What You Need To Know About Car Recalls

What is a car recall?

A car recall occurs when the manufacturer has identified a defective auto part somewhere in a model or year of one of their vehicles. These defects are safety related, meaning that a part of a car does not comply with federal safety standards. A personal injury lawyer in Portland who deals with product liability cases will advise you to take your car in as soon as possible. Defective products in cars can be extremely dangerous to drivers as well as others on the road and can even be a cause of major car accidents; for example, last year faulty Takata airbags in various vehicles were found to be responsible for at least 64 injuries and multiple deaths.

Common types of recalls

In 2014, over 62 million US vehicles were recalled. Many of these major recalls made headline news, including General Motors’ ignition switch recall as well as well as the previously mentioned Takata airbags in Toyota vehicles and other vehicles. However, recalls come out all the time that don’t make the news, yet they can still be dangerous to drivers.

While there are a multitude of defective products in cars, below is a list of the most common car parts that we generally see recalls for:

• Wiring or leaks that could cause sparks, resulting in fires
• Damaged accelerators which could they can suddenly jam and break
• Steering parts that jam, which result in a loss of control
• Delayed or faulty airbags

Why it is important to not disregard a recall?

Defective products in cars can be a major safety hazard to the driver or anyone on the road in Portland. Each year, hundreds of people are injured in car accidents caused by defective auto parts. Car manufacturers can be held responsible for these car accidents, unless an issued recall has gone out. This is why it is important to stay well informed on what is going on with your vehicle and if any parts within the car have been recalled.

How are you informed?

You should always be aware of any signs that could indicate a malfunction in your car. If any lights go off on the dashboard of your car, it is important to get them checked out. However, don’t depend solely on these indicators. If any part appears to not be working up to usual standards, it is important to bring it into a manufacturer.

Aside from this, there are a few ways you can be alerted about a car recall. You will typically receive an email or letter from your Portland manufacturer indicating a defective auto part in your car’s make, model, or year. Most cases advise drivers to bring their car in as soon as possible, and you should definitely not wait.