As you may be aware, many automobile manufacturers have issued and/or expanded recalls of vehicles equipped with potentially defective airbags. Replacement parts for the potentially defective air bags are not readily available 
for certain vehicles and reportedly it may be months until they are available and repairs can be completed. In response, some automobile manufacturers are offering rental or other replacement vehicles until the repair can be completed.
How to Get Info on Your Own Car
Owners of properly registered vehicles will be notified by mail of recalls related to the vehicle, equipment, or tires. You can also search for recalls by make and model at recalls.gov. For recall notifications about your specific vehicle, go to Safercar.gov. You’ll need your VIN for this search.
To ensure you never miss a recall, sign up for email notifications of recalls from the NHTSA for your particular vehicle. There are also Safercar apps for iPhones and Androids.
Keep in mind: just because your vehicle doesn’t have an open recall now doesn’t mean one won’t happen in the future, even for cars that are a few years old.
How Do Recalls Affect Your Car Insurance Rates?
Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions about Auto Recalls:
Q: If the insured is in an accident with the rental car, would any loss of use or administrative fees be covered under the collision or comprehensive coverage?
A: No. Collision and Comprehensive coverage is for direct accidental damage to the vehicle.
Q: Can the insured ask the manufacturer to pay for daily insurance on the rental to cover any type of charges not covered under collision or comprehensive coverage.
A: Yes, they can certainly ask. However, from what we have heard to date, the manufacturers are denying these types of requests.
Q: If an insured had a loss in the rental vehicle, would the insured be able to use their Substitute Transportation Coverage to obtain another vehicle while it is being repaired.
A: Yes. Because the original rental vehicle is considered “Your Auto”, Substitute Transportation would be available if there was a collision or comprehensive loss to the original rental vehicle.
Q: Does the insured’s vehicle have to physically remain at the dealership while waiting for the backordered parts and repairs to be completed to be considered “out of normal use”?
A: No. Some dealerships have offered the insured the option to voluntarily leave their vehicle at the dealership and some have not. Out of use means the insured or any other party are not operating the recalled vehicle. Should the recalled vehicle remain in the insured’s custody, it is their responsibility to take great care that no one operates the recalled vehicle.
Operation of the recalled vehicle would create a coverage situation and may result in the rental vehicle not meeting the definition of “Your Auto.”
Q: The dealership asked the insured to sign a waiver that they will not drive the recalled vehicle. If the dealer does not ask the insured to sign a waiver does that affect coverage under their auto policy?
A: No. The condition of signing the waiver does not change the coverage under the insured’s policy.
Q: The manufacturer’s dealership will not offer the insured a rental. Would the insured be able to rent a vehicle under their own Substitute Transportation Coverage?
A: No, there is no direct and accidental damage to the vehicle to trigger Collision or Comprehensive coverage. Substitute Transportation coverage only applies while the vehicle is being repaired or replaced due to a Collision or Comprehensive loss.
Q: Does the insured need to list the rental vehicle on the policy or purchase any type of endorsement that provides coverage for Use of Other Autos or Available for Regular Use?
A: No. The insured does not need any additional endorsements for the rental car to meet the definition of “Your Auto.”
Q: How is temporary defined?
A: There is no definition of “temporary” under the policy. The coverage is being extended because it is not a permanent replacement and involves a safety issue for our mutual customer.
Q: Would any claim made on the rental vehicle be subject to a regular use exclusion?
A: No. The regular use exclusion does not apply to “Your Auto.”
Q: If the insured doesn’t renew the rental contract every 30 days, will that affect coverage?
A: No. However, we have heard many of the rental companies are asking insureds to renew the contract at regularly timed intervals, such as 30 days.
Q: So, can I feel confident telling the insured they are covered if they rent a vehicle due to the air bag inflator recall?
A: They are covered under the same terms, conditions, provisions and exclusions that apply to the vehicle listed on the coverage selections page.
If your vehicle is the subject of a recall, you can bet it’s serious. Don’t delay repairs or fixes—it won’t cost you anything, and while repairs might be an inconvenience, recalls aren’t suggestions, so don’t take them lightly.
