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Recalls: What you should know

 

MY CAR HAS A RECALL! WHAT SHOULD I DO?

What is a recall? 

A recall is simply a notice from the manufacturer which tells you something about your vehicle needs to be fixed. A dealership will do all the necessary work for you. Recalls can be serious and require immediate mechanical attention, but they can also regard legal requirements of the vehicle, for example, a label which needs to be bilingual.

How will I know?

You may get a notice in the mail, or see it on the news, but many vehicle owners don’t find out when there is a recall. This could be from moving and not notifying the manufacturer of a change of address, buying a used vehicle, etc.

We recommend checking Transport Canada from time to time just to be safe. They keep a record of all recalls. If there is a recall which you may be subject to, stop by a dealership and they will check your VIN to see if the recall applies to your specific vehicle.

Do recalls expire? 

Recalls do not expire. Don’t be worried if you missed one from a while back, recalls are not mandatory to fix unless there is a safety factor.

Is it safe to drive?

The number of incidents caused by a recall is very low, but it is better to be safe. Find out what the recall is concerning and if it is unclear, just ask the service department at the dealership.

Is it free to fix? 

For the large majority of the time, recalls will be fixed for free by the dealership. In very few cases there will be extra costs with respect to normal maintenance or a bad repair done by a third party.

Compliments of Budds’ Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC, please accept a free recall check for your car next time you stop in.