101 Auto Body - Berkeley

Does Your Car Have a Recall History?

You can easily check out people and companies online in a millisecond, but if you suspect that your used vehicle has a history of recalls, how can you find out?

Millions of vehicles are impacted in one form or another by manufacturer recalls every year, without fail. As today's cars become more and more sophisticated, there are a lot more high-tech and computer-operated components within a vehicle to go wrong.

Recalls are a safety concern for drivers everywhere, so if you ever get a recall notice, you should respond as soon as you possibly can. Here at  101 Auto Body - Berkeley , we have seen a wide range of cars recalled and it has become an issue for car owners in  Berkeley ,  CA  and all over the country.

One of the largest potentially dangerous issues associated with any recall is not knowing whether your previously-owned vehicle has been subject to a recall. Well, fear not because there is a simple and easy way to check for recalls using the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) VIN Look-Up tool at www.vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.

If you're the second, third or fourth owner of your vehicle, the manufacturer may not have your current contact information on file in order to send you a recall notice. So it's imperative to access this tool provided by NHTSA right after purchasing the vehicle and on a semi-regular basis to make sure no other recalls pop up.

NHTSA's VIN Look-Up tool utilizes your vehicle identification number to access a list of incomplete safety recalls over the past decade and a half. This instrument can additionally be used to look up recalls on commercial vehicles and even motorcycles. You can also sign up to take delivery of recall email alerts for vehicles you own in the future.

Common sense tells you that if your car has been recalled, it's best to respond as soon a humanly possible. Contact your dealer and schedule a recall appointment as soon as you possibly can. Your vehicle is an investment that you must protect, and you need to make sure it protects your family from harm as well.

Here are three other tips to keep in mind brought to you by 101 Auto Body - Berkeley :

1.) Recall repairs are always absolutely free. Manufacturers are mandated to repair vehicles under recall at no charge--whether you are the original owner or not. If you do indeed find out that your car needs to be recalled for whatever reason, act promptly.

2.) If it is a current recall, you may be able to get your vehicle into a recall repair quickly, because many people dawdle. It normally takes several months for you to receive a recall appointment from your local dealership, so get down to business asap for whenever you hear about a recall for your particular make and model.

3.) Verify that your car has been recalled using NHTSA's VIN Look-Up tool. If repairs are needed, your dealer may be more likely to have the requisite parts in their inventory at the start of a recall and able to make repairs fast.

By using this helpful tool, you can get that much-need peace of mind, so that you can travel while knowing that your vehicle is road-ready and 100% safe. Many people use the VIN Look-Up tool provided by NHTSA and find out that indeed their vehicle will require a recall repair that might be as much as 3-5 years old!

We strive to bring you relative content from 101 Auto Body - Berkeley in Berkeley , CA .

Sources: NHTSA, Safercar.gov and AARP