Motor Vehicle Services Sent fake recall notice about my 2005 Hyundai Elantra Washington District of Columbia
I received a letter that appeared to be a recall notice for my 2005 Hyundai Elantra from the Federal Government. In fact, TWO Federal agencies appear on the cover: United States of America Department of Transportation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The letter lists dire warnings of what is going to happen to my car if I do not call their toll-free number right away. There is even a section in all caps about the inner tie rods which if they failed "could result in a crash." They also list problems with the air bags and "national breakdown and multiple issues" that I need to get taken care of immediately.
What made me suspicious was the section about how my vehicle is no longer under warrantee and I needed to get it back under warrantee BEFORE taking it in so my repair claim would not be denied by the dealership. So I did a little research. I found out that both recalls came out in 2005 (it is now 2013 and I bought the car from a Hyundai dealership in 2011) and the dire tie rod issue affected less than 300 cars, all of which have been repaired. The airbag issue affected a lot more, but once again, the recall was in 2005 and I purchased the car from a dealer in 2011.
This letter is NOT from the Federal Government and it is NOT a recall notice. It is from an extended warrantee company trying to scare you into buying this excessively expensive coverage. Don't let them fool you with their fake letter from the government!