Safety recalls for your vehicle happen for many reasons and it’s important that you check for recalls that might need to be taken care of on your vehicle.
Whether you’re driving a car you’ve had for a long time or you’re looking to buy a vehicle as a used model from another person, you need to know what it means to take care of these recalls for a vehicle.
Why do You Need to Complete Recalls?
The vehicle you drive on the road might not be something you think about very often, but it has thousands of moving parts that all have to work right. If something doesn’t work you might not be able to continue to drive. Sometimes, the item that doesn’t work or is identified as potentially a problem for you, is something that becomes a threat to your safety on the road. The result of this discovery is a safety recall that needs to be remedied quickly.
Check for Recalls on Airbags
One of the most frightening recalls in recent automotive history was a recall for airbags. Nearly every manufacturer was using the same airbags from one particular manufacturer. Unfortunately, these airbags were found to be defective with the potential of exploding without warning or cause. They were also known to cause injuries to drivers when in an accident. You should check for recalls and find out if the airbags on your vehicle or one you want to buy have been completed.
Safety Recall Horror Stories
Ford and Firestone Tires
In 2000, Firestone had to issue a safety recall for 14.4 million tires after the NHTSA learned of many incidences of tread separation in the ATX and ATX II tires. These were the standard tires put on the Ford Explorers at the time and these SUVs showed a tendency to rollover. Rather than redesign the Explorer, a lower tire pressure was used which increased the heat on the tire which, in turn, increased the likelihood of tread separation.
Toyota Unintended Acceleration
Between 2009 and 2010, Toyota issued a safety recall for nearly nine milling vehicles. This recall was issued after reports of unintended acceleration were experienced by drivers. Initially, the recall listed the problem as being the floormats that were thought to interfere with the accelerator and cause it to get stuck. Further investigation of this issue revealed the problem was mechanical and the pedal would stick in the acceleration position and cause a car to drive when a driver didn’t mean it to.
Don’t Be a Safety Hazard – Check for Recalls
Unless you want to be the next in the line of recall horror stories, you need to check for recalls on your vehicle. Once your vehicle is registered with your local motor vehicle association, you’ll receive recall notices when a recall is issued for your vehicle. If you receive a recall notice, have it fixed right away. Safety recalls that aren’t repaired and addressed aren’t just a problem for you, the owner, they are a problem for everyone on the road. Don’t be a safety hazard and risk to other drivers, make sure the recalls are completed.
Visit a Trusted Service Team for Your Recall
When a safety recall is issued for your vehicle, you need a name you can trust to handle the job of addressing this recall for you. Check for recalls for your vehicle and bring it to the appropriate dealer service team with the brand name of your vehicle on the sign. This is the best way to know that your safety recall is being addressed by a team that knows your vehicle better than any other.
Check for Recalls Before You Buy
If you’re considering the purchase of a vehicle from a private owner, you need to check for recalls before making the purchase. Most safety recalls can be completed at the dealership free of charge, but if you’re looking at a vehicle with a long list of recalls that haven’t been completed, you might want to walk away from it.
Be a Responsible Driver
While the discovery of a safety recall means you need to bring your vehicle to the dealership to have the recall corrected, you want to make sure you have all recalls completed right away. Check for recalls on any vehicle you own and let the dealer in your area take care of the issues for you. Be a responsible car owner and driver and make sure your vehicle is safe for you and the other drivers on the road with you.
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