By James Raia
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced 966 safety recalls in 2019 affecting more than 53 million vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. Its public information media and consumer outreach defines communication efficiency.
Still, despite many notices and public warnings, some vehicle and vehicle equipment issues are never repaired.
It’s why the NHTSA has issued a plea for consumers, particularly in three well-documented areas:
* Tens of millions of Takata airbags, the largest recall in U.S. history;
* More than 1.7 million Harbor Freight jack stands, which could collapse and injure people around or underneath a vehicle;
* More than 2.1 million Denso fuel pumps, which could fail and result in a stall that causes a crash.
Safety recalls galore
The national government agency’s release noted:
“While not all recalls are high profile, all are important. Don’t risk your safety, that of your loved ones, or others on the road by failing to address any open vehicle or equipment recall. Protect yourself and your family.”
To check for concerns, visit: NHTSA.gov/Recalls.
The NHTSA also suggests:
* Use NHTSA’s Lookup Tool to check your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for any open recalls, including Takata recalls.
* Download the SaferCar app and let it check automatically for you.
* If your vehicle does have a recall, call your automaker’s local dealer to schedule the free repair.
* Sign up at NHTSA.gov/Alerts to be notified by email if your vehicle is affected by a future recall.
If you think your vehicle may have a safety defect not part of a current recall, contact NHTSA online or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
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The problem with Recalls and General RV or Vehicle maintenance is the fact that many recalls are issued, but the dealerships don’t have the parts to fix the problems. So, you will spend many months waiting for your dealership to get the parts to fix it AND then you have to schedule an appointment to get the Vehicle in for Service. Especially with RV’s it may be months before you can HOPE to get your RV to a repair facility.
This problem will never change!
It took me almost 7 years to get an air bag recall fixed – in the end it was a 2-minute reset of some computer (or so they told me). I have no idea if actually fixed, but at least I no longer get a recall reminder every six months. And yes, I did attempt to get it fixed each time I got a recall reminder!
What should owners of Promaster Vans do when there are two active recalls on their vehicle, and Dodge is either unable or willing to find a dealer who has the necessary parts? I was told by a representative on the Promaster hotline that they give priority to owners who use their vans for work. This has been going on for over a year.
Thank you for sharing the NHTSA resource and for printing recalls in your newsletter. When questions about buying used RVs pop up on Facebook RV sites, I always provide the link to NHTSA as part of their homework. When we bought our current 2009 a few years back, I was surprised and pleased to see that it had ZERO recalls. If potential buyers checked the recall list and noted how many times certain manufacturers appear, they would think twice about their purchase…or at least demand they be fixed before taking ownership.