Recalls: What Are They, How They Work, How to Find Them

Motor vehicles are recalled to fix safety defects and to make them comply with federal safety laws. By the end of the model year, practically every manufacturer has issued recalls.

If your vehicle has a safety hazard problem, it might be a lemon. You can check online whether the manufacturer has issued a safety recall. If a safety-related defect exists, the manufacturer must fix it for free, even if your warranty has expired.

These free repairs of safety defects are not always well publicized but we know how to find them! If your vehicle has a defect that makes it dangerous, the dealer only gets one chance to fix it right. If the problem happens again, call our Lemon Law attorneys toll free 1.888.331.6422 or contact us. We can help you get a new vehicle or your money back.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is the government agency in charge of all motor vehicle recalls. To look for recalls on your vehicle, click here.

You can also telephone NHTSA to ask about recalls toll-free 800.424.9393.

NHTSA investigates problems before issuing a recall and one of the primary reasons they start an investigation is because of the quantity of complaints about the same kind of problem with the same kind of vehicle. To file a complaint online, click here.

Even if you do not find a recall for your problem, you can report safety problems to your dealer, the vehicle manufacturer, and NHTSA so they are aware of it. You can call NHTSA’s toll-free auto safety hotline at 888-327-4236. You can also visit the NHTSA web page for details on how to report your safety problem using the internet, fax, or mail.

If you have a safety-related defect, make sure the manufacturer listens to your complaint and files a report with NHTSA. If they won’t fix it or if they try to charge you for the repairs, contact us.

We know how to force manufacturers to buy back and replace lemon cars and lemon trucks and lemon motorcycles and we can do it for your lemon. That’s what we do every day ... protecting consumers just like you since 1978!