Many Recalled Vehicles Never Get Fixed

auto mechanic

Owners Don't Always Bring Cars in for Repairs Following a Recall

After recently recalling nearly 7 million vehicles due to various defects, General Motors (GM) notified car owners to get the faulty auto parts fixed— free of charge. However, experts suspect that hundreds of thousands of these unsafe vehicles will never be brought in for repairs.

Following a recall, automakers typically contact car owners via letter and instruct them to bring their vehicles back to the dealership for the necessary repairs. Historically, only about 60% of all recalled vehicles are ever brought back to the dealers.

Experts say there are multiple reasons why car owners don't always take advantage of these free repairs. Because owners are only notified in a single letter, many disregard automakers' recall notices as junk mail. Some people could also perceive the safety risk as minimal if their vehicle has never exhibited any of the problems that caused the recall. Others may just be unable to sacrifice their car for the time it takes to make a repair.

Two factors in the GM recall indicate that more owners than average won't be dropping off their cars for repairs any time soon. The recall involves older model cars, which have likely had multiple owners—this makes it hard to locate the current owners. Also, if the brand has gone out of business, like Pontiac and Saturn, some may not know that they can get their vehicles repaired at any GM dealership. These factors could leave huge numbers of defective and unsafe GM cars out on the roads.

Injured Driving an Unsafe Car?

If you, or someone you love, were injured in an accident caused by an unsafe car, you're likely worried about medical bills, time off work, and caring for your family. At Edgar Snyder & Associates, we have over 35 years of experience helping get car accident victims the compensation they deserve.

Call us now at 412-394-1000 or fill out the form at the top right of this website for a no obligation, free legal consultation. You may have a case—call us today.

Source: “Many recalled GM cars won't be repaired.” Cnn.com. April 22, 2014.