“What is a Recall”

What is a recall and what does it mean? Millions of cars every year get recalled from all different makes, models, and manufacturers. In this blog, we will cover the basics of recalls what to do, and how to check if your vehicle is recalled. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “a car recall is issued when a manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards.” Most decisions to conduct a recall and remedy a safety defect are made voluntarily by manufacturers prior to any involvement by NHTSA. The manufacturer most likely incorrectly mass-produced a part or had a defect come up that was not present in testing. 

The manufacturer of the vehicle should pay for all fixes related to the recalled part. It is important to find an authorized dealer as they can work directly with the manufacturer and be able to quickly and properly fix the problem. In some cases, the company may have to purchase the vehicle from you because the recall is too dangerous to fix. When delivering the car to the location you will be getting the vehicle fixed, be sure to bring along a copy of the recall letter to ensure the proper work is done and to avoid confusion. 

To be notified of a recall, you may receive a letter in the mail. If you were not the first owner or have moved, a letter from NHTSA or from the manufacturer of your vehicle may not come. To check to see if your vehicle has any recalls on it, go to the NHTSA website. It should be as simple as putting in the vehicle's VIN. If you have any complaints with the service or believe there should be a possible recall, contact NHTSA.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration monitors all recalls within the United States and works with the consumer and the manufacturer to ensure the recalls have been properly dealt with. 

A recall can be a scary situation if the problem sounds major. The good news is that there should be no cost to the consumer other than a few days without your vehicle. If you have any worries about recalls to your vehicle check out https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.