Few Drivers Heeding Auto Recalls

Perhaps consumers are just becoming numbed to the constant barrage of automakers’ recalls that have been dominating the headlines in recent months. One case alone involving potentially deadly airbags expanded to encompass 33.8 million units as of this writing, which is about 1.5 million more cars recalled from a single campaign than the auto industry sold in the U.S. during all of 2013 and 2014. And yet, the online car information site Autotrader found that only 56 percent of owners notified about a recall ever take their cars or trucks in for needed repairs. The site’s survey also determined that only 61 percent of consumers make an effort to stay informed about recalls on vehicles they own, and only 35 percent research recalls when shopping for a car or truck. Ironically, in 77 percent of the incidents in which the aforementioned airbags killed or injured drivers, the vehicles had already been recalled by their manufacturers, but not been brought in for repairs by their owners. That’s according to Sean Kane, an auto-safety activist and founder of Safety Research & Strategies, quoted in Autoblog. “The huge number of high-profile recalls recently makes it even more imperative for automakers to get consumers to come into dealerships for repairs and for consumers to proactively check to see if their cars are recalled,” says Autotrader senior analyst Michelle Krebs. “The record-setting recall of vehicles equipped with potentially flawed airbags could ultimately result in new approaches by the government and manufacturers on how recalls are addressed.” When a recall is issued the manufacturer is required to contact every owner of record for that particular model by mail. However, this usually excludes second or third owners. Fortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a free online database at www.safercar.org/vinlookup that allows consumers to determine if cars they currently own - as well as those they’re considering buying in the resale market or are renting (the latter being an issue unto itself) - are at risk because of uncorrected safety-related recalls. Users simply search for issued recalls by entering a model’s vehicle identification number. Also known as a VIN, it’s both noted on a car or truck’s title and can be found at the dashboard on the driver’s side of the vehicle, or on the driver’s side door on the door post. The system will list any unresolved recalls, or if there are none, will simply report, “No Open Recalls.” Owners can also register their vehicles with NHTSA and be contacted automatically if a safety issue is discovered via a downloadable app for Apple and Android phones. The app also enables motorists to submit complaints to NHTSA regarding possible safety problems with their vehicles. Whether or not you’ve received an official notice, if you find out that one (or more) of the models in the family’s fleet has been recalled, contact your local dealership immediately to set up a service appointment (if the recall involves the vehicle’s tires, an owner is limited to a 60-day period after notification to have the issue addressed). Owners shouldn’t be charged for recall-related repairs. Unfortunately, with so many makes and models being recalled these days, it may take patience and flexibility to schedule a service appointment at a local dealership. To make matters worse, some replacement parts - especially those involving the expansive airbag recall - may be scarce for some time to come. If you’re on a waiting list for one or more high-profile recall-related repairs, you may want to limit driving it - or park the car altogether if possible, depending on the nature of the defect - until the work is completed.