Vehicle Recalls Beat the Alternatives

In fact, it can be argued that timely and properly executed recalls are a blessing and are themselves part of a product quality campaign. Here's why:

In the bad old days, back in the 1970s, automakers routinely resisted recall attempts and sometimes deliberately tried to hide defects, or used the ruse of trying to portray problems as non-safety, or non-emissions items.

Generally, automotive recalls are requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for safety defects and by the Environmental Protection Agency for defects contributing to air pollution.

On those rare occasions when the cited car company has absolutely refused to initiate a voluntary recall after discovering or being notified of a problem, the government has had to go to court. But that process consumes lots of time and money while leaving the allegedly defective vehicles on the road until litigation ends -- assuming it ends in favor of the government.

But, in truth, litigation more often than not is a no-win proposition. Cars and trucks that remain in the news as problem vehicles often die in the market, regardless of what happens in court.

And it doesn't make the government look good in the eyes of voters to go to court, spend lots of taxpayer money, and lose -- as has been the case on several occasions.

So, to avoid their mutually assured disgrace in the eyes of consumers and voters, the government and the car companies lately have taken a more cooperative approach. Nowadays, for example, a car company is as likely to tell NHTSA about a potential or suspected product before NHTSA tells an auto manufacturer that a defect exists.

That is a good thing; and here is hoping that GM, Volvo, BMW, Nissan and other car companies that have issued voluntary recalls in the past several months keep it up.

That doesn't mean consumers should sit back and just let the government and the car companies do their thing. You should know your rights and remedies under federal automotive recall laws. You should know how to file a proper complaint when you think a potential defect exists in your car or truck.

To gain that intelligence, go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallprocess.cfm on the Internet. Download the pamphlet entitled "Motor Vehicle Defects and Recall Campaigns". It's an easy read that could prevent a serious automotive defect from turning into something worse. And if you're wondering about specific recalls on cars, you can find a listing at www.nhtsa.dot.gov and look for the recall heading on the left hand side of that page.