Many people have no idea how often vehicles, or parts in vehicles, are recalled. In some cases, the reason for the recall has nothing to do with danger, but rather the longevity of the car. For example, Kia Souls were recently recalled due to the lack of a sealant on the underbody. This resulted in salt eating away at some Kia Souls in colder states. The recall allowed owners to get a free addition of this sealant, but it was not considered a safety risk.
However, many recalls are very much about safety. Unfortunately, people often do not know about their vehicle recalls. This might be because they were not informed, or they might have received the recall notice in the mail and thrown it away, believing it was junk mail. Whatever the reason, if more people knew their vehicles were being recalled, there could be a significantly fewer number of vehicle accidents that occur on dangerous, recalled vehicles.
There Are Many Reasons People Do Not Know When Their Vehicles Are Recalled
Vehicle manufacturers are required to provide owners notice if their vehicle is recalled – but that does not mean that manufacturers always have accurate contact information. Likewise, if a child restraint system is recalled, what are the chances that the current owner is easily reachable by the manufacturer of that car seat?
That is one of the reasons that recall information does not often get to who it needs to get to. The other reason is that people fail to look for information. Even if a person knows they should be checking, they often check once and assume they are done. Even checking monthly would not necessarily protect them as issues can arise at any time.
A New App Hopes to Make These Issues a Thing of the Past
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing a mobile app they are calling SaferCar. It is designed to make it convenient for both Android and iOS users to get instant information if their car, car seats, tires, or other vehicle equipment is recalled.
The way it works is simple. The user adds all their current vehicles and other equipment to their virtual garage. The app will automatically check daily for recalls on anything in the garage. If there is a recall, the app will notify the user. Otherwise, the user will never know the app is there.
How much of a difference will this make? It all depends on how many people take advantage of it. If you have already been seriously injured in an accident that involved a recalled vehicle, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to request a free legal consultation.
