When Is a Recall Necessary?

When a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment (including tires) does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

When there is a safety-related defect presentin the vehicle or equipment.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set minimum performance levels for those parts of the vehicle which most effect its safe operation (brakes, tires, lighting) or which protect drivers and passengers from death or serious injury in the event of a crash (air bags, safety belts, child restraints, energy absorbing steering columns, motorcycle helmets) and are applicable to all vehicles and equipment manufactured for sale in the United States certified for use on public roads and highways.

What Is a Safety-Related Defect?

Generally, a safety-related defect is a problem that exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment which:

poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and

is common to a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture, or items of equipment of the same type and manufacture.

Safety Defects Are Usually the Result of Inadequate Design or Manufacturing Error.

Examples Include:

Steering components that may break suddenly causing partial or complete loss of vehicle control.

Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that may result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires.

Improperly designed or constructed tires that may blow out unexpectedly.

Accelerator controls that may break or stick.

Wheels that may crack or break, resulting in loss of vehicle control.

Fuel system defects that can cause vehicle stalling or fires.

Engine cooling fan blades that may break unexpectedly causing injury to persons working on a vehicle.

Windshield wiper arms that may fall off in operation.

Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly during normal use.

Critical vehicle components that may break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle causing loss of vehicle control, or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.

Wiring system problems that could result in a fire or loss of lighting.

Car ramps or jacks that collapse causing injury to people(s) working on a vehicle.

Air bags that deploy under conditions of which they are not designed to deploy.

Child safety seats that contain defective safety belts, buckles or components that create an unreasonable risk of injury not only in a vehicle crash but also in nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle.

Problems with Vehicles or Equipment Generally Not Considered to Be Safety-Related Defects Under Federal Law Include:

Air conditioners and radios that do not operate properly.

Ordinary wear of equipment that has to be inspected, maintained, and replaced periodically. Such equipment includes shock absorbers, batteries, brake pads and shoes, and exhaust systems.

Nonstructural or body panel rust.

Quality of paint or cosmetic blemishes.

Originally posted by toykilla
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...0&summary=true


here you go.. this should be given to a lawyer and everyone with feathering should also file a complaint.