As much as we’d like to think that every item we buy is like Mary Poppins – perfect in every way – that is in fact not always the case. When it comes to minor design or manufacturing defects, responsible companies will usually make things right, sometimes even long after warranties have expired. When a more serious safety-related issue is involved, then manufacturers typically undertake a voluntary – or if they are obstinate – a government-mandated recall.
Automotive recalls are a pain in the butt for everyone concerned. However, having a car with a major safety issue – like the Takata airbags in so many cars right now – can be even more alarming, to the point where some people choose not to drive them. The Takata debacle (seriously, do you remember when Japanese stuff was the envy of the world?) is an extreme example of a need to return one’s car to the dealer for a fix, but there have been plenty of others that have seemed far less serious. My daily driver went in about a year after I purchased it for the replacement of a gas tank support strap that might corrode and fail if driven in areas where they use a lot of salt on the road. I don’t live in one of those areas but what the hell, right?
Well, maybe it’s right, but then again maybe it means a long tip to the dealer and perhaps the loss of the use of your car for a day or more. What I’m wondering today is whether or not there has been a recall on any of your rides that you have ignored just like those jury summonses the Government keeps foolishly sending you.
Image: Product-Reviews.net
Hooniverse Asks: Have You Ever Ignored a Recall Notice?
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I put off the Ford’s Cruise Control Deactivation Switch for years- I got a letter telling me to park my truck away from anything I didn’t want burned. Then a few days later I saw on the local news a Ford burned a garage to the ground.
Rung up the dealership for an appointment.
My Mustang has the shrapnel shooting airbags. I’ll get that done as soon as I get the go ahead. -
My Mazda2 was recalled because the stereo might not work if the temperature was below -14 degrees Fahrenheit or something like that. I ignored it, because if it’s that effing cold, blasting “Take On Me” before work is the least of my concerns. When I brought it in for warranty service a year later (brakes I burned up autocrossing and generally driving like a jerk), they insisted on fixing it and even gave me a loaner for a couple days while they waited for the part. Thanks, Mazda!
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I’ve been ignoring a recall on my Subaru’s brakes. I’m anticipating one for the airbag … I’ll get a twofer.
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You guys would turn down free new parts? Well, okay then….
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Not all are new parts. Mine involves having my floor mat just removed.
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I don’t know if I’ve ever ignored a recall notice, since I don’t recall ever receiving a recall notice. I’ve never had a repair made under a recall, so if there was ever a recall notice for something I’ve owned, I’ve apparently ignored it.
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I wish I had ignored the Chevrolet Express “dashboard brow” recall. The idea was that there was insufficient padding on the dashboard in case a front passenger does not have the seat belt engaged. The remedy is to put a thick energy absorber “brow” on dashboard. It is UGLY. I can’t imagine any scenario where my passenger wouldn’t be wearing the seat belt, so the modification does not seem that important in my case.
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Did you get any flooding a few weeks ago?
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The house we rent was OK, but the flooding was astounding. We’re at a topographic high, and the streets were still flooded to 6-8 inch depth. With runoff effects from houses and driveways, water accumulated faster than it could flow downhill. Work was cancelled the day after because most routes to downtown were impassable. I took the van out and helped people move their disabled cars and other debris, admittedly also with the goal of scouting out how the flooding was in neighborhoods we’re looking to buy in. Perhaps unrelated, but a woman who adopted a cat from me has gone missing so I have the cat again (microchip information led the shelter to call me). It was an eventful week!
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The One I am currently ignoring:
Recall Number: 10V024000
Recall Date: 01/27/2010
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
Problem Summary: GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PONTIAC VIBE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER’S FLOOR MAT.
Consequence: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.I have factory floor mats, with a retaining clip. The fix for this is every time I go to the dealer they take the floor mat our and put it in the cargo area. So when i put it back into place, with the clip attached the proper way, I am eligible for the recall again. I go to the dealer once or twice a year if they have an oil change special, so once or twice a year i am subject to this recall.
As of this morning this recall has not been fixed on my car, haha. -
I was forced to ignore (temporarily) a recall on the replacement of front brake discs on my Jeep Cherokee XJ a few years ago. After a 50 mile journey to the dealer & 3hrs waiting around for the job to be done, we were told that “The discs cannot be replaced unless we also replace the brake pad carriers at a cost of £270 per side plus labour to fit”. 2 other families that morning were told the same thing. I later found out that the dealer was trying to scam people into having the pad carriers replaced in order to make money from the customers who were having the discs replaced free under the recall. Later on that year, I was told to replace the discs for the annual UK MOT test so had to bear the cost of the discs myself. The MOT tester checked the pad carriers & said there was nothing wrong with them, and the discs (with pads) cost me around £80. Still a lot cheaper than over £600 for having the carriers done!
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No, never. I prefer to avoid the threat of recalls via the simple expedient of driving vehicles from companies that no longer exist.
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My Jeep has an open recall for a fuel tank issue. Under certain rear end collision conditions, it could turn into a Pinto. The remedy is to add a trailer hitch. Mine came from the factory with one, plus a skid plate protecting the tank. The recall fix for me is to bring it in for inspection. I suppose the inspection involves a tech verifying I have a factory trailer hitch, recording the VIN, and then handing me the keys.
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This is the exact reason I’m not bringing my ’98 5.9L in for them to do effectively nothing.
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Sort of… my S2000 is technically subject to the airbag recall, but since the airbags are in a box in my garage, I feel reasonably safe.
I also don’t know if my Sky has ever had the ignition switch done. That one makes me slightly more nervous. -
I ignored the Ford ignition switch recall many years ago, or at least I didn’t have it done at the dealer. The part at wholesale was like $8.50 and a 20 min job. Wasn’t worth saving the $8.50 to deal with the time spent scheduling the appt, dropping off the car and then coming back to get it.
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Yes I have. I received a recall for Ford’s cruise control issue. Only thing was, I was driving a malaise era Dodge van at the time. Turns out it was for my grandfather’s pickup and the mailman sent it to me by accident.
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Header image is a Ford Escort, right? Are those affected by the Takata recall? These sort of things bother me.
To the best of my memory, I’ve only had one recall performed (something to do with fuel rails on my Intrepid, I believe), but most of my cars have been old enough any problems that’d exist would’ve been weeded out by then (or the people that still owned them didn’t matter). -
My current vehicle was properly manufactured and thus has no recalls, so need to heed or ignore. Last recall I answered was 30 years ago for the head gasket on my Chrysler van. Massive known problem.
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The only ones I’ve ignored are the ones which I’ve either rectified by already doing the work (IIRC, LCAs on a ’95 Intrepid ES…there was a ball-joint problem, I think), or which don’t apply.
Like 0A5599, I have a Jeep ZJ which had, from the factory, a trailer hitch and fuel tank skidplate. I don’t think either of them were options, either (1998 5.9L), so I’m not going to bother. -
Somehow my vehicles manage to have the EXACT problems that have been recalled, but my specific vehicle doesn’t fall under the date/VIN range of the vehicles affected by the recall. In particular, the cracked filler neck on the Trailblazer gas tank. A new gas tank is a $900 part, only available from the dealer. A junkyard tank was $50. I think it has cracked again, but I now live in a county that doesn’t require emissions testing and the leak is the equivalent of a bad gas cap. It won’t get fixed.
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