An Australian fleet management organisation is calling on the automotive OEMS to confirm the status of their manufactured vehicles under an active or historical recall.
The call follows an initiative by the Department of Infrastructure that all active and historical vehicle recalls will now appear on the personal property securities register (PPSR) reports.
Fleetcare says it is the first fleet management organisation to provide customers transparency on the recall status of vehicles.
“It is important that manufacturers provide transparency on recall information for public safety, as these vehicles are on public roads,” Fleetcare chief executive officer Nigel Malcolm says.
“We know that some manufacturers struggle to provide clarity around the status of recalls, leaving the consumer unaware that their vehicle is either unsafe to drive or non-compliant for sale.
“However, there are other manufacturers leading the way in this space including Mazda and Toyota, who provide clear information as to which of their recalls are resolved or unresolved. We hope to see others following suit soon.”
Fleetcare in conjunction with Evolve Information Services, has developed an automation platform that enables it to identify recalls and their status, using a customer’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Fleetcare’s recall management service features include:
- Identifying vehicles with recalls and their status
- Informing drivers and key contacts informed about recalls affecting their vehicle(s) and linking them to relevant recall information.
- Tracking the status of customer communication and vehicle recall
Fleetcare believes that since 2008, there have been approximately 5.6 million recalls in Australia.
Of those recalls, it says 80% of those recalls cannot be confirmed, and there is no easy way for the consumer to check the status of a vehicle despite this being a critical part of keeping drivers and the vehicles on our roads safe.
According to Fleetcare, unresolved recalls can expose drivers and their passengers to danger, or even death.
It says recalls are the responsibility of the manufacturer with the largest being the Takata airbag situation which affected 65 million vehicles and killed more than 35 people.
In December 2022, Fleetcare says almost 20,000 Hyundai cars were urgently recalled over fears they could catch fire due to a manufacturing defect
It says this is a hidden minefield for used car buyers, and the second-hand market is running hot because of the delays in obtaining new cars.
“Resolving recalls is crucial when owners are looking to sell a vehicle, as financial institutions can only secure against an asset that is safe, and a dealership can only buy a vehicle without an outstanding recall,” Fleetcare says.
