"Voluntary" Recalls Are Required by Law
Whenever a manufacturer initiates a recall, they always say it is "voluntary." However, there is no such thing as a voluntary recall at least when safety is involved. Writing in the NY Times, Christoper Jensen reports that automakers have no choice but to recall vehicles that have safety defects. Jensen quotes Allan Kam, a safety consultant in Bethesda, Md., who once worked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on this point. Mr Kam said it is like saying I voluntarily paid my income tax,”
The federal safety act requires car manufacturers to notify N.H.T.S.A. and consumers and conduct a recall when there is a safety defect.
“They really have no choice,” said Clarence Ditlow, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety.
