Edmunds: How automakers are making recalls easier

Vehicle recalls are an important part of automotive safety. But they can also be quite a hassle for owners. Taking your vehicle to the dealership for an unexpected repair or fix is just one more thing you have to plan for. Pleasingly, things are changing. With many of the newest vehicles, some recalls can be taken care of simply by turning your car on.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 894 vehicle safety recalls in the United States for 2023. While many recalls require hardware updates, there are others for which an over-the-air, or OTA, software update is the remedy. Edmunds’ car experts review what you need to know.

An OTA update is pushed out to vehicles via a wireless connection and typically installed automatically, much like getting an update on your smartphone or personal computer. For instance, the 2023 Tesla Model Y has 12 recalls listed on the NHTSA site; at least half of them list OTA updates as the solution. That’s a win-win for the automaker and the consumer because offering a quick and no-cost repair helps the automaker maintain positive customer satisfaction ratings.