In many cases, Texans spend a lot of money when they purchase a new car. When doing so, most people hope that the car will work as promised and get them from one place to another. However, people also expect that the car will be safe to operate when they get behind the wheel. Sadly, this is not always true. In some cases, cars are put on the market with inherent defects that make them dangerous to drive. These defects can come from a poorly manufactured car part or from a defective design. Nonetheless, in either case, defective cars pose a great risk to all drivers in Texas and need to be taken off the market.
In these cases, a product recall is often issued. As this blog has discussed in the past, federal law dictates that a recall be issued in certain situations. But, consumers need to understand how to react before a recall has been issued. They need to know how to report issues with their vehicles. This is where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) comes in.
Consumers can report potential safety issues to the NHTSA. This can be done over the phone, in the mail or online. If the NHTSA receives a number of similar complaints about the same vehicles, the NHTSA will have cause to investigate the concerns. The NHTSA will work through a variety of steps to determine if a recall should be issued in any particular case.
One part of these steps includes a two-part investigation. The first part of the investigation — called the preliminary investigation — information will be gathered from the car’s manufacturer. This includes information about car accidents involving the car, warranty claims or injury reports. The second part of the investigation — called the engineering analysis — will investigate a particular alleged defect. This will include inspections, tests and other surveys to determine if a defect exists.
While the NHTSA can be an important part in preventing accidents by recalling vehicles, the organization can do little for those already hurt by defective auto parts. In those cases, victims should speak with an attorney to ensure that their rights are protected.
