Pub. 6 2016 Issue 3

18 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com Since each covered manufacturer’s recall information is now ac- cessible through NHTSA’s portal, this is the best source for recall information gathering. To gather such information, a dealer merely needs to enter the complete VIN for the vehicle in the appropriate field. The main portal screen is shown below. When the system is operating properly (it can be spotty), as long as a complete and correct VIN is entered, four potential results may appear (screenshot examples appear on subsequent pages): 1. No Outstanding Recall Applies (Example 1): If a ve- hicle is either not subject to any outstanding recall, or an existing recall has been remedied, the result of the VIN search result will state “Number of Open Recalls: 0.” This is the best possible result—it means that the vehicle is not currently subject to an unresolved recall. If checking the database at intake, the dealer should check the VIN once again prior to sale in case a recall had been issued in the interim period. 2. Recall Incomplete (Example 2): This result will appear if a vehicle is subject to a recall that has not yet been re- paired, and for which a remedy is available through the manufacturer’s franchised dealers. The search result will provide a summary of the recall campaign, the safety risk, the recall status, and additional notes described by the manufacturer. When this result appears, the dealer must take into account that, in addition to standard reconditioning, additional work will be required through a franchised dealer to eliminate this status. While the recall repair will be performed without cost, it may take time to schedule—and that’s assuming parts shortages do not cause further delays. While the retail sale of a vehicle in this status is not unlawful in and of itself, dealers should take into account the extent and severity of the manufacturer’s safety risk description in deciding whether they want to acquire the vehicle or offer the vehicle for sale at retail. 3. Recall Incomplete: Remedy Not Yet Available (Example 3 on page 20): This result will appear if a vehicle has been recalled but the manufacturer has either not yet identi- fied a remedy, or parts necessary for the remedy are not yet available to dealers. The search result will describe the recall campaign, the safety risk, the recall status, and additional notes described by the manufacturer. This search result provides the most uncertainty for a dealer— both as to the timing of an available remedy, as well as the extent of required repairs. In deciding whether to acquire such a vehicle, the dealer may want to check the general NHTSA search website at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues. There, the dealer can enter the year, make, and model of the vehicle and have access to the actual formal recall documents from the automaker and NHTSA. Some of those document can provide information on estimated time frames before a remedy should be available. 4. Recall Information Not Available (Example 4 on page 20): This result will appear if the automaker is not subject to NHTSA regulations (e.g., they sold fewer than 25,000 vehicles the previous year and elected not to participate in NHTSA’s database). The result will indicate that recall information is not available for the vehicle, and direct the viewer to contact the automaker directly. Regardless of what result appears after a VIN search, NHT- SA’s portal includes a button allowing for the result to be printed. These results be printed and retained. Example 1: No Outstanding Recall Applies Example 2: Recall Incomplete n The Rocky Recall Road — continued from page 16 n The Rocky Recall Road — continued on page 20