Nissan offers loaner cars for owners affected by recall
Meanwhile, onus is on driver if they park original vehicle, writes Brian Turner.
Anyone who owns and drives almost any type of vehicle and who hasn’t received some type of recall notice from their carmaker is a rare individual indeed. Recalls are being issued in record numbers lately for many systems and vehicle components, and airbags top the list.
Consumers’ reactions can be easily sorted into three categories: those who don’t really care about a recall, thinking their chances of experiencing any failures are rare as they toss their notice in the ‘file-13’ bin, those who react in a ho-hum manner and will eventually make an appointment to get things fixed, and those who are anxious about operating their vehicle until the recall is completed, regularly hounding their authorized dealerships for repair appointments.
A major hitch in almost any vehicle recall is the availability of parts when required. Transport Canada has reporting regulations that require auto manufacturers to notify their vehicle owners as soon as a problem arises and has been investigated to the point that a plan of action is formulated. Sometimes this occurs weeks or months before replacement parts are available, so the question on many drivers’ minds is, ‘is my vehicle safe to drive or should I park it until parts are available?’ Until now, few automakers have offered any replacement transportation to their customers in such situations.
Nissan is currently in the process of notifying owners of several model years of their popular Versa sedans and hatchbacks (2007-2012) about a driver’s side front airbag defect that could result in metal fragments being propelled toward the driver with enough force to injure or kill in the event of a collision. But they are also offering loaner replacement vehicles (arranged through the selling or servicing dealerships) if a client requests one.
As dealers don’t expect parts to be freely available until well into 2018, drivers could be piloting loaner vehicles for more than a short time. This is an unusual move and should go miles to reassure customers that someone is looking out for their safety. Of course, the replacement vehicles will be Nissan products. This all sounds great, but it does raise some questions that no one seems to have answers for.
First, if a Versa owner doesn’t have room to store their affected vehicle at home, how will retailers accommodate storage for a large numbers of client vehicles? There are already waiver forms ready to relieve these independent businesses of any liability for loss or damage caused under reasonably secure and protective storage when and if they agree to keep a client’s car for an extended period of time.
If customers have the room at home to keep an extra vehicle, who will be responsible for the inevitable repairs/maintenance that will be needed on their rides if they’re parked stationary for several months (including some time during nastier winter weather)? Brakes may require servicing or replacements and batteries can discharge and freeze in colder weather, for example.
We put these questions to the Nissan Canada media office, which sent a prompt reply: “Customer safety, service and satisfaction is Nissan’s top priority. Nissan has authorized alternate transportation, upon customer request, while parts are unavailable. Customers should check with their dealer for alternate transportation. Customers can also discuss with their Nissan dealer regarding vehicle storage, when applicable.”
Ultimately, the onus is on the owner if they decide to park their car for a longer period of time. If you’re one of the ones stuck with parking your Versa, you can find helpful tips on storage at Driving.ca. You should also keep full liability insurance in effect on your vehicle, regardless of where it’s stored.