NHTSA Launches Recall Check Website: More Traffic To Your Dealership?

A new website created by the federal government aims at helping consumers quickly look up vehicle recalls. Safercar.gov was launched earlier today under the direction of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx had this to say about the new website.

“Safety is our highest priority, and an informed consumer is one of our strongest allies in ensuring recalled vehicles are repaired,” Foxx said. “Starting today car owners, shoppers, and renters can find out if a specific vehicle has a safety defect that needs to be fixed – using our free online tool.”

The website allows consumers to search for recalls, find out crash test ratings, learn about car seat safety, learn about tire ratings and even file a complaint. The complaint feature allows consumers to submit problems with their vehicle that they believe could be related to a manufacturer defect.

A government mandate from the NHTSA went into effect today, in conjunction with the launch of the website. According to an official press release from the NHTSA, “all major light vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers are required to provide VIN search capability for uncompleted recalls on their own websites. This data must be updated at least weekly.”

This new streamlined approach to making vehicle information easily available could lead to more consumers lining up at dealerships to get their recalled cars repaired. Dealerships could soon have much more traffic into their service centers. The real question for dealerships is what they will do with the uptick in vehicles on their lot. Will it come and go, or become an opportunity for those who plan around it? The answer as always is up to y