Vehicle History Report Recalls

What is a Vehicle Recall?

A vehicle recall is simply a way the manufacturer informs the owner that a problem exists or could exist with a vehicle. Often, manufacturers offer a remedy for the situation. Although the owner does not have to adhere to the recall and have the problem corrected, he or she should consider heeding the warning when the recall involves a high-risk safety issue.

Vehicle Recall Decisions

The decision to issue a recall often stems from a ruling by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to take such action. Sometimes, the manufacturer will discover a problem on its own and issue a recall on a vehicle. In this case, the manufacturer must then notify the NHTSA about the recall.

A manufacturer may choose to deal with a problem in three ways.

• It may offer to repair the vehicle, at no cost to the owner. However, if you bought your vehicle more than 10 years from the date of the recall, you would not qualify for the free repair work.

• The manufacturer might decide to replace a vehicle with one of the same model, or one similar to it.

• It may choose to refund the purchase price of the vehicle, minus a depreciation allowance.

Remember, it's up to the manufacturer, not the consumer, to decide how to correct the situation.

Recall Notification

When a manufacturer announces a recall, it must send a first-class letter to all registered owners of the vehicle within a reasonable amount of time. (The manufacturer can get the names from the state motor vehicle offices.)

Loaded with helpful, detailed information, these letters include a description of the problem, the safety implications of the problem, how to get the problem corrected, how long it will take to do so, and when the correction is available.

Finding Recalls Online

Sometimes letters get lost, or your name gets accidentally overlooked. As a result, you might be missing out on valuable safety information. That's why it's a good idea to take the initiative and periodically check for recall information on your own.

It's simple to do this. Go to a Web site such as that of the NHTSA, and conduct a search in a matter of seconds. Type in the year, make, and model of the vehicle, and you'll be given a list of all the recalls for that vehicle.

If you are in doubt about a recall, contact the manufacturer, or call the NHTSA at (888) 327-4236.

Of course, it's possible that you might have noticed a problem and had it repaired before the manufacturer issued a recall. In that case, you could be eligible for a refund of the repair cost, providing a mechanic did the work within the time parameters allowed. You will also need to show proof of the cost of the work, such as a repair bill.

For more information about recalls, be sure to visit our Recalls page.