Text by Graham Heeps. Illustration by Mike Ellis.
If you’ve owned a new or nearly new car, chances are a vehicle recall notification has appeared in your mailbox at some point. The complexity of modern vehicles makes recalls common despite the equally sophisticated development and test procedures behind the launch of each new model. It’s much cheaper for automakers to fix a problem before production starts than after vehicles have left the factory, especially considering the reputational damage a recall may bring.
A recall could be for something as simple as ensuring a bolt is tight (this one affected some 2021–2023 Mercedes- Benz vehicles) or applying the correct information sticker for tire pressure (as on the new Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale). But it might involve the replacement of a safetycritical component, as with the notorious Takata airbaginflator recall that involved more than 100 million vehicles worldwide. Another incident involved fatal ignition faults that plagued Chevrolet Cobalts in the 2000s.
How does a vehicle get recalled?
Notices of defects affecting vehicles, tires and child car seats—also known as safety recall notices—are regulated under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA). When a manufacturer finds a safety defect, it must notify all owners in writing within 60 days. Transport Canada (TC) ensures that companies follow the requirements of the MVSA and its associated regulations. If TC finds a defect or noncompliance, and the company has not given notice, TC can order it to do so.
Automakers conduct their own investigations into problems with production vehicles. Having been fined in the U.S. for its poor response to problems with Theta II engines, in 2023, Hyundai opened a dedicated Safety Test and Investigation Laboratory (STIL) in Michigan to track down and remedy defects in production cars.
However, TC also conducts investigations, often based on consumer complaints. Anyone can report a safety-related issue with a vehicle by filling out a defect complaint form on the TC website or by speaking to the regulator directly by calling 1-800-333-0510.
TC might investigate a problem if, for example, the same complaint arises many times—if a safety defect is found to exist, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) must issue a recall notice to fix the problem.
In 2023 alone, manufacturers issued 710 recalls affecting a total of 4,601,253 vehicles, tires and child car seats in Canada. Of those 710 recalls, 32 were influenced by Transport Canada, affecting 941,247 vehicles, tires and child car seats.
Not all complaints result in a recall, however. For example, in 2023 no recall was issued over the loss of power-steering assistance in older Ford F-150s. It was determined that the problem could not be attributed to a single underlying cause or was deemed to stem from normal vehicle wear and tear. As well, there were no injuries or fatalities.
“Recalls usually come about because of crashes or because there’s been human injury,” says Ryan Peterson, manager of automotive services for the CAA Club Group. “Many people wish that common problems lead to recalls, but that’s not usually the case. Those problems will usually lead to a manufacturer warranty claim.”
TC’s own guidance states that neither engine or powertrain performance problems, nor air conditioners and radios that don’t work properly, are considered safety defects—even if systemic problems in these areas can be enormously frustrating to vehicle owners.
How does the repair process work?
For older vehicles that have changed hands multiple times, contacting the owner in the event of a recall might be easier said than done, because the OEM uses in-house ownership records, not those of a provincial registering authority.
“Make sure that the selling dealer has your latest contact information and mailing address,” advises Peterson. “If you move and the OEM needs to reach you for a recall or for a special service campaign that sometimes prevents a recall, they will go by whatever mailing address was on file when you last visited a dealership. Say, you buy a used vehicle—for the first oil change, take it to the local dealer just to make sure they have your profile. You can also register through an OEM portal such as Honda’s my-garage.ca.”
Receiving a recall notice is your cue to contact a local dealer to resolve the problem, but there is no guarantee that the issue will be fixed right away. Software updates are an increasingly common fix to automotive problems, but must be thoroughly tested before being deployed. For a physical component, it might take months for the manufacturer to find the fix, liaise with suppliers to redesign and test a part, tool up for production and distribute the components, so the affected vehicles can be repaired. Recent supply-chain issues in the industry have further complicated the process.
Chances are that your vehicle will still be drivable while you’re waiting for a fix, but in some cases, the manufacturer may advise against normal use. For example, Chrysler’s 2022 interim recall notice for Pacifica Hybrids recommended not to recharge and to park outside, but it took months for a remedy to be rolled out across the dealer network.
When your vehicle gets its turn for repair, the work is done for free, but there is likely to be no obligation on the dealer to provide a loaner vehicle.
Buying a recalled vehicle
There is a high chance that the model of car or truck you're thinking of buying has been subject to a recall. Transport Canada has a recall database searchable by vehicle model and year, as well as an aggregation of OEM-specific search tools, so you can check whether a vehicle identification number (VIN) has any outstanding recalls. These tools make it easy to discover whether your current or potential future ride needs remedy work or not, or if it comes from a defect-prone cohort.
“If you notice that a new vehicle you’re considering buying has been subject to a lot of recalls, it might make you cautious,” says Peterson. “It can also depend on the severity of the defect—some have a low risk to safety. One way to minimize the risk can be to avoid the first year of a new model, which sometimes still has bugs to be worked out.”
The good news for drivers is that the arrival of software-defined vehicles—cars whose operation and features are controlled mostly by onboard software, as pioneered by Tesla—should make it simpler and cheaper to correct safety defects. Regular, smartphone-style over-the-air (OTA) updates could reduce the need for formal recalls and make them faster to implement when they do arise.
Even so, a customer’s experience of recalls will always vary from case to case. As with any consumer product, it’s not always what goes wrong that matters. It’s often how well the manufacturer deals with a problem that leaves a lasting impression.
Questions about vehicles? Email autoadvice@caasco.ca or call 1-866-464-6448 with questions for CAA experts.