As powerful as cars can seem, even a small part with a minor problem can cause a huge issue. Likewise, sometimes these problems aren’t immediately apparent. For example, you can tell your car is defective if the tire blows out each time it’s patched. However, you may not be able to tell your car is slowly leaking oil from one of the hoses unless you’re paying attention to the ground under your vehicle.
Likewise, if your car is new and has a defective part, the dealer who sold you the vehicle will likely inform you a faulty product is in your car and needs to be replaced. However, what happens if you bought a used car and can no longer take it to the dealer?
In 2016, 53.2 million cars were recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of defective car parts, so being worried about a potential problem is not unusual. One of the best tools available to the public is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database, which allows people to look up car part information by vehicle identification number (VIN). The database can be found here.
The database covers vehicle safety recalls that are incomplete, those conducted over the past 15 years, and those conducted by major light automakers. However, it doesn’t include completed safety recall information, international vehicles, recalls more than 15 years old, recalls conducted by small vehicle manufacturers, and manufacturer customer service or other recall campaign information.
For cars that aren’t included on this list, there is an additional search engine on safercar.gov, which can be found here. If you can’t find any information on your specific make or model, continue contacting the manufacturer of your car or consult an experienced mechanic. Vehicles made prior to the 1980s might not have a VIN number associated with the vehicle, but people who are familiar with older cars might be knowledgeable regarding any typical problems regarding the cars.
If you or a loved one were harmed in a car accident caused by a defective part, talk to one of our Greenville car accident attorneys as soon as possible. We have more than 95 years of combined legal experience to offer your case. Let us see what we can do for you.
Contact us at (864) 408-8883 or fill out our online form to schedule your free case consultation today.