Yes, with a plain informational text that names the vehicle, says the repair is free, and links to the free NHTSA lookup, sent to customers who have given consent. GoHighLevel can run the sequence from a tag and two date fields. The bottom line: recall repairs are the easiest service visit to justify to a customer, the manufacturer often does not have the current owner's contact details, and a dealer's own customer records are the way to reach them.
What the recall data says
As reported in October 2026, NHTSA said more than 29 million vehicles were recalled in 2025 and that it issued 997 safety recalls covering vehicles and equipment, and that recall repairs are free at the manufacturer's dealerships. The annual State of Recalls report from Recall Masters found that about 50.3 percent of vehicles recalled in 2025 had been repaired by February 2026, with completion falling sharply as vehicles age and change owners, and with manufacturers often lacking accurate contact information for current owners. CARFAX counted 58.1 million vehicles with an open recall as of January 2025, about one in five on the road. A law firm explainer notes that federal law does not require used car dealers to repair or even disclose open recalls before a sale, so your policy matters, and some states have their own rules.
Who can fix what
| Dealer type | What it can do about a recall |
|---|---|
| Franchised dealer for that brand | Perform the free recall repair, so the text can offer a booking |
| Franchised dealer for another brand, or an independent shop | Tell the customer a recall may be open and point them to a dealer for that brand and to the NHTSA lookup |
| Used car dealer | Check the VIN before sale, follow your own and your state's disclosure policy, and tell buyers what the lookup shows |
A message that stays informational
Sample: This is [Dealership]. Your 2021 Ford F150 may have an open safety recall. The repair is free at a Ford dealer. You can check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or book a time here: [link]. Reply STOP to stop messages. The text has no coupon, no upsell, and no other repair, because adding an offer turns a safety notice into marketing, which needs a different consent. Keep the message to one vehicle and one purpose.
Build it in HighLevel
- Run your open recall list from your DMS or the manufacturer's dealer portal and import it with the VIN, the vehicle, the recall number, and the date the customer was last contacted about it.
- Create a Vehicle custom object with a recall status field, and associate each vehicle with its owner's contact record.
- Add the tag Open recall to the contact and build a Smart List of consented contacts with that tag and no tag Recall booked.
- Start a workflow from the tag. Send the text, wait 5 days, send an email, wait 10 days, and create a call task for an advisor.
- Add a rule for any recall marked do not drive: skip the waits and create a call task for an advisor the same day.
- When a recall appointment is booked, add the tag Recall booked and remove the contact from the workflow. When the repair order closes, remove the tag Open recall.
- Turn on Stop on Response so a reply reaches the advisor, not a bot.
Worked example
A franchised dealer finds 400 customers with an open recall. If the three touches reach 60 percent of them and 30 percent of those book, that is 72 recall appointments (400 times 0.6 times 0.3). Those percentages are assumptions, so measure your own, and note that each visit is also a chance for the advisor to review the vehicle's other service needs without selling on the text.
Limits to respect
A recall text still needs consent and a working STOP, and it should come from a registered number. Do not guess at the remedy or the timing: use the manufacturer's recall notice, and if parts are not yet available say the dealership will contact the customer when they are. Recall data is the manufacturer's, so confirm the open status in your system before every message.
When the parts are not available
Some recalls are announced before the remedy is ready. A text that says book now would send customers to a visit that cannot fix the problem. Keep a second status on the vehicle record, Parts available yes or no, and send the booking message only when it is yes. For vehicles waiting on parts, send one message that says the recall exists, the repair is free, and the dealership will contact the owner when parts arrive, and set a Custom Date Reminder to check the status every 30 days.
Training the advisors who take the replies
A recall text produces calls from worried owners. Give advisors a short script: confirm the VIN, read the recall description from the manufacturer's notice, say whether parts are available, and book the visit. Tell them not to guess at the risk or promise a timeline the manufacturer has not given. A calm, accurate answer is the reason the text works.
How this was handled before
The manufacturer mailed a recall letter to the registered owner, and the dealer waited for the customer to call. When a vehicle changes hands, the letter often goes to a previous owner. A dealer's own sales and service records know the current customer, which is why a dealer led message can reach people the manufacturer missed.
What to measure
Track recall customers contacted, appointments booked, repairs completed, do not drive vehicles handled the same day, and opt outs. A rising completion rate for your brand is the result that matters.
Questions people ask
Can a dealer text a customer about an open recall?
Yes, with consent and an informational message. Keep it free of offers, name the vehicle, and point to the NHTSA lookup.
Are recall repairs really free?
NHTSA says recall repairs are free at the manufacturer's dealerships.
Do used car dealers have to disclose open recalls?
A law firm explainer says federal law does not require used car dealers to disclose or repair open recalls, though the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association recommends disclosure and some states have rules. Check your state.
Start a GoHighLevel account here to build the recall sequence, or review the workflow pieces in our capabilities demo.