How To Find Out If My Car Has A Recall

What is an motorcar think?

When a vehicle model (or grouping of models) has a problem that impacts its safety, the manufacturer or federal regime will result a recall. This can exist a specific yr/brand/model, or it could be several years/models within the manufacturer'due south lineup.

Why check for auto recalls?

Before you buy a used machine, information technology'due south important to check to see if it has had recalls in the past or if current recalls exist. Recalls can profoundly affect the value and safety of a vehicle. Bank check to see if there are any open recalls on a vehicle with our easy to use Call up Check tool.

How many vehicle recalls are at that place?

An estimated one in 5 vehicles on Canadian roads have unfixed, or open safety recalls, meaning they've been accounted unfit to bulldoze by their own manufacturers.

What is the Takata recall?

Chances are you've heard almost the Takata airbag retrieve discussed in the news or by Transport Canada. This is the largest automotive safety think in history – impacting millions of vehicles from nearly ii dozen brands.

In 2013, Japanese automotive parts manufacturer Takata recalled 3.6 million cars later on a series of deaths and injuries associated with defective airbags. Shortly afterward, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the recall to include millions of additional vehicles from many more manufacturers. Since that time, the number of vehicles and brands impacted has continued to grow.

Vehicles equipped with Takata airbags are beingness recalled to replace frontal airbags on the driver or passenger sides as they have potential to deploy explosively, causing meaning injury to vehicle occupants. The main trouble is the metal cartridge within the airbag – the inflator. If the housing around the inflator is ruptured during a crash it could ship sharp metal pieces into the vehicle's cabin.

Is this the only type of automobile-related recollect?

Driving your vehicle safely has a lot to do with its tires. It sounds obvious, but equally the part of your automobile that connects with the road, your tires play a significant office in the overall condom-level of your vehicle. Vehicle condom features like 4WD, AWD and anti-lock brakes tin can all help you lot stay safe backside the wheel, but if your tires are damaged, poorly constructed or not appropriate for the road conditions you're driving in, you won't be as secure as y'all could be.

While airbag and brake recalls get more than media attention, tire recalls are more than common than you retrieve. Contempo tire issues that have caused recalls include bulges developing in the tread, tread separating from the tire, cracking sidewalls and air-loss – all of which tin can increase the run a risk of a crash.

Information technology is also possible to see recalls on child seats, sunroofs, trailers, steering wheels and more than. If it's attached to your machine in whatsoever way (even if it didn't come attached to the vehicle) a remember tin can touch on your prophylactic, the safety of your passengers, and so it'south of import to have them fixed.

Tin you buy or sell a used vehicle with an outstanding recall?

While vehicle manufacturers are required to notify the vehicle'due south original purchaser of issued recalls, dealers and private sellers tin can legally sell vehicles with outstanding recalls. This is why it'south and so important to cheque for issued recalls before purchasing a used vehicle.

How do I find out if my car has a safety remember?

Manufacturers are required to notify the original vehicle purchaser if their vehicle is recalled. While the contact information for many used vehicle buyers is passed along to the manufacturer, it is important for used car buyers to permit the manufacturer know that they are now the registered owner of a vehicle so they can be notified if it's recalled. A franchised dealer can also ensure that the manufacturer'due south database is updated to include you as the current owner.

This also applies to tires – when you buy a new ready of tires, register them with the manufacturer then they know how to contact you in the event of a remember. Hither is a list of tire manufacturers with links to get in easy for you to register with them.

Ideally, if your vehicle is recalled y'all will receive a letter from the manufacturer in the mail. It will include a description of the problem, the potential consequences and recommended steps to accept it fixed. You lot will be prompted to contact your local dealership to make a service appointment and have your vehicle repaired. The recent spike in safety recalls has complicated this process, as in some cases (the Takata airbag recall being most prominent) the number of vehicles needing repair vastly outnumbers the parts bachelor, and many vehicle owners are waiting months to have their vehicles repaired to safe standard.

How to check for car recalls in Canada and the U.S.

If you lot want to ensure that there are no unfixed safety recalls on a specific vehicle, obtain the VIN and run a vehicle history report. Along with providing other pieces of important data, a vehicle history report is a critical tool to finding out the history of a specific car.

For a broader search, Transport Canada lists the latest road safe recalls on its website by make, model and year. Nosotros've also included a bang-up website that will assistance you investigate any potential U.South. recalls.

Send Canada also offers a handy service that regularly posts new auto recalls. You can sign upwardly to receive notifications of newly issued recalls past clicking here.

Links to remember checkers:

Transport Canada recalls: Transport Canada Road Safety Recalls Database
U.S. information: National Highway Traffic Safety Assistants

Tin can I become a recall stock-still for free?

Hither'due south the good news – once you discover out about a safe recall on your vehicle you tin can have it fixed for gratuitous. Simply notify the closest franchised dealership and make an appointment with their service department as soon as the required parts are available, and you lot tin can get your vehicle dorsum upward to condom standards without spending any money.

Machine recalls are meant to keep our roads, and the people on them, as safe as possible. While you can't prevent a remember, there are steps you tin take to reduce its bear upon on yous and your family. The first step for used machine buyers is to find out if the vehicle you're considering has an unfixed safety call up. The next step is to make sure the vehicle'due south manufacturer has your contact information so they can notify you if the vehicle is recalled down the route. And, of grade, equally soon as you observe out about a think on the vehicle you're driving, contact your local dealership and get the ball rolling on having information technology fixed.

What if my vehicle is recalled but the part is not available?

Increased numbers of vehicle recalls hateful increased demand for the parts required to repair the problems. If you receive a recall notice, or discover a recall on your vehicle from a call back check tool, Transport Canada or manufacturer database, information technology'south important that yous telephone call a local dealership to let them know that you're waiting for repair. Information technology could too help to contact a dealer of the same manufacturer in a nearby boondocks as they may not take every bit much demand for a limited number of parts. There are stories in the media of customers waiting months (and even years) for the parts needed to set their airbag recalls. Stay on top of it, and reach out to your dealer periodically to make sure yous're kept top of listen.