Plane AD vs Car AD (Recall)

[Eamon]

I bought a 1982 Toyota Tercel off Ebay. Part of the rear end (Lower Control Arm) was rotted out badly. I remembered that in the 80's when I had a new Tercel, there was a recall for the part because they rusted out frequently.

Today I dropped the car off at the Toyota dealer and they are going to fix it for free. The recall (AD) is still good after 25 years.

How come every time the FAA finds something wrong with planes, we have to pay for it?

When a car is found to have a problem, the car is fixed for free?

Kudos to Toyota. I think car only have to be supported for 10-15 years. Toyota surprised me when they said it was still going to be free after 25

 

[SkyHog]

Didn't it have something to do with some lawsuit involving the demise of Piper?

I'll have to research to remember, but I remember something about that.

 

[ScottM]

I was going to say that part of it has to be related to the aviation revitalization act. A lot of the aircraft companies can no longer be sued for parts failures in older aircraft. Tort reform sured help there

We get GA planes back but with limited liability from the manufacturer, thus limited customer care. A mixed blessing.

I think you are on to it Nick.

 

[mikea]

I've mentioned this before. My mechanic said that airplane owners get to pay when automobile owners don't.

Those that had new Lycoming overhauls got to pay for new crankshafts.

 

[Eamon]

Anybody ever buy a new boat and had a recall?

Boats are closer to planes then cars in buying habits.

Most people buy a new car every 2-5 yrs, but boats and planes last a while for a buyer.

I would be interested to know how problems are handled with boats.

 

[TMetzinger]

Even before the statute of repose was enacted, aircraft owners still had to pay for lots of ADs.

The difference is that there are billions of car owners, so things like lemon laws and legislation that force car manufacturers to pay for repairs for items in safety recalls (like your control arm). But quite a few "recalls" on cars not related to safety are either optional with the customer paying, or have a limited life. My Subaru Forester had an oxygen sensor recall in the Catalytic converter. I got the notice and had 6 months to take it in for a free replacement. Another problem was with seals in the cooling system - I could go to the dealer and get a free flush and refill with an additive, but future refills of the additive come out of my pocket. I was impressed when Jiffy Lube knew about the additive during my last oil change and they recommended a radiator flush.