Recalls are without doubt the biggest story in the auto industry this year, with about 52 million models – that's roughly one out of every five vehicles in the nation – being called back by their manufacturers for safety-related defects. This total has already blown away the previous all-time high of 30.8 million units recalled in 2004; with another two months left on the calendar, 2014 could easily beat the previous record by 100 percent.
As our Forbes.com colleague Micheline Maynard recently reported, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expanding its recall of vehicles equipped with potentially dangerous airbags manufactured by auto supplier Takata to include 7.8 million vehicles from the 2000-2008 model years built by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota, with the possibility of even more models subsequently being included. (UPDATE: We've added NHTSA's list of applicable models being recalled for faulty airbags at the end of this post.)
There seems to be no end to the number of cars being recalled this year, with a new initiative hitting the headlines at the rate of about two a day, according to CNN Money. Virtually all automakers – even some of the lowest-volume exotic makes like Rolls-Royce, Lotus and Lamborghini – have issued at least one recall over the last two years.
GM is telling Pontiac Vibe owners not to let passengers sit in the front seat because of a potentially defective airbag. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Perhaps it's because recalls have become become far too commonplace, but a disconcerting number of consumers seem to be ignoring them altogether. More than 3.5 million used cars hit the market with unresolved recalls on their records last year according to the used-car title search company Carfax, with that number expected to swell exponentially during 2014. "Open recalls are a major public safety issue," says Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. "In fact, our research indicates that more than one in ten used cars for sale online has an open recall."
To be sure, the latest massive recall involving deficient airbags affects some of the most popular used vehicles on the market, including Dodge Ram trucks, Ford Mustangs, Subaru Outbacks and Legacies, Toyota Corollas, Nissan Maximas, Pathfinders and Sentras and Honda Accords, Civic, CR-Vs, Elements and Odysseys.
Automakers usually conduct recalls voluntarily for safety-related defects based on their own research, though sometimes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandates then based on investigations spurred by owner complaints and/or accident data. While many recalls are initiated to resolve serious issues that could lead to crashes, injuries or even fatalities, others can be more benign, such as when the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ sports cars were recalled in 2012 to replace a few misprinted pages in their owners' manuals.
When a recall is issued the manufacturer is required to contact every owner of record for that particular model by mail. By happenstance, however, this usually excludes second or third owners. Fortunately, NHTSA recently launched a free online database 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 that's woefully overlooked) – are at risk because of uncorrected safety-related recalls.
Available at www.safercar.org/vinlookup, users simply enter 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 iOS and Android phones. The free app also enables motorists to submit complaints to NHTSA regarding possible safety problems with their vehicles.
Depending on the nature of the recall, you may want to limit driving it until the repair is completed; in rare instances an automaker may inform owners to leave the vehicle parked until a dealership can resolve the issue. For example, again as originally reported here by Micheline Maynard, GM is telling owners of the since discontinued Pontiac Vibe not to allow passengers to sit in the front seat until cars can be repaired over concerns about a defective airbag inflator.
Because too many consumers tend to mistake recall announcements for junk mail, NHTSA is mandating that manufacturers begin using a distinctive label with the phrase, "important safety recall information issued in accordance with federal law," prominently displayed to distinguish future notifications from other automaker-related missives.
Such notices typically include an explanation of the recall issue, what potential risk or hazard is involved, any warning signs the owner should be aware of, how the automaker intends to remedy the problem and instructions on how to get the problem corrected.
Whether or not you've received a notice, if you discover that your car or truck 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 should not be charged for recall-related repairs.
Unfortunately, with so many makes and models being recalled this year, getting an appointment to have a specified repair initiated at a local dealership may take some time. To make matters worse, replacement parts (especially with the aforementioned 7.8 million cars being recalled to swap out faulty airbags), may be scarce for an extended period, which will further test the patience of already concerned vehicle owners. Still, the best advice is to persevere until the problem, whether major or minor, is resolved.
"Just as every single automaker should never hesitate to recall a defective vehicle, consumers should never hesitate to get their recalled vehicle fixed," says NHTSA deputy administrator David Friedman.
Having trouble getting a recall resolved? Let us know via the Comments section below.
UPDATE: Models affected by Takata airbag recall:
BMW:
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan
2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon
2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible
2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe
2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible
Chrysler:
2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500
2008 – Dodge Ram 5500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango
2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota
2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300
2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen
Ford:
2004 – Ranger
2005 – 2006 GT
2005 – 2007 Mustang
General Motors:
2003 – 2005 Pontiac Vibe
2005 – Saab 9-2X
Honda:
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord)
2001 – 2002 Honda Accord
2001 – 2005 Honda Civic
2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V
2003 – 2011 Honda Element
2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey
2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot
2006 – Honda Ridgeline
2003 – 2006 Acura MDX
2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL
2005 – Acura RL
Nissan:
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2003 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2003 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – Infiniti FX
Mazda:
2003 – 2007 Mazda6
2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8
2004 – 2005 MPV
2004 – B-Series Truck
Mitsubishi:
2004 – 2005 Lancer
2006 – 2007 Raider
Nissan:
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2004 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2004 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45
Subaru:
2003 – 2005 Baja
2003 – 2005 Legacy
2003 – 2005 Outback
2003 – 2005 Baja
2004 – 2005 Impreza
Toyota:
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC
2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla
2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra
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Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/10/23/what-to-do-if-your-car-is-being-recalled/
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