When parts are recalled, that doesn’t mean the whole car is defective—sometimes it just means a single new part is needed. But how can you (and your mechanic) be sure that the defective part is getting out of your vehicle and not being put back on someone else’s? Manufacturers are now required by federal law to include the name, description, and part number of recalled components to enable all parts of the supply chain to make sure that part is not reused putting people in danger.
However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not made it easy to find this information and manufacturers do not always put enough information on individual parts to identify the good from the bad. This is why the Center for Auto Safety has called upon NHTSA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to add another field to the recall reporting form to allow this information to be more easily collected and distributed. So far, the agencies have refused, saying it would take too much work.
LETTER: The Center for Auto Safety Calls On NHTSA to Improve Recall Reporting.
LETTER: The DOT Responds to the Center for Auto Safety’s Request.