NHTSA Becoming Frustrated With Public Apathy Towards Recalls - Care To Tell Them Why No One Cares?

Under a blazing sun in the parking lot of a Florida college, employees of the U.S. government's auto safety regulator, Toyota Motor Corp. and a tire industry trade group checked vehicles for recall notices, under-inflated tires and improperly installed child safety seats.

Frustrated by the failure of many American motorists to take cars with safety defects to dealers for repairs, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration chief Mark Rosekind on Tuesday began a political campaign-style swing through Southern states to push for better vehicle maintenance.

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MDarringer - 8/10/2016 10:28:57 AM

+1 Boost

It's the NHTSA's fault 100%. They make a car company announce a recall before parts are in place to perform them, but letters get sent to owners who come in and get told that the parts are not yet available so they set it aside.

The NHTSA should have it as their policy that a recall is announced when the manufacturer has the parts ready to accomplish the fixes.

When the Takata stuff hit the fan, the only replacement airbags were more defective Takata airbags.

The NHTSA is run by idiots who fart out decrees and think that magic unicorns make it all happen.

mre30 - 8/10/2016 10:45:02 AM

+2 Boost

The truth is, while it is generally good that problems are being identified by recalls, there are usually never any problems so pervasive (Firestone Ford Explorer recall being really the sole exception) that the problem will result in the slaughter 1,000's of innocent consumers.

With this in mind, NHTSA should take a "risk management" approach and change the tone of their pronouncements to require automakers to make the fixes but to tell consumers that they should be aware of the problem and get it repaired at no charge as soon as possible and as soon as the parts are available but that wide-scale panic is not necessary.

There should be a legal process put in place, where unrepaired recalled vehicles can be sold/traded by the purchaser signing a "waiver" saying that they know about the recall and the risks involved in continuing to drive the vehicle. Most of this problem can go away if some "legalese" is interjected into the buying/selling process.

Sure, the Takata airbag problem has killed/injured a few people (most of whom by the way would have surely been killed/injured if they were in an accident in a vehicle WITHOUT an airbag) but by and large most consumers will get along just fine until the parts are in stock 12 months from now.

Maybe the Takata recall will be the tipping point?

atc98092 - 8/10/2016 12:02:54 PM

+2 Boost

Yeah, people get all worked up and then there's no parts available. Exactly what are they supposed to do? NHTSA is all worked up about the airbags and there are none available. I've received the recall for both my Dodge 1500 and my Passat, but no parts for either.