If your motor vehicle’s manufacturer issues a recall, it means your car, truck, or other vehicle has a safety defect that must be fixed. Under normal circumstances, you could simply follow the instructions in the auto recall notice and/or take your car to the dealership for repairs or replacements; but what happens if your car gets recalled during the coronavirus pandemic?
Automakers can voluntarily recall defective cars on their own. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) can also require manufacturers to issue recalls. More than 50 car, truck, and motorcycle recalls have been issued since the novel coronavirus was declared a national emergency on March 13.
Options For Handling Auto Recalls
Whether or not you address the open recall on your vehicle during a pandemic will depend on a variety of factors, especially whether or not you are required to drive right now and how serious of a defect your car has. Your options with regard to auto recalls during the coronavirus are:
- Wait it out if you don’t need to drive: Time is not of the essence when it comes to auto recalls. Unlike warranties recalls don’t expire and can be performed anytime, even if the vehicle is no longer covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. People at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19 should delay repairs unless absolutely necessary.
- Call the dealership: Call first to see if your dealership is open and if you can schedule a recall repair at a time certain. Even if open, dealerships may not have enough available trained staff and/or the parts needed to complete required adjustments. Some dealerships offer vehicle pickup, repair, and return, allowing customers to remain inside during the pandemic, so be sure to ask yours if it offers vehicle collection from your home or work.
- Determine the urgency of your repair: If the recall for your vehicle is serious enough that you are not allowed to drive it unless and until it is repaired and you need to drive your car, do take care of this serious issue.
Common Causes of Auto Recalls
Cars, trucks, and other vehicles can have many types of defects in the design itself, in the way the vehicle was manufactured, or in the manufacturing or installation of a single part. Plaintiffs who’ve suffered an injury caused by a car defect may be able to bring a product liability lawsuit. Common causes of serious vehicle recalls include:
- Defective airbags
- Defective vehicle software
- Defective fuel tanks
- Defective seatbelts
- Defective tires
- Defective door latches
- Car window defects
Texas Lawyer For Auto Recalls
Given the millions of vehicles subject to car part recalls each year, you or someone you know may have been injured in an accident due to defective parts under recall. Corpus Christ car accident lawyer John T. Flood has represented clients who have been injured by vehicles under recall and knows the claims that can be made against vehicle manufacturers, part makers, and even the dealership that sold the vehicle. Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation.
