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What happens when a car is recalled in Singapore?
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Car manufacturers are required to inform owners and the Land Transport Authority and rectify safety-related defects even if the vehicles are out of warranty.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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- Vehicle recalls are issued for safety-related defects, even outside warranty, including part defects or incorrect installation, with costs borne by dealers.
- Singapore dealers and importers, including parallel importers, must inform owners and the LTA of recalls, though parallel importers face challenges.
- Owners should update contact details and use the LTA's database (https://str.sg/need) to check for recalls, noting separate service campaigns exist.
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SINGAPORE – When a safety-related defect is detected, manufacturers are expected to issue a recall to fix the problem. This includes recalling vehicles which may be out of their warranty period.
In the past, recalls have been prompted by problematic parts, such as body panels with clips that are not secure, leaky fuel pumps and corroding wire connectors. There have also been recalls for incorrect installation during manufacturing.
The largest recall in automotive history was related to the airbags from Takata, a Japanese supplier. More than 100 million cars were affected globally and fatalities have been attributed to the defect, including a case in Singapore that occurred in 2022.
Typically, recalls are specific to a batch of cars built within a certain period, rather than every unit of a given model ever produced. There are also instances where multiple models were affected by the same recall because they shared the defective component.
The dealer or importer is obliged to make arrangements to rectify the affected vehicles at no cost to the owners.
In Singapore, motor dealers or car importers are required to inform the owner and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) if there is a recall. This also involves parallel importers, who source their cars from unofficial suppliers, instead of the manufacturers.
This is tricky in practice because parallel importers do not have official links to the manufacturers. As such, they will not be informed if a car they have sold here is affected by a recall. Even after it can be confirmed that a specific batch of parallel-imported cars is affected, the company may not have access to the required parts.
Meanwhile, it is a good idea for owners to keep their motor dealers informed when there is a change in contact or ownership details. This helps to ensure any recall information can be promptly conveyed.
Information on vehicle recalls is kept on LTA’s database. Owners can check if their vehicles are recalled, the status of rectification works and the list of recalled vehicles in the past six months. Go to str.sg/need
Separately, carmakers conduct service campaigns, which will not be logged with LTA. These are not safety-critical issues, but improvements which will be implemented when the vehicle visits the workshop.
