Drivers Guide To Recalls
Learn about the vehicle recall process and what to do if your car is affected, in this factsheet for drivers.
No one wants their vehicle to be a part of a recall but its important that you take swift action if you see or receive a recall notice about your vehicle. Taking action can help you, or someone you know, avoid injury or even death.
What Is A Car Recall
In the automotive space, a product recall is a statement from the manufacturer that a safety risk is present in certain examples of its vehicles. Specifically, recalls are issued when a car or car part fails to comply with one or more Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set the NHTSA, or when cars or parts exhibit a safety-related defect.
A recall campaign can affect a wide range of vehicles, like a Volvorecall that applied to every 2019 and 2020 model year vehicle, but it can also impact just a handful. In 2021, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche issued recalls that applied to just one model each. The Takata airbag recall is perhaps the most infamous in recent memory, affecting over 42 million vehicles, but issues with braking, electrical, exterior lighting, and powertrain systems were responsible for more recall campaigns in 2019.
The NHTSA says the majority of recall decisions are made in-house by manufacturers, without the need for involvement by the government safety administration. A conversation with Brian Latouf, Hyundai’s chief safety officer, confirmed that notion. Latouf told us OEMs including Hyundai have a safety office that looks at consumer and dealer data streams to detect trends, and then conduct investigations into those trends when necessary by evaluating the frequency and risk value around a specific vehicle issue.
Toyota Adds To Fuel Pump Recall
Toyota is amending a safety recall involving fuel pumps that was announced on January 13, 2020. Approximately 1.8 million vehicles in total are now involved in this recall, as amended. The models and model years that have vehicles included in this recall are certain:
- 2013-2015 Model Year Lexus LS 460
- 2013-2014 Model Year Lexus GS 350
- 2014 Model Year Toyota FJ Cruiser, Lexus IS-F
- 2014-2015 Model Year Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser Lexus GX 460, IS 350, LX 570
- 2015 Model Year Lexus NX 200t, RC 350
- 2017 Model Year Lexus IS 200t, RC 200t
- 2017-2019 Model Year Toyota Sienna Lexus RX 350
- 2018 Model Year Lexus GS 300
- 2018-2019 Model Year Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra Lexus ES 350, GS 350, IS 300, IS 350, LC 500, LC 500h, LS 500, LS 500h, RC 300, RC 350, RX 350L.
The subject vehicles are equipped with a fuel pump which may stop operating. If this were to occur, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and the engine may run rough. This can result in a vehicle stall, and the vehicle may be unable to be restarted. If a vehicle stall occurs while driving at higher speeds, this could increase the risk of a crash.
For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the involved fuel pump with an improved one at no cost to customers.
Owners of vehicles currently included in the recall, that were not included in the original recall population on January 13, 2020, will be notified by early May.
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Village Subaru Is Ready To Help With Subarurecalls
Every now and then, Subaru might issue a recall foryour vehicle so that our team of Subaru experts can check or repair somethingto make sure that your car drives safely and smoothly. That’s why it’simportant to bring your car in for service if your vehicle is recalled.Fortunately, our team is available to address recalls and make the necessaryrepairs to help you get back on the road with confidence.
Want To Save On Car Insurance
Regardless of your risk level, car insurance can be undeniably expensive, especially in Canada. If you’re tired of spending your time re-shopping your car insurance policy, you can skip the hassle by reaching out to a Surex insurance advisor.
At Surex, our team’s top priority is providing you with the best car insurance quotes that we can find. Thankfully, our team works side-by-side with the best car insurance providers in Canada this makes finding high-quality quotes simple, easy and speedy.
Contact one of our insurance advisors today to receive ten quotes in ten minutes or less!
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Honda Recalls Civic Hybrid Fit And Acura Ilx
Potential Number of Units Affected 210,000
Summary
Honda is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2014 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break. A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of crash or injury.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Hondas numbers for this recall are E9B and A9A.
How Do I Find Out If My Car Has A Safety Recall
Manufacturers are required to notify the original vehicle purchaser if their vehicle is recalled. While the contact information for many used vehicle buyers is passed along to the manufacturer, it is important for used car buyers to let the manufacturer know that they are now the registered owner of a vehicle so they can be notified if its recalled. A franchised dealer can also ensure that the manufacturers database is updated to include you as the current owner.
This also applies to tires when you purchase a new set of tires, register them with the manufacturer so they know how to contact you in the event of a recall. Here is a list of tire manufacturers with links to make it easy for you to register with them.
Ideally, if your vehicle is recalled you will receive a letter from the manufacturer in the mail. It will include a description of the problem, the potential consequences and recommended steps to have it fixed. You will be prompted to contact your local dealership to make a service appointment and have your vehicle repaired. The recent spike in safety recalls has complicated this process, as in some cases the number of vehicles needing repair vastly outnumbers the parts available, and many vehicle owners are waiting months to have their vehicles repaired to safe standard.
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Initiated Safety Recalls Require A Manufacturer’s Action To Announce And Remedy The Defects
A recall is issued when a manufacturer or 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.
Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle.
Using our VIN lookup tool, you can access recall information provided by the manufacturer conducting the recall which may be not posted yet on NHTSAs site.
Schedule Service With Your Dealer
Recall work can be performed at your local dealership, simply by scheduling an appointment. Some recalls are more urgent than others, but regardless, you shouldn’t wait to have this important work completed. In some cases, the dealer can even arrange to have your vehicle towed if the matter is particularly serious. No matter the type or extent of the recall, all repair work is completed at no cost to you, the owner.
For even more peace of mind, you can receive recall email alerts from NHTSA, by signing up at nhtsa.gov/alerts.
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Do You Have A Fix For The Takata Airbag Recall That Is Affecting Nissan Vehicles
Yes, we do. Courtesy Nissan understands the importance of getting this important component on your vehicle repaired, and repaired quickly. We have the parts available now to perform this repair and can do it at no charge. Simply schedule an appointment today to bring your vehicle in. Courtesy Nissan has a fleet of loaner vehicles available so you can stay on the road while your vehicle is being fixed please call ahead to confirm availability.
How To Verify If A Recall Issue Has Been Repaired
In many cases, a recall issue is not addressed even if a vehicles owner is aware of the problem. If that vehicle is then sold to someone else, the new owner is at a safety risk. Until fairly recently, consumers could only check the NHTSA website with a vehicles make and year to verify any recalls, but they could not verify if a specific recall car had been repaired.Today consumers can search through the NHTSA or automaker websites to confidently verify whether particular vehicles safety issues have been addressed. Even better, the search function applies to all major automakers and motorcycle manufacturers and is updated at least once every week.
This is welcome peace of mind for frustrated consumers who in the past were required to wade through cumbersome registration processes or set up accounts before being granted access to recall searches. In addition to consumer convenience, this search option has increased safety recall completion rates to more than 70%.
If a recall is active during a search, consumers can read a description of the problem and associated repair. If the repair has not been completed, a Recall Incomplete message will prominently appear.
Recall data covers the past 15 years, and while automakers are required by law to complete no-charge repairs on vehicles more than ten years old, they often do so as a responsible service to customers.
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How Do I Check For A Recall On My Car
In most cases, the automaker will send you a notice in the mail to announce a recall. But if youre the proactive type or if you bought the car used you might want to check for a recall yourself.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , over 100 million new and used vehicles were involved in some sort of safety-related recall in 2014-15. Recalls vary in severity, but they all relate to the safety of the vehicle, so theyre all worth paying attention to.
Start by looking up the year, make and model of your vehicle on a site like KBB.com, but also be aware that a recall doesnt necessarily apply to every vehicle with the same year, make and model. Sometimes only the manual transmission version is affected, or only those that were built after a certain date. The best way to know for sure is to call the phone number that we provide on your vehicles recall page or go to the government NHTSA site and look up your specific car by its 17-character VIN number.
And if you REALLY want to stay on top of recalls, you could check back here periodically, or NHTSA offers downloadable Android Auto and Apple CarPlay apps with recall information, plus NHTSA maintains a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter to announce recalls.
For more about how to stay current on recalls, read full article.
How To Check If Your Car Is Affected By A Recall
There’s a chance an open recall could exist on the vehicle in your driveway as you read this. Automakers are required to contact owners about recalls that apply to their vehicles, but especially if you’re the second or third owner or service the vehicle at an independent shop, the manufacturer may not have your contact information.
Oh, and don’t assume just because you bought a used car from a dealership that it’s had all the recall work performed. Juliet Guerra of the National Automobile Dealers Association told us unless a used vehicle is determined by the NHTSA or the manufacturer to be too dangerous to drive or operate, it can still be sold by dealers. According to Guerra, “Dealers fully embrace providing notice to consumers so they are fully aware of any identified defects and can arrange to have the defect repaired as soon as parts are available.”
The easiest way to check for open recalls on your car is to visit the NHTSA’s recall site and enter your Vehicle Identification Number or VIN.
The NHTSA also recently introduced its SaferCar app, which can notify you when recalls are issued for your vehicle. Upon downloading, you can enter your VIN or year, make, and model , and the app will alert you if the manufacturer issues a recall.
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What Is A Vin
VIN is short for vehicle identification number, which means theres no reason to say VIN number. A VIN is a vehicles individualized serial code used to place it within the governments records. Its now made up of a combination of 17 letters and numbers, and you need it for numerous reasons such as insurance, selling the vehicle, checking history before you purchase a used car, or checking if the vehicle has an active recall.
What Happens If There Is A Recall On My Car
In general, recalls are not doomsday alerts of a cars safety on the road. Many recalls, in fact, are minor but still require the time and hassle of scheduling dealer service appointments. For example, if a particular part on a manufacturers vehicle prematurely fails or wears out much sooner than expected, a recall might be issued to replace the part on all applicable models.
In many cases, recalls are not limited to traditional mechanical issues like a sticky transmission. Cars are highly sophisticated technological vessels these days, and computer bugs can be more common than finicky motors. In fact, the software is responsible for operating many of a cars components, and a computer virus is certainly not repaired out in the garage like the old days.
In all cases, however, every recall should be addressed as some are more critical and affect the safety of the vehicle. If the recall issue is not repaired, the vehicle will have an open recall until it is resolved.
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Ford Fuel Tank Recall
Potential Number of Units Affected 5,456
Summary
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2022 Maverick vehicles. The fuel tank may have been damaged by drill holes during the installation of the spray-in bed-liner. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 301, Fuel System Integrity. A damaged fuel tank may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel tank as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Fords number for this recall is 21C35.
Check If A Vehicle Part Or Accessory Has Been Recalled
Find out if the manufacturer has recalled a vehicle, part or accessory because of a serious safety problem.
You need to get your car fixed or replaced by the manufacturer if theres a problem. You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts.
If your vehicle has a serious safety defect, the manufacturer will write to you to tell you what to do. You must not drive the vehicle.
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What Are Common Reasons For Vehicle Recalls By Manufacturer Canada
The following are some of the most common reasons for vehicle recalls in Canada:
- Issues with equipment within the vehicle
- Problem with seats or interior functionality relating to safety
- Complications with airbags and other safety features
- Issues with tires
Here’s a simple example:
A car manufacturer realizes that the airbags in a particular model exert too much force on release. The airbags injure drivers and passengers, making them an enormous safety issue. Instead of ignoring the problem, the manufacturer will recall that particular model.
What Does A Safety Recall Mean To Me
If your vehicle or part of its equipment is subject to a safety recall, it means the manufacturer or NHTSA has decided that a possible defect in your vehicle is a concern, and they want to make sure it never causes a safety issue. You can learn more about safety recalls by visiting NHTSA’s website here.
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How Long Do I Have To Fix My Car
The recall letter will normally provide a date by which you must get your car checked out. Just because your vehicle is included in the recall does not necessarily mean it is defective. It is for this reason that it is important to at least bring your car in to make sure you do not have one of the defective parts that needs to be replaced. We never recommend you ignore a recall letter as it may prevent you from receiving replacement parts in the event the defect presents itself. If the recall involves a tire, however, this repair work must be completed within 60 days of receiving the letter.
