Over the past few months, a number of motor vehicle recalls have been announced in the press - and even more recalls have been issued. So how do you know whether your car really is involved in a recall?

Typically, when a recall is issued for a certain year, make, and model, not every car of that kind may be included in the recall. It may just be cars that were made at a certain factory, or have parts from a specific supplier, or were built during a certain time frame.

When your car is covered under the recall, you should receive a letter from the automaker when your specific vehicle is involved and advising that you take the car to an authorized repair shop.

Also, when you take your car in for regular service at a car dealership, the service advisor may inform you that there is a recall open on your vehicle and the dealership likely will be able to make the repair for you. (The dealership knows this because their automaker helps provide them with information about the recall, which cars are involved, and instructions and training on how to complete the repairs necessary to complete the recall.)

Finally, you also can receive advance notice of recalls through an automated e-mail system from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The system allows you to opt-in to receive information about all vehicle recalls or just on specific cars. While you’ll still need to check with the automaker or your local car dealer’s service dept. to verify whether your specific car is involved, this system can give you a timely heads up.

To register, go to http://www.safercar.gov and click on the link for Email Recall Notifications. From there, complete the onscreen prompts to sign-up to receive recalls for the types of vehicles you currently own or for all cars. (Note: From Safercar.gov, you also can search for past motor vehicle recalls, read the details of recalls, and select to receive recall notices for tire and child restraints recalls.)