Have you ever looked in your mailbox and received a car recall letter from your vehicle manufacturer? Usually, the letter will be marked with words like “Urgent” or “Important”.
While those words are usually accurate, not everyone is great about taking action from a letter in the mail. With so much “junk mail” to sift through, it is easy to file vehicle recalls away or throw them away altogether.
So, if you’ve got a scratch in the back of your mind that nags at you about your car, maybe you should check into your car recall status.
Let’s go over some basics about the car recall process to help you out.
What Is a Recall on a Car?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, whose sole function is to keep people safe on America’s roadways, vehicle recalls are serious things and require consumers to take action.
“A recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHSTA determines that a vehicle… creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards,” explains the NHTSA website.
This means that there is a significant enough risk to the consumer’s safety that would be you) the vehicle’s owner to initiate a car recall in order to have the affected part replaced in a vehicle.
What Is a Safety Recall on a Car?
A safety recall is issued when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to driver or passenger safety. It's the most urgent category of car recalls and typically requires immediate action from the vehicle owner.
What Happens When Your Car Is Recalled?
Once it has been determined, either by the NHTSA or the auto manufacturer, that a car recall is required, an automobile manufacturer must notify registered owners of the affected vehicles within 60 days.
The company will send you this notice via first-class mail. If you think you may have seen one, but don’t know if you paid attention, rest assured. You’ll most likely get more than one notice.
I was a part of the GM vehicle recalls for ignition switches from 2014. I received several notices until I finally took my car to the dealership to be serviced.
Do I Really Need to Take My Car in For a Recall?
Sometimes it may be easy to see something and think, “Do I really need to be bothered with doing anything about that? My car works just fine, now.”
Well, your car may be working just fine now, but disaster could be right around the corner. The car recall I experienced involved faulty ignition switches on Chevy Cobalts, Saturn Ions, and other older models manufactured by General Motors.
The issue with the switches was that they could shut off in the middle of vehicle operation, causing a loss of power steering and power braking. Not ideal if you’re on the highway driving at 70 mph. Even worse, the loss of power meant the airbags may not have deployed upon collision.
Once I learned that information, I was on the phone with my dealership to get my vehicle in for the recall ASAP.
Also, if you need more motivation to go and get your vehicle recalls taken care of, think of the amount of money it costs for an auto manufacturer to initiate and perform a car recall. It can cost them millions of dollars to perform.
Sometimes that cost can soar into the hundreds of millions. Check out Reuters.com’s report on the timeline of the GM recall that I was a part of. If a company is willing to spend that kind of money, then you know they think it is important, and so should you.
How Long Do Car Recalls Last?
One of the most common questions people have about vehicle recalls is whether they expire. The short answer: most don't.
For vehicles less than 15 years old, manufacturers are required by federal law to fix the defect at no charge, and that obligation doesn't come with a hard deadline. However, parts availability can become an issue over time, particularly for older vehicles.
The older your car gets, the harder it may be to source the replacement components. The bottom line is, don't sit on a recall notice. Acting sooner rather than later is always the smarter move.
I Think I Might’ve Seen a Recall For My Car. How to Check For a Recall on a Car?
Fortunately, there are many resources available to consumers who may be affected by vehicle recalls. You can always go to your car manufacturer’s website and search “recall”.
More conveniently, you can visit the NHTSA’s recall safety website and insert your car’s VIN number. That page will easily help you identify any pertinent vehicle recalls that may affect you directly.
How Long Do Car Recalls Take to Fix?
The time it takes to complete a car recall repair varies depending on the complexity of the fix. Simple repairs (like a software update or a small component swap) might take an hour or two.
More involved repairs could mean leaving your car at the dealership for a full day or longer. When you schedule your appointment, ask the service advisor upfront how long the repair is expected to take so you can plan accordingly and avoid being caught off guard.
Are Recall Repairs Free?
Yes, car recall repairs are always free. That's not a maybe or a "usually."
Federal law requires manufacturers to cover the full cost of any recall-related repair, including parts and labor. You won't see a bill at the end of the appointment.
You’ll need to take your vehicle to an authorized dealership, since they work directly with the manufacturer. It will also be helpful to bring your car recall letter with you.
The letter you received from your auto manufacturer will reassure you, and the dealer, that there will be no additional cost to you in getting the vehicle recall issue resolved on your vehicle and let the service department know exactly what you need.
Aside from the time it will take you to get your vehicle back to the dealer for the replacement, you won’t be paying anything else.
How Do Recalls Work
As stated above, you’ll need to contact an authorized dealership and schedule a service time for your car recall to be performed on your vehicle. The process should be relatively easy.
For me, all I had to do was wait an hour or two for the part to be replaced. While they were performing the vehicle recall service, I had them change the oil, too. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
If you think that your car is involved in vehicle recalls, use the resources above to find out. It’s important to take action as soon as you become aware.
Doing so could help you avoid unnecessary risks to your safety. Or, at the very least, it will be one less piece of mail to sort through.
If My Car Is Recalled, Do I Get a Rental?
This one depends on the situation. There's no federal requirement that manufacturers provide a rental car during a recall repair.
However, many do, especially when the car recalls involve a serious safety defect or when the repair is expected to take more than a day. It's worth calling the dealership ahead of your appointment to ask directly.
Some manufacturers also have rental assistance programs in place for specific, high-priority car recalls. Don't assume you're covered, but don't assume you're not either.
You Can't Control Everything, But You Can Be Prepared
Vehicle recalls address manufacturer defects, but they don't cover the everyday mechanical breakdowns that come with owning a vehicle.
That's where having the right protection plans in your corner makes a real difference. Learn more about how CarShield can help protect you from unexpected repair costs because peace of mind shouldn't depend on luck.
