Recalls and Used-car dealer responsibility?

This is in the USA.

A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
taken car of before reselling the car?

Perce

On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
> This is in the USA.
>
> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
> taken car of before reselling the car?

My particular used Toyota (2013 Corolla) didn't get the evil airbags, or
at least they haven't been discovered to have gotten them. Yet. I too
plugged the VIN into the NHTSA site and signed up for future
notifications. The Carfax report might have mentioned 'no recalls' ,
but I'm too lazy to go look.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity
is not thus handicapped."
-- Elbert Hubbard, American author

> On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>> This is in the USA.
>>
>> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
>> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
>> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
>> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
>> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
>> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
>> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
>> taken car of before reselling the car?

Nope. They could have been nice and run the VIN and told the buyer that
it had an outstanding recall but they have no obligation to do that.
Recalls are really a PIA in the way they are handled. A NEW car that has
never been sold can be repaired under recall on the original dealers
lot. BUT once the vehicle is sold the problem falls on the registered
owner to bring it in. Best thing to do is bring it to a dealer and have
them verify that it's an open recall, they will enter it in the system
and schedule a repair time.

--
Steve W.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:18:31 -0400, "Steve W." >
wrote:

>> On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>> This is in the USA.
>>>
>>> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
>>> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
>>> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
>>> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
>>> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
>>> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
>>> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
>>> taken car of before reselling the car?
>
>Nope. They could have been nice and run the VIN and told the buyer that
>it had an outstanding recall but they have no obligation to do that.
>Recalls are really a PIA in the way they are handled. A NEW car that has
>never been sold can be repaired under recall on the original dealers
>lot. BUT once the vehicle is sold the problem falls on the registered
>owner to bring it in. Best thing to do is bring it to a dealer and have
>them verify that it's an open recall, they will enter it in the system
>and schedule a repair time.

I've had 2 used Chevys where I got recall notices from GM.
One was '97 Lumina which at minimum was sold privately at least once
before I bought it privately.
The second was my 2003 Impala which I bought used at a Chevy
dealer.
The Lumina recall notice makes me believe that GM has access to
Illinois state registration records. Only way they could find the
car.
Probably the same with the Impala, since I could have sold it.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2016 22:38:07 -0500, Vic Smith
> wrote:

>On Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:18:31 -0400, "Steve W." >
>wrote:
>
>>> On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>> This is in the USA.
>>>>
>>>> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
>>>> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
>>>> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
>>>> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
>>>> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
>>>> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
>>>> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
>>>> taken car of before reselling the car?
>>
>>Nope. They could have been nice and run the VIN and told the buyer that
>>it had an outstanding recall but they have no obligation to do that.
>>Recalls are really a PIA in the way they are handled. A NEW car that has
>>never been sold can be repaired under recall on the original dealers
>>lot. BUT once the vehicle is sold the problem falls on the registered
>>owner to bring it in. Best thing to do is bring it to a dealer and have
>>them verify that it's an open recall, they will enter it in the system
>>and schedule a repair time.
>
>I've had 2 used Chevys where I got recall notices from GM.
>One was '97 Lumina which at minimum was sold privately at least once
>before I bought it privately.
>The second was my 2003 Impala which I bought used at a Chevy
>dealer.
>The Lumina recall notice makes me believe that GM has access to
>Illinois state registration records. Only way they could find the
>car.
>Probably the same with the Impala, since I could have sold it.

Tuesday I took our 2003 Corolla in for SRS controller replacement under
recall. Already had the air bag and nozzle replaced after a couple of
inspections.
Came home, got mail and had a "Safety Recall Notice (Interim Notice)
that the 2010 Corolla will be recalled to replace or repair the
passenger side Takata airbag/propellant. I will be notified when parts
are available but am cautioned not to allow a passenger to ride in the
car's passenger side front seat. Deja Vu..
--
Mr.E

Vic Smith wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:18:31 -0400, "Steve W." >
> wrote:
>
>>> On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>> This is in the USA.
>>>>
>>>> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
>>>> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
>>>> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
>>>> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
>>>> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
>>>> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
>>>> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
>>>> taken car of before reselling the car?
>> Nope. They could have been nice and run the VIN and told the buyer that
>> it had an outstanding recall but they have no obligation to do that.
>> Recalls are really a PIA in the way they are handled. A NEW car that has
>> never been sold can be repaired under recall on the original dealers
>> lot. BUT once the vehicle is sold the problem falls on the registered
>> owner to bring it in. Best thing to do is bring it to a dealer and have
>> them verify that it's an open recall, they will enter it in the system
>> and schedule a repair time.
>
> I've had 2 used Chevys where I got recall notices from GM.
> One was '97 Lumina which at minimum was sold privately at least once
> before I bought it privately.
> The second was my 2003 Impala which I bought used at a Chevy
> dealer.
> The Lumina recall notice makes me believe that GM has access to
> Illinois state registration records. Only way they could find the
> car.
> Probably the same with the Impala, since I could have sold it.


Yep, They have access to all of the states registration info when it
comes to recalls. The basics are that they send out a notice with a VIN
range for a particular vehicle and they run a search on the database to
see if they get hits.

Most states also sell a redacted version of the registration database to
third party advertisers as well. That is how a LOT of spam mail gets
addressed.

--
Steve W.

On 07/20/2016 11:27 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
> This is in the USA.
>
> A family member recently bought a used Toyota, and I asked whether she
> had received a recall notice relating to the Takata airbag problem. She
> said she had not, but when I plugged their VIN into the NHTSA Web site
> it showed that there was a not-done recall for that vehicle -- but the
> recall notice had been issued in 2015, so would have been received by
> the previous owner, who had not had it taken care of. Should the
> used-car dealer have checked for recalls and had outstanding recalls
> taken car of before reselling the car?

Wait, you're expecting a used car dealer to not ONLY be honest, but also to
be thorough?

I'd settle just for honest. Or even the appearance of honesty.

The used car dealer is under no legal obligation to do anything, not even to
certify that the odometer hasn't been tampered with.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."