New Rule Makes Motor Vehicle Recalls Easily Accessible

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") announced on August 14, 2013 that it will now require automakers and motorcycle manufacturers to provide consumers with a free online tool enabling them to search recall information for individual vehicles by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).  To read NHTSA's Press Release, click here.   

This online feature will allow consumers to instantly determine whether action is required to address an uncompleted safety recall that affects their personal vehicle, or a used vehicle which they are considering purchasing. The information must be updated weekly, at minimum, and automakers and motorcycle manufacturers have one year to comply with the new rule.

The goal of the new rule is to increase recall completion rates (reportedly at about 70%) through greater consumer awareness.  The new rule also requires automakers and motorcycle manufacturers to use the Department of Transportation’s logo on recall letters sent to owners.  It is hoped that this will further emphasize the importance of the communication.  The new rule also requires automakers and motorcycle manufacturers to inform NHTSA what type of propulsion system and crash avoidance technologies their vehicles have.  It is expected that this information will assist NHTSA in its efforts to spot "defect trends related to these systems and technologies". 

Many automakers already have this feature for consumers on their own sites. In fact, the Center for Auto Safety has a recall section that links to the sites of all automakers that already provide consumers with recall searches. For a link to the site, click here.

One thing is for sure-- this new rule will allow consumer to be better informed before purchasing a used car, truck, or motorcycle.

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

www.CarSalesFraud.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running

Selection Sunday for Motor Vehicles?

Selection Sunday for Motor Vehicles?

Selection Sunday may be one of the most exciting days in college basketball every year.  Teams nationwide hold their breath to see if they have been chosen to fill a slot on our March Madness Brackets.  As I paged through the photographs and articles tonight looking to see if my alma mater had made the cut, I had a thought.  Wouldn't it be nice if there were a Selection Sunday every year for motor vehicles?  Maybe name it Lemon Sunday?  

Instead of the NCAA Selection Committee making the decisions on what teams make the cut, we would have the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") basing their decisions on their national database of Recalls, Defect Investigations, Technical Service Bulletins, and Consumer Complaints.   

Instead of stories about the top teams and the Cinderella team of the year, we would have stories about motor vehicles that had the best crash test results, had the best fuel economy, had the best "gadgets", had the best reviews, were the most reliable, or were the best "bang for the buck".  

Instead of the heartbreaking stories about the teams that didn't make the cut, we would have stories about Recalls, Defect Investigations, Technical Service Bulletins, and Consumer Complaints, or vehicles involved in a high volume of "Lemon Law" lawsuits.

For the average American, Lemon Sunday just wouldn't draw the attention and hysteria of Selection Sunday or March Madness.  But for those of you that have purchased a lemon motor vehicle in the bast, Lemon Sunday would no doubt have you glued to your seats.  Maybe, just maybe, Lemon Sunday would help you avoid the headache that a lemon motor vehicle inevitably brings you.  Or maybe you would make the mistake of choosing the #1 pick only to be let down by the hype.  

Did my alma mater make the cut this year?  No.  Will Lemon Sunday ever become a reality?  Not likely.  But in the meantime, we have the next best thing-- NHTSA.

So, if you are thinking of buying a motor vehicle, save yourself the heartache of purchasing a lemon and take a look at the NHTSA website first.  While there, you can search the Recalls, Defect Investigations, Technical Service Bulletins, and Consumer Complaints for the vehicle that you are planning on purchasing.  Just go to and enter in the year, make, and model of your vehicle.  While researching your vehicle on NHTSA may not be full proof, it is certainly the next best thing to Lemon Sunday.   

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running

Car Repair for the Female Consumer- Part 5: Continuing to Document the Unrepaired Defect

Step 5: Continuing to Document the Unrepaired Defect

If the defect is not fixed, call the dealer right back and make another appointment. In the meantime, continue to document the defect in your defect diary, and in photographs or videos.

You may also want to go online to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") website to search for any service bulletins, safety recalls, defect investigations, or consumer complaints that are similar to the defect or defects which you are experiencing.


A service bulletin is a manufacturer’s repair for a known defect in a vehicle line which is issued to the manufacturer’s authorized dealers. 

A safety recall is a notice issued to a consumer by a manufacturer for repair of a safety defect in a particular line of vehicles. Consumer complaints can be initiated by other consumers to NHTSA regarding a defect or problem that the consumer is having with their vehicle. 

A defect investigation is initiated by NHTSA when it receives repeated consumer complaints regarding the same defect or problem which is considered a safety risk.

Once you are on the NHTSA website, you can search by year, make, and model of vehicle, or make a consumer complaint.

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running