What You Need To Know About Vehicle Recalls In Canada
Everyone wants to believe that their brand-new vehicle is a state-of-the-art model and that it can always be counted on for safety and reliability for years to come.
Unfortunately, however, the reality is more complicated than that.
Modern automobiles are incredibly complex machines and are getting more complex by the year. Additionally, the legal requirements for passenger safety and carbon emissions have never been higher.
The result: recalls.
What is a recall? To quote Carfax:
“When a vehicle model (or group of models) has a problem that impacts its safety, the manufacturer or federal government will issue a recall. This can be a specific year/make/model, or it could be several years/models within the manufacturer’s lineup.”
Recalls can be caused by many different components in a vehicle, from airbags to batteries to suspensions. And it’s not a problem that is unique to certain makes or models, as everything from Ford to BMW to Volkswagen to Honda to Toyota and every other brand in between can be affected. Vehicle recalls in Canada are common and it’s important for owners to check every few months or when doing regularly scheduled maintenance if there are any for their vehicle.
What to do if your vehicle is recalled
If you hear about a recall for your vehicle from being contacted by the manufacturer itself, your best course of action is to follow their instructions about what to do next. If you hear about your vehicle being recalled through a news report, you could try contacting your local dealership for the car brand and ask them for guidance.
In almost all scenarios, the next big step will be the same: make an appointment to take your vehicle in to get the issue in question fixed.
The good news is that fixes and changes are almost always free in the event of a recall, with consumer safety being given a higher priority than profit.
How can I check for open recalls for my vehicle?
Here are some resources that you could check:
Will a recall affect my extended warranty?
If a recall is issued for your vehicle we strongly recommend that you get it resolved. If a failure happens to a recalled component that the manufacturer announced responsibility for, they are liable for the replacement or service of that component. If you wait and something breaks causing further damage, you could be on the hook for the extra costs.