Scambook Cautions That With the Government Shutdown, Car Recalls and Vehicle Inspections Are Halted
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 16, 2013 -- Scambook, the Internet’s leading consumer advisory platform, is warning the public that the government shutdown has halted all vehicle safety notices, recalls, and other activity that helps keep the public safe on the road. Auto-related safety recalls have essentially stopped and the only way a car safety recall will be issued is if the automakers do so voluntarily.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been unable to do its job thanks to the current federal government shutdown,” says Kase Chong, Scambook's Director of Marketing, “With a little over half its employees having been furloughed, consumers will need to look to other outlets to make sure they and their vehicles are safe on the road.”
The Los Angeles Times has explained the situation saying, “Traditionally, announcing vehicle recalls is the duty of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the Department of Transportation. Like many government-funded entities, NHTSA has had to dramatically curtail its operations since the federal government shut down on Tuesday.” *
What many consumers do not know is that the NHTSA is responsible for issuing and announcing vehicle recalls, but it’s also in charge of testing new cars to make sure they meet safety ratings and other important benchmarks. The NHTSA also investigates defects and reviews complaints from the public about cars.
When recalls need to be renewed, the NHTSA does that, too. They also research safety information and look through all information provided by automakers when a complaint is filed by the public.
Therefore, to make up for the lack of employees and government backing, the Highway Trust Fund is paying for all that the NHTSA is able to accomplish during this government shutdown. The Highway Trust Fund was created to draw money from a federal tax on every gallon of gas bought at the pump. As of August, they had $5 billion in the fund.
Scambook also recommends that consumers have their vehicles regularly inspected by a trusted mechanic and perform auto maintenance such as oil changes on a regular schedule to ensure their car is functioning properly.
About Scambook
Scambook is an online complaint resolution platform dedicated to obtaining justice for victims of fraud with unprecedented speed and accuracy. By building communities and providing resources on the latest scams, Scambook arms consumers with the up-to-date information they need to stay on top of emerging schemes. Since its inception, Scambook has resolved over $18 million in reported consumer damages. For more information, visit scambook.com.
*Undercoffler, David, “Government shutdown halts vehicle recalls, safety notices,” http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-government-shutdown-halts-vehicle-recalls-safety-notices-20131004,0,6879659.story 10/4/2013
Lisa Inouye, PMBC Group, +1 (310) 777-7546, [email protected]
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