The 2021 State of Recalls Report: Recall Masters Set to Release Industry Analysis of all Safety Campaigns
|
|
In its sixth “State of Recalls” report, Recall Masters, the automotive industry’s leading provider of recall solutions, revealed that more than 29.3 million affected vehicles were accounted for in 259 recalls mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in calendar year 2021. Another estimated 498 “voluntary manufacturer notice” campaigns affected the passenger cars and light trucks framed in this report. While many vehicles have more than one defect present, the 2021 total of 66.2 million affected vehicle recalls translates to more than one in four vehicles on US roads with at least one open recall. With an estimated 286.9 million registered vehicles in the country, the threat to drivers and passengers is greater than ever. |
|
"While a massive data undertaking for our team, we recognize the importance of our analytic insight," explains Sean Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer for Recall Masters. "A significant effort is required in order to aggregate and categorize factory defects that start off as service bulletins and could end up as federally-mandated recalls. This year was especially alarming as 41.9% of these notices are considered high risk to drivers, passengers and others who share the road. Dealers are in the dark regarding off-brand inventory, which highlights we we are going beyond NHTSA's scope to catalogue them in our annual State of Recalls. Every retailer needs to be aware of this information."
Recall Masters' 2021 State of Recall Report will be released at the end of the month. To receive a copy, visit the Recall Masters website and complete the registration form at the bottom of the page.
|
|
Over the Air Updates: The Next Battlefield in Automotive
In the past two weeks, Tesla has issued four new recalls. However, the historically burdensome task of fixing the recall has proven to be less daunting. Tesla owners did not have to find their nearest dealer or call “roadside assistance” to come and fix their bug, instead Tesla swept away the recall with the push of a button. Similar to a software or technology company, Tesla has learned how to fix bugs in their vehicles simply by updating the software. Treating them like a “big computer”, a recall can be addressed with a simple patch over a wireless infrastructure. If it seems too good to be true, then you are not alone. Lawmakers in West Virginia and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation are concerned over the new “over-the-air updates”. Many industry leaders are saying that the technology is too new to decide whether it is safe or not; others say the technology can save lives. Legislatively, the fight continues in West Virginia. Read more on the Carscoops website.
|
|
US Government Converges on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles After Fires
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is releasing a probe into recent incidents and recalls over electric vehicles batteries. Recently, five automakers and manufacturers – General Motors, Mercedes- Benz, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Volkswagen – have issued recalls regarding internal battery issues and safety concerns over potential fires. LG Energy Solutions, a manufacturer of South Korea, is the main supplier of the batteries being probed. The investigation is coming as more and more auto manufacturers in the U.S. are answering the call to switch from internal combustion engines to more sustainable modes of transportation like the electric vehicle. The probe into LG batteries and increased supervision of the electric vehicle manufacturing process is the government's way of keeping up with the changing auto market and monitoring the safety of new lithium and electric battery technologies. Read more on the New York Post website.
|
|
Carvana, Auctions and Wholesale - Oh My!
A Blog Post by Sean Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer for Recall Masters
There is certainly no love lost between franchise dealers, independents, and Carvana. Carvana has been outbidding these two for used cars at auction for quite a while. And, as we all know, new cars are far and few between, so dealers are increasingly reliant on the acquisition of used vehicles through trade-ins and auctions. This explains why marketing messages have shifted from purely selling vehicles to, “we’ll buy your car, even if you don’t buy ours.”
|
|
Not only is Carvana outbidding dealers for used cars at auction, but they also bid against themselves! It’s hard to believe this isn’t a play for them to corner the used car market at auction while also having more inventory available and gaining market share. Carvana isn’t doing anything wrong. You might argue that they are driving shareholder value and providing consumers with more competition amongst retailers.
Recently, Carvana acquired ADESA for $2.2 Billion! ADESA is the second largest auction company, after Cox’s Manheim. Why would they do that?
|
|
|
Well, one possibility is that they now have “pick of the litter.” The second is that it lowers their reconditioning costs. And last, but not least, it gives them a larger inventory to sell to their customers. Franchise and independent dealers are already talking about shifting away from ADESA and towards Manheim for used car inventory acquisition for the simple reason that they do not want to support Carvana…read the complete blog post on the Recall Masters Website.
|
|
In Recent Recall Campaign News |
|
Volkswagen Recalls Atlas SUVs with Faulty Airbags
Volkswagen is recalling 222,892 2019-2023 Atlas SUV's whose airbags may not deploy or may delay in deploying following a collision. The recall issued is regarding a wiring harness that is fitted throughout the central body of the SUV's and extends all the way to the vehicle front and side doors where the air bag is placed. In the affected vehicles, the harness was fitted improperly and, over time due to vibration and general wear, the harness may corrode and malfunction. Volkswagen has released no official remedy to the recall yet, but has stated that all owners will be notified by May 10, 2022. Read more on MotorSafety.org.
|
|
Ford Recalls Vehicles Because of Decreased Brake Performance
Ford has issued a recall of 2016-2017 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators and 2016-2018 Ford F-150's citing a decrease in brake performance. In a statement released by Ford, affected vehicles are those equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. In the affected vehicles, the brake master cylinder may leak brake fluid into the break booster, causing the malfunction. If brake fluid leaks into the break booster, the brakes may require more pressure or longer stopping distances. Ford has released a remedy for the recall, citing a simple component replacement. Read more on MotorSafety.org.
|
|
|
|
More Recall Campaign News
|
|
Recall Rundown is presented by Recall Masters |
|
Recall Masters, Inc.
23131 Verdugo Dr., Laguna Hills, CA 92653
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
