There has been a lot of recent discussion about possible recalls, lets take a look a what a recall is in relationship to federal laws and standards. I did a highlight in
RED for the issues that have been mentioned.
Motor Vehicle Defects & Recall Campaigns
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
Quote:
INTRODUCTION
The need to remove unsafe vehicles from our roads is but one
of many priorities dictated by the tragic loss of approximately
42,000 lives annually on the Nation’s highways. In this country,
traffic crashes are the primary cause of paraplegia, a
major cause of epilepsy, and the number one killer of
Americans under age 34. The annual economic loss to society
because of these crashes, in terms of worker productivity,
medical costs, insurance costs, etc., is estimated at more than
$150 billion. Clearly, there is a need for dramatic improvement
in motor vehicle safety.
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, originally
enacted in 1966 and now recodified as 49 U.S.C. Chapter
301, gives the Department of Transportation’s National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority
to issue vehicle safety standards and to require manufacturers
to recall vehicles with safety-related defects or that
do not meet safety standards. Since then, more than 299
million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles
and mopeds, as well as 43 million tires and 84 million
pieces of motor vehicle equipment, including child seats,
have been recalled to correct safety defects. Many of these
recalls were initiated voluntarily by the manufacturers,
while others were either influenced by NHTSA investigations
or ordered by NHTSA via the courts. If a safety defect
is discovered, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA, as well
as vehicle or equipment owners, dealers, and distributors.
The manufacturer is then required to remedy the problem at
no charge to the vehicle owner. NHTSA is responsible for
monitoring the manufacturer’s corrective action for adequacy
and for compliance with statutory requirements.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this booklet is to answer the most commonly
asked questions on how and why recall campaigns are initiated,
and to inform consumers of their rights and responsibilities
when a vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment
is recalled. It explains how consumers can report a safetyrelated
problem to NHTSA and emphasizes the importance
of citizen participation in ensuring that our motor vehicles
are as safe as possible.
WHEN IS A RECALL NECESSARY?
(1) When a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle
equipment (including tires) does not comply with a
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
(2) When there is a safety-related defect in the vehicle
or equipment.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set minimum performance
requirements for those parts of the vehicle that most
affect its safe operation (brakes, tires, lighting) or that protect
drivers and passengers from death or serious injury in
the event of a crash (air bags, safety belts, child restraints,
energy absorbing steering columns, motorcycle helmets) and
are applicable to a l l vehicles and equipment manufactured
or imported for sale in the United States (including the territories)
certified for use on public roads and highways.
WHAT IS A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT?
Generally, a safety-related defect is a problem that
exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle
equipment that:
(1) poses a risk to motor vehicle safety, and
(2) may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or
manufacture, or items of equipment of the same type
and manufacture.
SAFETY DEFECTS ARE USUALLY THE RESULT
OF INADEQUATE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING
ERROR
Examples Include:
➧ Steering components that break suddenly causing partial or
complete loss of vehicle control.
➧ Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their
susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel
and possibly cause vehicle fires.
➧ Accelerator controls that break or stick.
➧ Wheels that crack or break, resulting in loss of
vehicle control.
➧ Engine cooling fan blades that break unexpectedly causing
injury to persons working on a vehicle.
➧ Windshield wiper assemblies that fail to operate or
malfunction.
➧ Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly during
normal use.
➧ Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart,
or separate from the vehicle causing loss of vehicle control
or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.
➧ Wiring system problems that result in a fire or
loss of lighting.
➧ Car ramps or jacks that collapse causing injury to
someone working on a vehicle.
➧ Air bags that deploy under conditions for which they
are not designed to deploy.
➧ Child safety seats that contain defective safety belts, buckles,
or components that create a risk of injury not only in a
vehicle crash but also in non-operational safety of a
motor vehicle.
PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT
GENERALLY NOT CONSIDERED TO BE SAFETYRELATED
DEFECTS UNDER FEDERAL LAW
INCLUDE:
➧ Air conditioners and radios that do not operate properly.
➧ Ordinary wear of equipment that has to be inspected, maintained,
and replaced periodically. Such equipment includes
shock absorbers, batteries, brake pads and shoes, and exhaust
systems.
➧ Nonstructural or body panel rust.
➧ Quality of paint or cosmetic blemishes.
➧ Excessive oil consumption.
A recall is just one way of taking care of an issue, and is used on the serious safety issues. A manufacturer could place a extanded warranty coverage on a part or for a specific condition. These would require the condition to have taken place and be covered until the car is a certian age or mileage. They could start a customer satisfaction campaign to update a part or repair a condition. These repairs usually have a certain time period that they are good for. Finally, they could issue a Technical Serivce Bulletion (TSB) describing a new or updated repair for a part or condition. These repairs would only be covered if the car has the condition and is still under warranty.
While some of the reports provided very little detail, lets look at them anyways. Keep in mind there are no reports/complaints or investigations openned at the NHTSA site for any of these issues.
Not the most efficient way to search for recalls, doing a "Google", the only paint related GM recall I could find was for about 55 "S" trucks several years ago. The only reason it became a recall is that the paint issue effected windshield retention. Windshield retention is a regulated safety issue. GM bought back those trucks, ro repair was made by dealerships. I do not remember any paint recalls myself.
There have been a few reports of various electrical issues here on site that could be traced to "wire harness" issues, I am sure there have been no fire reports and pretty sure there have been no issues with lights not working (not talking about issues with the dash lighting based on how GM elected to program the system).
The breaking off of a knob that releases the seat back latch to access storage, and the damaging of interior trim also doesn't appear to meet the recall test. From the two or three people that have posted this issue, no one reports that the seat back stays unlatched.
If there is to ever be a recall on the Solstice, rest asured that one of the dealership sales or services guys here on site will bring you the news not long after GM/Pontiac tells us. If you are really concerned, I believe that registering at MyGMLink.com gets you email notification of any recalls that your specific GM car/truck has before the mail copy goes out.
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