Vehicle Recall Website and VIN Lookup

Summary#

This is a proposed change from Transport Canada under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act that would require companies that make or import vehicles, tires, and child/disabled-person restraint systems to publish recall information on their websites. The goal is to make recalls easier to find (including a searchable tool by 17-character VIN for large companies) and to raise the number of recalls that actually get fixed; estimated cost is $1.20 million over 10 years.

What it does#

• Requires companies that issue a safety recall to publish the same recall details already sent to owners on the company website (in both official languages).
• Sets two levels of requirements:
  • Non-designated companies must post recall information online within 10 days of telling the Minister and update it within 7 days of changes. Companies with no website are not forced to build one.
  • Companies designated by the Minister (targeting high-volume firms) must provide a searchable online VIN Tool that shows recall status for a specific vehicle identified by its 17-character VIN. Newly designated companies get one year to build the tool; after that, recalls must appear through the tool within 30 days of the company notifying the Minister, with updates within 7 days.
• Requires recall posts to stay online for at least 15 years for vehicles and 10 years for vehicle equipment (tires, restraint systems).
• Applies to changes in these rules across the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, the Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations, and the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Seats Safety Regulations.
• Transport Canada would audit websites for compliance; enforcement tools already available under the Act would still apply.

Who's affected#

• Vehicle and vehicle-equipment makers, importers and distributors (for example, companies that sell cars, tires, child seats, or restraint systems).
• Transport Canada will be involved in audits and designations.
• The proposal assumes companies that handle 2,500 or more vehicles a year (across certain vehicle classes) are likely to be designated and required to run a VIN Tool.
• Transport Canada estimated about 28 designated companies and 196 non-designated companies would be affected. By the end of the 10‑year period, about 39 small businesses could be affected.
• Estimated costs across industry and government are $1.20 million (present value, 2023 base): about $1.18 million for industry and roughly $18,933 for government audits. Small businesses’ total cost is estimated at $39,212 over 10 years (about $1,005 per affected small business).

Why it matters#

• Many recalls go uncompleted now. Transport Canada estimates up to one in five vehicles on Canadian roads may have an unresolved recall — roughly 33.3 million registered vehicles in 2019 implies about 6.6 million vehicles could be affected. Making recall information easier to find aims to change that.
• A VIN-based lookup lets anyone (buyers, sellers, dealers, police, border authorities) check a specific vehicle’s recall status. That helps people decide whether a used vehicle is safe to drive or import.
• Faster and more public notice may increase how quickly defects are fixed, which could reduce injuries, damage, and the need for repeated mailed notices. The Canada–U.S. safety agency (NHTSA) supported the idea because it helps spot imports with outstanding recalls.
• These are proposed regulations (Part I notice). They are not law yet. If finalized, the Regulations would be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II; non-designated companies would have 180 days after that publication to comply, and designated companies would have one year from the date they are designated.