New Auto Recall Search Tool Has Been Revealed
Michael Babboni
Recalls
Auto recalls typically occur when the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a specific car model has a defect that can affect the overall safety of the vehicle and has been deemed as not compliant with the federal safety standard.You can visit the NHTSA website with your vehicle's VIN to check for any auto recalls for your particular make and model. The VIN search tool covers all vehicle safety recalls that are incomplete, those recalls conducted over the past fifteen calendar years, and any vehicle safety recalls that were conducted by major automakers and manufacturers.
Where is the VIN Located?
You can find the VIN for your vehicle by looking in the lower left-hand corner of your vehicle's windshield. It is a 17-character number that identifies your current vehicle. You can also find the number on the car's registration, and it is also sometimes included on your insurance card.
What VIN Searches Don't Find
While VIN searches can determine a number of things as already mentioned, there are several more that this type of search cannot identify including any completed safety recall information, manufacturer customer service or other nonsafety campaigns, international vehicles, older recalls falling outside of the fifteen year range and those recalls that have been conducted by smaller auto manufacturers.
New Auto Recall Search Tool
In recent months, Auto Alliance, Global Automakers has teamed up with Carfax to help boost recall participation rates and a new auto recall search tool was launched to improve the owner notification process.
The new search tool is available for commercial and governmental entities as well as state departments, insurance companies, auto finance companies, dealers, fleet managers, and vehicle auction companies.
Users can search for all open recalls for up to 10,000 vehicles at one time and get the results almost immediately. This will greatly help reduce the number of vehicles on the road that continue to go unfixed and unnotified about the auto recall.
When more people are notified about the recalls, more action to fix the situation takes place, and it makes the roadways that much safer. The new search tool is also a good way for insurance companies to relay this auto recall information to their policyholders because it can be included in their usual mailings and emails or even attached with their renewal notices.
What is the Auto Alliance?
The Auto Alliance represents twelve of the largest automakers and teaming with Carfax means reaching more outlets than before. The search is better and faster and more informative than the VIN search and can yield several results at once, rather than only one at a time.
The new auto recall search tool will enhance outreach, and more vehicle owners will be notified, and more recalls will be dealt with than ever before.