1 In 6 Used Cars for Sale Has an Open Recall. What You Need to Know

Automobile manufacturers and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) actively monitor the performance of all the vehicles on the road to ensure that they are safe to operate. Suppose either of these entities determines a reason for a vehicle to be considered unsafe due to a manufacturing error, part issue, or other system failures.  In that case, an Open Recall Notice is issued for the vehicle so that it can be made safe by the National Highway Safety Administration.

One of the most prominent recalls in recent history is the Takada airbag recall. It was determined the Takada airbags used in many vehicles were causing injuries when deployed due to the mechanisms used to make them pop out on impact. NHTSA issued a recall notice on millions of vehicles so that these safety devices could be repaired in order to work properly.  It could be that your vehicle is subject to a safety related defect and an outstanding recall.  Nothing prevents car dealerships from selling an auto warranty and car warranties but your recall check will identify the vehicle model and will check for open recalls.

1 In 6 Cars Have An Open Recall

It is scary to think 16 percent of all vehicles that are currently operating on the roads have safety problems and recalls on your vehicle may not have been identified posing a safety risk to you and your motor vehicle. It is even more distressing to think about how many used vehicles and cars with open recalls are being sold at car dealerships without having the recalls repaired on them. This places the new owners of these used vehicles in a very risky position, especially if they are under the assumption that the car is in good working order.

What is perhaps the most frustrating aspect about this situation is that recall repairs cost the vehicle owner absolutely nothing. When you are notified about a recall on your vehicle, all you have to do is take the vehicle to a dealership, and they will make the repair for free. It is that simple.  No Lemon Law needed.

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How Do You Know If There Is An Open Recall?

When a recall is placed on a vehicle, the manufacturer will contact the owners of the vehicles to notify them of the recall. This is done through the vehicle identification number or VIN. When they run the VIN, they will find out who the vehicle’s registered owner is and then send a notice of the necessary repair.  We get this information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Buying Used Cars Safely

When you are looking at different used cars to purchase, you may have a lot of questions about the vehicle. How many miles are on the vehicle? Has it been in any accidents? How many previous owners have there been? One of the additional questions that you must ask is if there are any open recalls on the vehicle.

The answers to these questions will allow you to make an informed decision when purchasing any used car or truck.

Do you want to make sure that you know everything about a vehicle before deciding to make a purchase? To find out all of the meaningful information about the history of a vehicle you are considering buying, purchase a VINsmart report on the car.

VINsmart offers a comprehensive look at the history of any vehicle based on its VIN. Whether you buy or sell cars, the report will look at all the available information about the car including:

– The number of previous registrations
– Reported accident history
– Mileage history
– Salvage title data
– Recorded major repair history
– Reported flood damage
– Reported vehicle thefts
– Recall history and record of recall repairs / unfixed recalled / safety recall / safety issues / recalls meaning from the vehicle manufacturer

If more information about the vehicle is available, it will be contained in the report. These comprehensive reports will allow you to understand how your vehicle was used and cared for prior to your prospective purchase.

It Is Important To Make Recall Repairs to Maintain Safety Standards

Automotive recalls are not made for ordinary issues that may arise with a vehicle. There has to be a serious safety risk to the consumer for the manufacturers to issue a recall. If your vehicle has an active recall, it is because the car is unsafe to operate.

Recall repairs are free to the vehicle owner. There is no valid reason not to have the repairs made. Knowing if a vehicle you are planning to buy has open recalls on it can make the difference in keeping you and your family safe.

When Purchasing A Vehicle

Always remember to have a VINsmart report run on the vehicle before making any vehicle purchase.  A VINsmart report runs a complete history on the vehicle including whether it has ever been reported as stolen, has been involved in a major accident, or has been listed as a totaled vehicle.

VINsmart reports will also give you a history of registration and mileage at registration.  It reports any significant incidents related to the vehicle, such as being involved in a fire or flood.

When you are going to purchase a used vehicle, the best way to ensure you are making a good purchase is to know the vehicle’s complete history.  Simply click the button.

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To get started with VINsmart, click here.

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