In a September 14th article from The Wall Street Journal, It was reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a possible fault in the straps that hold fuel tanks in 1997 to 2001 Ford F-150 trucks. 32 complaints have been filled with the NHTSA which prompted the investigation. While these investigations are normal, the age of the vehicles brings up an important question. How long do auto manufacturers have to support their products and offer recalls? Officially, the NHTSA requires automakers to provide needed recalls for vehicles up to 10 years in age.
Considering business ethics, should a company only support their product for a set amount of time? I believe they should only support products for 10 years which is the age most people associate with the very end of a car’s life, for most situations. More importantly, I believed this number is set because automakers should not be responsible for a vehicle which has been on the roads for ten years. Over those years the vehicle could have been in a flood, rusted in a used car dealer, been aggressively driven or inappropriately repaired. All these situations could lead to problems that should not be traced to the original manufacturing of the vehicle. Auto makers should not be held responsible for older vehicles when the fault deals with rust, corrosion or other aging traits.
However, if the flaw is inherent in the design, such as a faulty safety feature, the company should be responsible no matter the age of the vehicle.
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/09/14/safety-agency-is-investigating-fuel-tank-hazard-in-ford-trucks/?mod=rss_WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_Autos_Driversseat
Companies have a responsibility to recall vehicles when there is a faulty design problem or other issues like that. I agree that some old vehicles simply rust and degrade, and that is not the fault of the automakers.
ReplyDeleteI am encouraged that some automakers have instituted free scheduled maintenance programs, 30-day guarantees, and extended powertrain warranties. These developments are good for consumers and the companies, since consumers are more willing to purchase cars and the companies are more willing to fix them if broken.
I believe a company should offer recalls whenever they find a problem with the vehicle regardless of how old it is. Automakers usually give a guarantee of 2 to 4 years for its vehicles which is fair considering it would be financially impossible to be accountable for a car for more than 4 years.
ReplyDelete