When is a Recall Not a Recall?

[edhackett]

Sent from a friend in Australia:

Quote:
When it's a "FREE TECHNICAL UPGRADE" (pardon the caps that's what the letter uses.)

Great news from Mazda. My Mazda 3 has a free technical upgrade available now!

Reading a bit further, it's more like a recall - to replace the power steering pump and high pressure pipe. Apparently under hot conditions (we get those here) contamination in the power steering system triggers a warning and disabling of the power steering.

I'd call that a recall.

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Ed

 

[Hokiefyd]

Generally, I think people consider it a recall if it's safety-related. For example, I just got a "customer satisfaction" letter about one of my vehicles for a free transmission programming update. It's not safety-related, it was not required by the NHTSA. I wouldn't call it a recall.

The Mazda's problem sounds right on the line. It doesn't appear that the line bursts causing a fire hazard. The user doesn't lose steering control of the car. Is it a "safety problem"? I don't know. I don't want to be the guy responsible for defining that.

 

[CharlieJ]

I'd call it a safety hazard when you can barely turn the wheel because the pump shuts off. People on Mazda3 forums have been complaining about this issue for years now. Mazda has just recently addressed it. This is one reason why I recently flushed the P/S fluid in my Mazda.

 

[CharlieJ]

I just noticed that the E-mail is from Australia. I'm pretty sure it was a recall in the U.S.

It is a recall in the US:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67G5MM20100817

 

[CharlieJ]

Originally Posted By: CharlieJ
I just noticed that the E-mail is from Australia. I'm pretty sure it was a recall in the U.S.

It is a recall in the US:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67G5MM20100817


Apparently Mazda trolled the Australians.

 

[crw]

A "recall" is a US government mandated thing. In Australia they can call it whatever they want.

 

[MrCritical]

A recall generally has no time limit. Recalls usually extend coverage of a defect beyond warranty. TSB's usually only tell of a known problem and how to repair them. TSB's generally don't extend the original warranty period.

 

[bdcardinal]

There are different stages to that recall. We have gotten a few 3's in when we run the VIN with Mazda it says "prelim letter" and we are to not do any work on the vehicle. The parts are on a restricted ordering status, we give them the VIN when they order them. On these cars they tell us the car is not yet eligible for the recall or something like that. Ive called Mazda to get an override and they say basically that if you read the letter it just says to expect another letter, awesome huh?.