The Workings and Challenges of a Safety Recall Campaign?

After centuries of building motor vehicles one would have thought that process controls and procedures would have developed to the point where recalls, and in particular safety recalls, would be a thing of the past. Unfortunately this is not the case: In America alone, more than 51 million vehicles were recalled in 2015 in nearly 900 campaigns, another record, according to NHTSA chief Mark Rosekind. The numbers involved in these campaigns are mind boggling: GM is recalling approximately 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches, and although quoted figures for the Takata airbag-inflator recall vary quite significantly it would seem that approximately 38 million inflators need to be replaced in the United States alone.

However, more than two years after Takata’s admission only about 30 percent of the suspect inflators have been repaired, leaving about 26.6 million potential failures out in the field. How is it possible that after more than two years only 30% of the potentially deadly inflators have been replaced?

The mechanics of recalling vehicles.

In order to answer the question it’s important to understand how a recall campaign works, and in particular a safety campaign.

The following Infographic shows the procedures followed in North America, although this process would be applicable to any safety campaign in any country:

Image Credit: Automotive News.

Typically the following conditions would initiate a safety recall campaign:

Steering component failure resulting in partial or complete loss of vehicle control Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires Accelerator controls that break or stick Wheels that crack or break Engine cooling fan blades that break unexpectedly causing injury to anyone working on a vehicle Windshield wiper assemblies that fail to operate properly Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle, causing potential loss of vehicle control or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle Wiring system problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting Car ramps or jacks that may collapse and cause injury to anyone working on a vehicle Air bags that deploy unexpectedly or incorrectly Child safety seats that contain defective safety belts, buckles, or components that create a risk of injury, not only in a vehicle crash but also in non-operational safety of a motor vehicle A safety recall can be initiated either by a safety body, such as NHTSA in America, or the manufacturer, but this article will focus on the procedures manufacturers follow during the recall process.

Behind the scenes preparation.

Whilst details may change from company to company the following steps form the basis of a recall:

The recall investigation is initiated after a product problem has been identified, either in the field by customers, or during manufacture. At this stage an intensive study of the failure mode, component(s) affected and cause is conducted.

For several years now component suppliers have been compelled to ensure traceability of all safety critical components. This includes information on date and time of manufacture, which line the parts were produced on and, in some cases, even the identification of the operator/ QA inspector. Using this track-and-trace it’s often possible to pinpoint the vehicles affected, thereby reducing the number to be recalled.

Typically the track-and-trace procedure is as follows:

A supplier gives a component a unique bar code or radio-frequency tag. The component gets scanned at each point in assembly, generating data on how it was built. After being delivered to the OEM, the component is linked to the identification number of the vehicle in which it is installed. The automaker scans the component on the assembly line, in case an assembly problem emerges later. If a defect is found, the automaker and supplier trace the defective part or assembly problem to the VINs of all other affected cars.

Once all the information has been collected and analysed a working group meets to determine the technicalities of carrying out the recall: Areas that need to be discussed include determining the best repair method, sourcing the correct level of part and the costs involved.

From here, the safety recall moves to an Executive Field Action Decision Committee, which typically consists of executives from engineering, quality, after sales service, public relations and manufacturing. This group takes the final decision on whether the recall will go ahead, and how it will be classified.

If a recall is confirmed the next, and probably most difficult, step is to notify customers and actually get vehicles into dealerships for repair.

Less than half the recalled vehicles are actually repaired.

According to Autotrader spokeswoman, Nicole Twork, research by the consumer website found that the U.S. recall completion rate in 2014 dropped to 48 percent from 56 percent in 2013.

When vehicles are still under warranty, it’s not as hard to get owners to come in to the dealership for recall repairs, Michelle Krebs, an analyst at Autotrader, said in an interview with AutoNews.

"However, as soon as the warranty is up, people don’t go to the dealer as much anymore; they go to independent mechanics," Krebs said. "Those places are hit or miss for recall screening, and people worry ‘if I bring it in for [a recall] they’ll find something else and it will cost me more money.’"

This is well illustrated by the low Takata recall completion rate where most of the vehicles were manufactured between 2002 and 2008 and are not within warranty.

With consumers suffering from "campaign blindness", manufacturers have to find creative ways to get customers into dealerships: From offering cash incentives, to onboard messages for vehicles fitted with systems such as GM’s OnStar.

Furthermore, in an effort to improve the hit rate on recalled vehicles NHTSA recently announced the launch of a "Safe Cars Save Lives" public service campaign. The aim of the campaign is to urge U.S. consumers to check for open recalls at least twice a year and get their vehicles fixed as soon as parts are available.

The drive features online banner ads that urge consumers to get into the habit of checking their vehicle identification number using NHTSA's free VIN look-up tool. If there is an open recall, owners are advised to contact their local dealer to schedule an appointment and take their vehicle in for repair.

Whether this will have the desired affect is still to be seen, but something has to be done to curb the trend of ever increasing numbers of recalled vehicles, and the decline in completion rates.