Vehicle recalls are increasing. Between 1995 to 2015, annual U.S. auto recalls ranged from 10.2 million to 30.8 million, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. In 2015, that number jumped to 51.1 million. Today, it is estimated that there are 57 million vehicles on the road with unfixed, open recalls.

Now automakers and auto dealers will have a powerful new tool to put safety first, and inform customers to take action and address open recalls: The Vehicle Recall Search Service.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the Association of Global Automakers and Carfax unveiled the www.freeautorecallsearch.org search tool today on the NADA Show 2018 Live Stage. The VIN-based search tool will help dealers, DMVs, and insurers search up to 10,000 VINs in just 30 seconds and inform consumers about vehicles with open safety recalls.

“Having a cost-free method for all dealers and others to conduct automated or batch searching of recalls will greatly enhance the likelihood that recalled vehicles get the repairs they need. This is exactly why NADA, on behalf of its dealer members, has been asking for this capability,” said NADA Chairman Mark Scarpelli.

The Vehicle Recall Search Service allows approved commercial and governmental entities, including state departments of motor vehicles, state vehicle registrars, state vehicle inspection programs, motor vehicle insurers, auto finance companies, motor vehicle dealers, vehicle fleet managers, automotive parts recyclers and vehicle auction companies, to search for open recalls for thousands of autos at once, free of charge.

“When it comes to vehicle recalls, America’s franchised dealers are united behind one goal, and that is getting to a 100-percent recall completion rate,” said Scarpelli, who also announced that he would be the first dealer to sign up for the service.

“This was a great team effort, to really get together and solve a problem,” said John Bozzella, CEO and President of the Association of Global Automakers. “Safety needs to be the top of mind in everything we do and a big piece of that has to be making sure that customers are aware of the recall status of their vehicle and that we can work together – dealers and manufacturers --  to get those recalls addressed free of charge.”