Using Updated Recall Data When Rates are High
With so many major manufacturers recalling vehicles, proper recall marketing remains an essential task for dealers. Whether or not they’ve had to handle a recall themselves, all dealers need to be ready to meet customer concerns. Building off of this will require accurate recall data based on the newest figures.
The current year has seen several ongoing major efforts, including the Takata air bag recalls and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ various actions. However, before the year even began, a considerable number of vehicles throughout the U.S. had already been involved in hundreds of recalls.
In 2014 alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 63.9 million vehicles were included in 803 different actions. Of these, the largest was Ford Motor Company’s campaign 81V008, which involved 21 million autos and concerned parking-gear components.
Ford recalls made up half of the top 10 recalls during this time, with a total of about 42 million vehicles addressed for different issues. Components ranged from deactivation switches and ignition elements to shoulder belts.
As of Aug. 12, 2016, the Takata recalls have seen 10 million air bags repaired. Honda has repaired the most, with around 4.1 million driver-side and 2.4 million passenger-side air bags fixed for a total of 6,565,550 remedied units. While the Chrysler recall page didn’t specifically list the amount of vehicles fixed, it did note the many different makes involved, with model years stretching as far back as 2002.
All of these efforts show the amount of attention put into addressing vehicle safety in recent years. As the government and manufacturers get more vigilant, dealers should use accurate recall data to respond to the latest issues.