Question 1

What is a product recall?

Accepted Answer

A product recall is a formal action — by a manufacturer, distributor, or government agency — to remove a product from sale or fix a defect when there's a safety problem. Recalls can be voluntary (initiated by the company) or ordered by an agency.

Question 2

What kinds of recalls does Product Recall Tracker cover?

Accepted Answer

We index 78,569 recalls across three U.S. federal sources:CPSC — Consumer products (toys, furniture, electronics, appliances, sporting goods)FDA — Drugs, medical devices, food (non-meat), cosmeticsUSDA FSIS — Meat, poultry, and processed egg productsWe do not currently cover NHTSA vehicle recalls.

Question 3

How often is the data updated?

Accepted Answer

We re-sync with each agency's public dataset daily. New recalls and critical alerts typically appear within 24 hours of being published. Last sync: 2026-05-21.

Question 4

How do I search for a specific recall?

Accepted Answer

Use the search bar at the top of any page (or press ⌘K / Ctrl+K). You can search by brand, product name, recall ID, or category. Results show matching recalls, brands, and categories.

Question 5

How do I check if my specific product is recalled?

Accepted Answer

Find your product's model number, lot code, or sell-by date on the packaging. Open the matching recall page on this site and compare those codes against the recall notice. If they match, follow the agency's guidance for refund, replacement, or repair.

Question 6

Is the data accurate?

Accepted Answer

The underlying recall data comes directly from federal agency feeds. Our normalization (brand extraction, category classification, severity scoring) is heuristic — see our methodology page for the full breakdown of how each field is derived and known limitations. If you spot an error, please tell us.

Question 7

What does "critical" severity mean?

Accepted Answer

On this site, "critical" is assigned to recalls whose description mentions death, fire/burn risk, or "do not use" language. It's a heuristic — always defer to the agency's own wording in the recall notice for definitive severity. See the methodology page for the full scoring rules.

Question 8

Do you provide medical or legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. We are an information index, not a medical, legal, or safety advisor. For FDA-regulated drugs and medical devices, never stop or change a prescription based on what you read here — always talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. For injury claims or product liability questions, consult a qualified attorney.

Question 9

Is the site free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Product Recall Tracker is free to use with no signup, no paywall, and no required account. We support the site with ad revenue (Google AdSense). See our privacy policy for what that means for your data.

Question 10

Can I download the data?

Accepted Answer

Not directly. The raw data is public domain from CPSC, FDA, and USDA — you can pull it from those agencies. We do not currently offer a bulk export of our normalized index. If you need it for research or non-commercial use, get in touch.

Question 11

How can I report an injury from a recalled product?

Accepted Answer

Report incidents directly to the issuing agency:Consumer products: SaferProducts.gov (CPSC)Drugs, devices, food: FDA MedWatchMeat, poultry, eggs: USDA FSISIf you've been seriously hurt, also seek medical attention.

Question 12

How do I report a wrong category or brand on a recall page?

Accepted Answer

Email corrections@productrecalltracker.com with the recall ID and what's off. We process corrections on a rolling basis.

Question 13

Are recall repairs really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under federal recall procedures, consumers are entitled to a remedy — refund, free replacement, or free repair — at no cost. There's generally no expiration on safety recalls. Most agencies require remedies even without proof of purchase, though it helps to have the receipt.

Question 14

What browsers do you support?

Accepted Answer

The latest two versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari (desktop + mobile). The site works without JavaScript for basic browsing but the live search requires JavaScript enabled.

Question 15

Do you have an API?

Accepted Answer

Not publicly. The federal source agencies offer their own APIs:openFDAUSDA FSIS recalls APICPSC SaferProducts (CSV download)

Frequently Asked Questions