An automobile recall is a request to return to the manufacturer a defective product or part due to the discovery of safety issues.If a manufacturer issues a recall, it is required by law to notify the owners of the defective vehicle and provide a free remedy for repair or replacement of the defective part.
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act requires car manufacturers to give notice of a defect to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) within 5 days of discovery of the defect.
According to NHTSA, Volvo was fined and agreed to pay $1.5M for delayed reporting of several recalls over the last two years. These recalls included a GPS system that may cause a fire, engine stalling, and front air bags not deploying, among other safety concerns. The recall involving the overheating of the GPS system, for example, involves model year vehicles from 2000 to 2010, and Volvo filed its report with NHTSA in 2010. The recall involving the air bags is very concerning. Approximately 10,000 vehicles were defective: in a crash scenario, the air bag may not deploy at all or may not deploy correctly. Volvo received several field reports of intermittent air bag warning light activation beginning in 2009. In May of 2010, Volvo considered the defect as “potentially critical,” and issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to correct the issue. Volvo filed its report with NHTSA in October of 2010.
A quick review of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act reveals that the maximum penalty for delayed reporting is $15M. Do you think a $1.5M fine is enough to reform Volvo’s behavior and deter other manufacturers from delay in notifying NHTSA of safety defects in automobiles? Let us know your thoughts on our facebook page!
The lemon law lawyers at Krohn and Moss, Ltd Consumer Law Center® have seen similar defects in vehicles from other manufacturers and have been successful in obtaining relief for consumers. If you are experiencing an issue with your vehicle and the dealership cannot fix the problem, you should contact the experienced lemon law lawyers at Krohn & Moss, Ltd. to seek the relief you deserve.Visit www.YOURLEMONLAWRIGHTS.com or call 1-800-US-LEMON to submit your information to see if we can help.