If You Love Your Car, Read This

Your car is likely one of the most important inanimate objects in your life. It transports you to and from work and/or school as well as social activities. It likely carries your loved ones, friends and others. It was also probably expensive - one of the most expensive items in your life - and a whole heck of a lot went into making it.

One of the reason a car is so involved is because of the rigorous safety standards and tests that the vehicle itself and many of its parts must go through before it can be put on the market.

However, not every part or vehicle functions as expected once it's on the road. Sometimes a part doesn't hold up under the amount of duress anticipated or sometimes it's put under more duress than accounted for due to other changes in the vehicle. When this happens - and when manufacturers become aware of these problems - they may issue a recall on a particular vehicle. Often this is not in order to replace the entire vehicle but simply a singular part that needs fixing.

Should your vehicle ever be subject to a recall, the information is generally sent to your registered address in the mail. However, if that changes and your information is not updated with the manufacturer, you can miss vital information that pertains to your safety. It's a good idea to update the manufacturer who sold you your car (if you bought it directly) when you move.

Many people don't purchase their cars directly from the manufacturer, and in that case the easiest way to check on a recall is to type your VIN into a designated spot on the manufacturer's website, which you might want to make a part of your regular routine, perhaps monthly. Some manufacturers will allow you to register your vehicle with them in order to get this information whether or not you purchased directly.

Another great place to check this information is at www.recalls.gove/nhtsa.html. This site has all the information you could need about recalls related to motor vehicle, child safety seats, tires and all related equipment. You can even subscribe right on their website to make sure that you don't miss information about your vehicle.

It's not a delightful chore but being aware of vehicle recalls is part of owning a car, and we hope you'll take it as seriously as we do.