup or NHTSA's own VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Both take the 17-character VIN from your dashboard or driver's-door sticker and return any open NHTSA recall campaigns for that specific vehicle. Vehicle recalls are mandatory for the manufacturer to remedy at no charge to the owner, with no expiration date — even a 20-year-old vehicle with an open recall is still the manufacturer's obligation to fix.

Can I return a recalled product for a refund?

Almost always, yes. The recall notice will spell out the remedy — most commonly a refund, free replacement, or free repair. For food and drugs, return to the point of purchase. For consumer products (CPSC recalls), the manufacturer's recall page has the claim instructions. For vehicles, the dealership performs the fix at no charge. Save the receipt if you have it — it speeds things up.

How do I check a recall by UPC code?

Type the 12-digit UPC into our search and the matching recall will surface directly. The UPC is one of the indexed fields. If your search returns no result, the product isn't currently in our database — but you can also search the FDA's enforcement portal directly at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts.

What does FDA Class I, II, III mean?

Class I is the most severe: reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. Class II is the middle tier: may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems with remote chance of serious harm. Class III is administrative: the product violates an FDA rule but isn't likely to cause health consequences. See the dedicated explainer at /learn/recall-classifications for the full breakdown including USDA, CPSC, and NHTSA equivalents.

How long is a recall active?

It depends on the agency. FDA and USDA recalls are formally closed once the corrective action is verified complete — typically months to years from announcement. NHTSA vehicle recalls have no expiration: the manufacturer remains obligated to perform the remedy as long as the vehicle exists. CPSC recalls remain open until the agency is satisfied with completion rates. From a consumer perspective, if you have a recalled product and you haven't claimed the remedy, you can almost always still claim it.

Why do allergen recalls happen so often?

Most allergen recalls are precautionary. A product gets packaged on a manufacturing line that also runs allergen-containing products; a label revision flags the cross-contact risk; the manufacturer recalls existing stock to avoid violating FDA allergen-disclosure rules. The product itself usually contains trace amounts at most — but for someone with a serious allergy, trace amounts are a problem. Allergen mislabeling on one of the FDA's nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame) is almost always a Class I recall.

Can companies issue a recall without the FDA?

Yes — most recalls are technically voluntary, initiated by the manufacturer with the relevant agency notified. The manufacturer typically consults with the agency to determine the right scope and classification. The agency can order a mandatory recall in some cases (FDA has mandatory authority for food under FSMA, infant formula, and tobacco; NHTSA has it for vehicles), but mandatory recalls are rare because cooperative recalls work better for everyone.

Who pays for the cost of a recall?

The manufacturer pays. Recall costs typically include direct expenses (notifying retailers, transporting recalled product, destroying or refurbishing units, customer refunds) plus indirect costs (regulatory fines, lost sales, brand damage, potential liability lawsuits). A large FDA Class I recall can easily cost tens of millions of dollars. The consumer pays nothing for the recall remedy itself.

Can I sue if I was harmed by a recalled product?

Possibly — product liability law is jurisdiction-specific and depends on what kind of product, what kind of harm, and where you live. We can't give legal advice. If you've been harmed by a recalled product and you're considering legal action, talk to a product-liability attorney. Document the recalled product (keep the packaging, take photos of the lot code and UPC), your purchase, and your medical evidence of harm.

Are recalls retroactive?

No. A recall covers product that was already manufactured and distributed. Once the manufacturer fixes the root cause, new production runs aren't subject to the old recall — they're new product not affected by the issue. The recall remedy is available indefinitely (for most categories) for the specific lots, dates, or VINs in the recall notice; it doesn't apply to newer production.

What if I bought a recalled product secondhand or used?

The recall remedy still applies to you. Vehicle recalls in particular carry over to subsequent owners — the manufacturer remains obligated to remedy the defect for as long as the vehicle exists, regardless of how many times it's been resold. For consumer products and food, the remedy is typically tied to the product itself, not the original purchaser. Bring or ship the product to the manufacturer per the recall notice and you'll receive the same remedy.

Are there international product recalls in your database?

No. The Recall Desk only covers US federal agency recalls — FDA, USDA FSIS, CPSC, NHTSA, EPA. For Canadian recalls see Health Canada's Recalls and Safety Alerts portal; for EU recalls see the EU's Safety Gate (formerly RAPEX) for consumer products or the European Medicines Agency for drugs.

How fresh is your recall data?

FDA recalls refresh every six hours, CPSC every twelve hours, NHTSA every six hours, USDA FSIS every six hours. The /sources page shows the last-ingestion timestamp for each agency in real time. From agency announcement to the recall appearing on this site is typically under an hour, often much less.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. See also: glossary, recall classifications, methodology.