whenever car manufacturers discover that a vehicle has a defect or does not comply with U.S. law, they must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and send a notice to any customer who owns or leases the affected vehicles. Automakers must also recall those cars, trucks, or SUVs, which means repairing the defect across the entire fleet.
People with recalled vehicles usually need to schedule a visit to an authorized dealer, where a mechanic will repair the car.
But vehicles are increasingly becoming high-tech constructions. While most recalls still require the replacement or repair of auto parts, such as airbags or brakes, a growing number of issues are resolved without the help of a mechanic.
All they need is a “over the air update.” That’s the technical term for what happens when you update any software program used by a devicebe it a smartphone or a sedan.