When you buy a new car, you expect the vehicle to run properly and without any malfunctions. After all, proper automobile maintenance and repairs are said to ensure that most vehicles run reliably for years. Unfortunately, though, there are plenty of instances where cars leave the factory with costly and potentially dangerous defects. If you have any questions or concerns about the quality and safety of your vehicle, trust that the attorneys at Garland, Samuel & Loeb, P.C., have years of experience dealing with automobile defects and product liability lawsuits.
The US Department of Transportation discusses automobile defects and recall statistics, and explains that the federal government has been concerned about such issues for years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for establishing federal vehicle safety standards, as well as enforcing those standards through vehicle recalls. Still, protocol dictates that vehicle manufacturers are primarily responsible for voluntarily initiating automobile recalls in instances where safety defects are identified. It is also largely up to manufacturers to notify vehicle owners, distributors, dealers and the NHTSA about their recall actions.
While federal agencies do implement and enforce vehicle safety protocols, established guidelines can not entirely ensure that all unsafe vehicles are removed from American roadways. For instance, manufacturers are only required to remedy safety defects free of charge to vehicle owners within 10 years of the vehicle being sold for the first time. Beyond that, the NHTSA’s alert to some safety defects depends upon the complaints of vehicle owners in many cases, as manufacturers are often left to initiate recalls voluntarily.
Pursuing your own automobile defect complaints is necessary in many cases. Learn more about defective products and other product liability topics by visiting our web page today.
