Jim Grant's Tech Tips
Mitsubishi Eclipse, Safety Recalls
Q:
I own a Mitsubishi Eclipse and it just got recalled. I looked at the list
and there are a few items on the list that were not fixed. Is there any
way to make the Mitsubishi dealer responsible for this?.........Jen
A:
It would be horrifying to think that a dealership would not perform safety
related recall repairs on your vehicle. That is why I would question your
concerns, but I would not dismiss them either. Automotive manufacturing
is always in transformation. The parts and/or assembly procedures used
change. This change can occur at various times of vehicle production.
I’m not talking years here. Parts or production changes can happen
in a week. Also, not all vehicle makes and models are made in the same
manufacturing facility. A production problem can occur at one facility
but not at another. Safety recalls can be based on the region you live
in. Why? We lucky ones in the salt belt (which consists of about 14 states)
will have safety related problems caused by the operating environment,
use of road salt. The road salt creates safety issues that vehicles in
other parts of the country will never have. An example would be the recent
safety recall for 2000 Audi Quattros. Corrosion was binding the suspension
in the rear of the vehicle. How does one know if a safety recall applies
to their vehicle? There are a couple ways to check. The simplest is to
call or stop by a dealer with the vehicle identification number. In some
cases the production date of the vehicle will be needed. This information
tells the dealer where and when your vehicle was manufactured. This information
is compared to the where and when information of the safety recall. If
your vehicle falls into the where and when of the safety recall then the
dealer will repair your vehicle at no cost. You should also know that
safety recalls apply to the vehicle not to the owner. You could be the
seventh owner yet you will not have to pay for safety recall related repairs.
You can also visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Or call toll free at 1-888-327-4236 to
obtain information on cars or report that you are having difficulty receiving
safety related repairs on your vehicle.
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