Every year millions of cars get recalled. In 2010, over 20 million cars were recalled (almost twice as many as new cars sold).Like all machines cars too have certain limitations and are prone to flaws and manufacturing defects which may compromise the car’s reliability and safety. A small error in the car’s engineering or a slight negligence during its production stage can cause huge problems for the vehicle owner later on. So what is the ideal solution for such situations when a car encompassing certain technical faults has been sold and does not meet the safety standards required as per law? The right thing for a car manufacturer in such circumstances is country wide car recall.
What is Car Recall?
The next big question is, what exactly entails a car recall evoked by the car manufacturer. When customers encounter similar problems with a specific car model built within a particular time frame, it indicates an oversight on the part of the car maker. As numerous car owners report similar complaints or faults in a specific model, the manufacturer has to look into the matter deeply to determine the seriousness of the issue, which is then made public. In simple words, cars are recalled by the manufacturer to gather them and resolve their technical issues. In rare cases, when the automaker fails to recall the faulty vehicles, the government intervenes and orders the manufacturer to recall the malfunctioning vehicles.
Common Defects in Recalled Cars
Certain defects in a car may jeopardize the driver’s safety, hence require immediate action to be repaired. Recalls are not intended for trivial matters such as normal wear and tear or air conditioning problems. Usually, the type of defects for which cars are recalled include malfunctioning airbags that take a long time to deploy, faulty steering wheels which may cause loss of car control, broken accelerators that freeze unexpectedly, defective brakes which fail to respond, and wiring issues or possible leaks which hold the risk of fire.
Procedure
Generally, the owners are informed via an e-mail or phone call by the dealership as soon as it verifies there are faults in the car’s functioning. Once owners receive car recall notification they can call any dealership that sells their particular car model and schedule an appointment to avail the repair services. The dealers are bound by law to provide these services free of charge.
If you are a victim of car recall, you need to keep in mind certain things. While you get your car repaired, the dealership may also offer to repair any other faults in the car, however these repairs may not be a part of the recall and you would be charged for it separately. So, make sure you ask them to clarify the repairs specified by the car recall.
In case you already got your car repaired before the recall was made, you can seek full reimbursement from the automaker as long as you have availed the services from one of its franchises. However, if the car was fixed by an independent mechanic, you would have to present the bill receipts as evidence to acquire compensation.
Car recalls can be troublesome but you should not fail to acknowledge the possible dangers you are saved from in the long run. All in all, you walk out of the dealership with a fully repaired car devoid of any costs which in itself is a lot to be grateful for.