If you happen to come across a recall notice in your mail, there is some legal knowledge you should know to ensure that you are taking the appropriate steps. Although recalls do not expire, you should take your vehicle to the selling dealer for repairs as soon as possible. Considering any car recall is put in place to prevent serious injury or death. The dealer is obligated to fix the listed defects at no charge. Usually, the manufacturer can repair the recall defect in one attempt. By law, the manufacturer must address the defects listed in the recall notice within two repair attempts. If not, then the manufacturer must replace the part or refund the customer for its damage.
You may be able to file a lemon law claim on two bases when it comes to recalls: 1. If the manufacturer does not give the purchaser a full reimbursement for failure to repair the vehicle within a reasonable number of attempts or 2. If the defect presented itself before 18,000 miles or within 18 months after you purchased/leased the car. In the case that a new car owner notices a substantial defect with their motor vehicle before the 18,000 mile/18 months mark- it is highly recommended to record or document the issues you experience as it happens.
Something to keep in mind is that if you already filed a lemon law claim and receive a recall notice, it is unlikely that the recall will have any effect on your claim. Whereas if your vehicle has undergone several recalls, then you may have a stronger lemon law claim.