Car Recalls

Vehicle safety is the most important thing to both Government Agencies and Car Manufacturers. And any minute defect that can cause a vehicle to crash is made immediately known to the public in the form of a vehicle recall. Most car companies will issue car recalls themselves in order to eliminate the problem but also to keep their reputation in tact. Technical Service Bulletins are often released ahead of recalls on vehicles. These are internal documents sent to the dealers alerting them of potential problems. Ultimately if the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration gets consumer complains, they can force a car recall into effect. When this happens, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to notify the owners with an Official Vehicle Recall Notice which is sent through the mail. For obvious reasons though, the notices may not reach their intended target. So you can research car recalls online at many various sources including Autobytel.com and the NHTSA website. Searching the databases located online is the easiest way to find recalls on vehicles.

With all the different operating systems and mechanical parts on a new car, it is no surprise that something is bound to fail. No manufacturer can produce the perfect automobile, and there are situations where a part is defective and a car recall is necessary. Most vehicle recalls occur within a year or two of a vehicle being sold to the public. Car recalls can come about in a couple of different ways. First, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) can order recalls on vehicles. If the NHTSA gets a number of consumer complains, they can launch an investigation into the matter to see if there is indeed a defect. If so, there will be automobile recalls issued. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can issue car recalls if there are emission problems with a vehicle. All automobiles must pass the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations mandate. Under the U.S Department of Transportation, equipment testing is done on all passenger vehicles for sale in the U.S. and vehicle recalls can be issued if the automobiles do not pass one of the many standards.

Occasionally automobile recalls will be big enough news to hit all the mass media channels. But more often you will get a vehicle recall notice. It is important for the consumer to check for car recalls online at a website like Autobytel.com. If you do find recalls on vehicles that you own, make sure to go to the NHTSA source for the official information and the campaign identification number for your specific car recall. Next contact your local dealership to see about fixing the problem. If the car is less than 10 years old then the costs incurred for car recalls should be the responsibility of the dealership or the manufacturer. But for vehicle recall that are older than 10 years; getting reimbursed may be out of the question. Read Less »