Monitoring Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) is a vital part of tracking open recalls and verifying that action is being taken. For owners, the VIN is an easy way to determine a vehicle’s vulnerability during a recall, but to dealerships it plays a role in responding to recalls efficiently and turning them from problems into a means of keeping customers engaged.

As dealers likely know, the VIN contains several pieces of information that help pinpoint specific vehicles and trace back their production to the manufacturer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also includes a VIN lookup tool that dealers can use to confirm a recalled auto’s status. This database includes major manufacturers like Ford, Jeep, Acura and Toyota.

Recall Masters’ Chris Miller believes that the VIN’s can be checked within a specific time to help establish a dealership as a responsible company that cares about resolving this situation.

“Many recalls are publicized in press releases months before vehicle owners are notified by manufacturers,” Miller writes. “This delay provides your dealership with the opportunity to reach out to the owners first and to position yourself as the experts and the dealership that cares.” He also suggests dealers use the NHTSA tool to check when recalls are active.

Taking accurate data into consideration will help dealerships develop strong recall communications that reach the consumer base at precisely the right time. VIN decoding can be built-into the recall process as part of a means of determining the danger of specific recalls and which take the highest priority at a given moment.