Check the VIN of the car you are buying, close to the time you buy it. A general statement that the model has been recalled does not tell you whether this vehicle is affected or whether a repair has been completed.
NHTSA's recall lookup is a useful place to start. Enter the VIN from the vehicle and compare it with the paperwork. Save the result with the date so you know what was checked and when.
The next step depends on what comes back.
If an open recall appears
Read the notice and contact the manufacturer or an authorized dealer about the remedy. Find out whether the repair is available, how it will be arranged, and what interim instructions apply.
A notice may include restrictions such as not driving the vehicle or parking it away from structures. Follow the instructions for that recall. A normal-feeling test drive does not resolve the defect described in the notice.
An open recall needs a plan, but the plan depends on the issue. The useful conversation is specific: which recall, what remedy, when it can be completed, and what documentation will establish that it was done.
If the result shows no open recalls
That result has limits. NHTSA's VIN lookup omits completed recalls and may not yet include every VIN in a newly announced campaign. Some older or other excluded recalls also may not appear.
It is useful evidence about the lookup result at that time. It does not certify the entire condition of the car.
When the seller says a recall was just repaired but the lookup still shows it open, obtain the repair record and resolve the mismatch with an authorized dealer or the manufacturer. Recording delays are possible; guessing which record is right is unnecessary.
After buying, keep your contact details current with the manufacturer and use recall alerts or periodic checks. A purchase-date search cannot tell you what will be announced later.
Treat recall status as an item to resolve with current evidence. It should not be reduced to a reassuring sentence in a listing.