Japanese import dealer in cars has been calling for car recalls. The car manufacturers around the world have systems in place that are recalling cars to ensure their safety and reliability.
It is essential to have knowledge about the recalls to check whether your imported car has the necessary recall work done.
What is a recall work? It consists of checking the car for repairing or replacing any parts on the car, which the car manufacturer has found defective, dangerous or prone to failure. This work is generally performed at the main dealerships but at the manufacturer’s expense.
Import Japanese car sale recalls – why should you care?
We should care because the recall work is directly linked with the safety, reliability, and longevity of your vehicle.
If your car has not undergone the recall work, then you should get it as soon as possible. Although it might be not safety-critical, it is something that can affect the longevity of your car.
A recent incident of this is the global Takata airbag units, which has thought to affect 53 million cars worldwide. Also, several deaths have been caused due to this failure.
This incident should be enough to convince you the value of getting your car up to date with the recalls.
Apart from the safety-related incident mentioned above, there are other incidents which have an impact on the reliability of the car. One of the famous examples is the Nissan Elgrand. Due to the unburned fuel entering the exhaust the Catalytic converter was getting damaged. What it needs was the repairing of the fuelling. So if you are going to buy Japanese cars, get it to recall done, to ensure the longevity of the car.
In the UK domestic market cars, recalls are proactively conducted by the manufacturers of the specific cars, using the data provided by the DVSA. This is also performed by the authorities in Japan, when the car is still in the country, but not after the car s imported. So you have to do the little digging and research yourself if you see any import Japanese vehicles for sale.
An indicator of careful ownership?
If a vehicle has all of the necessary recall work done, this can imply careful ownership. Not all of us are concerned about the car and take it back to the dealer to have the recall performed. However, those who do are probably to be diligent and careful proprietors.
If the auto is about to be bought in Japan on your behalf, it may additionally be beneficial to know whether any recall work needs to be performed. It is best to get the recall done in Japan earlier than the car leaves. Not all export dealers will do this, but some will for an extra charge. Some dealers within the UK will do perform recall on imported motors. However, there can be additional delays even as they source parts.
The ‘look at the car’ method
When a vehicle has undergone the recall work, it is marked in some way to suggest that the work has been executed. Stickers displaying the recall number are generally applied on the B pillar on the driver’s side.
You may also observe paint marker dots in the engine. Again these are carried out when recall work has been executed.
While those are beneficial, they don’t inform you which of the recalls haven’t been conducted, until you recognize all the recall work that has to be done.
Conclusion
Now you know the way to test whether your Japan used car on auction recalls have been performed, and why you need to consider doing so.
How to use this information? You could:
- Ask your agent to do that earlier than bidding, as an additional check for a careful proprietor.
- Check a Japanese vehicle for sale in the UK earlier than buy.
- Check a vehicle you’ve already purchased.
What to do in case your vehicle requires recall work? This is a difficult one. There are few individuals in the UK who managed to get their local dealer to perform recall work on a car imported from Japan. Others have been less lucky. You can always contact the UK headquarters for the manufacturer of your car for further assistance.