Recall answer
How long does an RV recall repair take, and which dealer can do it?
There is no single shop time for every RV recall. The letter has to give the manufacturer's estimate for that repair, and it has to say where to get the work. A reasonable time after you present the vehicle is described in the statute. This page is not legal advice. Read the recall letter for your VIN, and ask the manufacturer named in that letter if you are unsure.
1. The letter estimates the labor
49 CFR 577.5 says that when the remedy is a repair through the manufacturer's dealers or other service facilities, the letter must include a general description of the work and the manufacturer's estimate of the time reasonably necessary to perform the labor. NHTSA's booklet says the letter tells you how long the remedy will take to perform, when the remedy will be available, and whom to contact if there is a problem getting the free work.
That estimate is for the campaign in the letter. It is not a standard number of hours for every axle, refrigerator, or chassis repair. If the letter does not state a time, call the manufacturer named in the letter and ask for the remedy instructions for that campaign.
2. Sixty days is about the wait after you present the vehicle
49 CFR 577.5 says the letter must tell you that you may complain to NHTSA if the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy the defect without charge within a reasonable time. For a repair of a vehicle or of replacement equipment other than tires, the rule describes that reasonable time as not longer than 60 days after you first ask for the repair, once the earliest repair date in the letter has passed, unless NHTSA gives the manufacturer more time.
49 USC 30120(c) says a failure to repair the vehicle or equipment adequately within 60 days after it is presented is prima facie evidence of a failure to repair within a reasonable time. The Secretary may extend that period for good cause and publish the reason in the Federal Register before the period ends. The same statute says presenting the vehicle before the date in the notice does not count as that presentation. NHTSA's booklet says a dealer is not required to do the repair before the date in the letter.
3. The letter says which shop
When the repair is not through the manufacturer's dealers, 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter must recommend service facilities, name the parts, and describe the steps. NHTSA's booklet says that in most cases the manufacturer's agreements require its dealers to honor the recall at no extra charge, no matter where you bought the vehicle or the equipment. The booklet is describing those agreements. Call the manufacturer named in the letter and ask which shop can do that campaign.
Ford tells an owner whose vehicle is involved in a Ford recall to contact a Ford dealer and schedule the repair. A Grand Design letter on file with NHTSA for campaign 25V-119 tells the owner to contact the selling dealer or the nearest Grand Design dealer, and to call Grand Design if the distance is significant. An RV can also have a chassis letter that names a different shop. Use the shop named in the letter you are holding.
Where to check
- NHTSA booklet on safety defects and recalls
- 49 CFR 577.5, time and place of the repair
- 49 USC 30120, 60 days after presentation
- Ford: check a VIN and contact a Ford dealer
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Latest recalls
- Recall and issue alerts
- What if a dealer will not do an RV recall repair?
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- What if the parts for an RV recall are not available?
- Does my Ford F-350 crew cab have a recall?
- Does my Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have a recall?
- Ford recalls
- Chevrolet recalls
Questions people ask
- How long does an RV recall repair take?
- The letter has to say. 49 CFR 577.5 requires the manufacturer's estimate of the time reasonably necessary to perform the labor (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-577/section-577.5). NHTSA's booklet says the letter tells you how long the remedy will take to perform (https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-09/14218-MVSDefectsandRecalls_092524_v3-tag.pdf). There is no single shop time for every campaign.
- What does the 60-day period mean?
- After the earliest date in the letter, 49 CFR 577.5 describes a reasonable time for a repair as not longer than 60 days after you first ask for it, unless NHTSA allows more time (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-577/section-577.5). 49 USC 30120(c) says a failure to repair adequately within 60 days after the vehicle is presented is prima facie evidence that the repair was not done in a reasonable time (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:49%20section:30120%20edition:prelim)). Bringing it in before the date in the notice does not start that clock.
- Can I take the RV to any dealer?
- Use the shop the letter names. 49 CFR 577.5 says the letter describes a repair through the manufacturer's dealers, or, when the repair is somewhere else, recommends service facilities. NHTSA's booklet says that in most cases the manufacturer's agreements require its dealers to honor the recall at no extra charge, no matter where you bought the vehicle. Call the manufacturer named in the letter if the shop you called will not do that campaign.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This page explains the time and shop rules in the letter, in 49 CFR 577.5, and in 49 USC 30120. It is not legal advice.
Related answers
- How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls
- Who pays for an RV recall repair?
- What if a dealer will not do an RV recall repair?
- What is the difference between a recall, a warranty, and a technical service bulletin?
- Can I get reimbursed if I already paid for a repair that was later recalled?
- Is it safe to use or tow an RV with an open recall?
- How do I report an RV or truck safety defect to NHTSA?
- Do RV recalls expire?
- Can I buy or sell a used RV or truck with an open recall?
- What if the parts for an RV recall are not available?
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- How are RV recall notices mailed, and how do I update my address?
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