UsedCarNews.com
April 15, 2019
Automakers Step up Efforts to Fix Recalls By Ted Craig
Rush - Dated Material
Recalls have come down from their elevated levels of the past few years, but remain higher than average for the irst decade of the century. Also, large recall campaigns are still an issue, with six campaigns making up half of the 28 million vehicles recalled last year. These were some of the indings shared during the recent Recall and Warranty Summit hosted by the Society of Automotive Analysts. Most recall campaigns are small. Sixty percent involve fewer than 10,000 vehicles, according to consultancy Stout. Two separate campaigns covered two vehicles each. But the big recalls get the attention. Two of those large recalls – the GM ignition switch and the Takata airbags – caused a major change in the way regulators and manufacturers handle these campaigns. The Takata campaign brought a highly critical review by the Inspector General’s oice of the
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s practices. NHTSA stepped up pressure on manufacturers to improve completion rates as a result, said Vanessa Miller, a lawyer with Foley & Lardner. That’s easier said than done. Each year, 40 million vehicles change hands and 45 million people move. Since used-car buyers rent more than new-car buyers, they are more likely to be among the movers. Even when recall notices reach the right driver, they often ignore them. Part of this is due to time constraints. Recalls for minivans and pickup trucks often go unrepaired because the drivers use these vehicles too much to have them stuck at a dealership, said Ray Roth, Stout’s director of dispute consulting. The time element also impacts what kind of recall receives a response. Stout found drivers of these vehicles were more likely to respond to a recall that afects operability rather than safety.
“Vehicle owners would rather die on the side of the road than get stuck on the side of the road,” Roth said. The fact only franchise dealers can make these repairs creates another challenge. “(Used-car buyers) didn’t purchase the car there, so they’re less comfortable,” Roth said. There is reason for optimism, due to that ignition switch recall. That campaign taught the manufacturers the key to improve completion – reaching drivers by any means necessary. This might mean reaching out on social media or making calls in addition to sending letters. In some cases, this even means going door-to-door. Manufacturers are also looking at additional sources of data to track down older vehicles. “The older vehicle recall is just a diferent animal,” said Neil Steinkamp, Stout’s managing director.
ONE OF TWO: Mercedes-Benz tied for the smallest recall campaign in 2018. The German automaker recalled one E400 coupe and one C300 4Matic coupe for steering issues. The other twovehicle recall consisted of a pair of Bugatti Chirons recalled for airbags. The six largest campaigns, which made up half of all non-Takata recalls, came from General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler.
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