CNA Explains: How car recalls work in Singapore

If the car is from an authorised dealer, any recall that has been issued and reported will be reflected accordingly, said Mr Chan.

But if the car is from a parallel importer, or a dealership or importer that has already closed, the same issues may emerge – where the need for a recall may not be reflected.

For secondhand cars, another challenge is that some owners may not have updated their contact details or may not reside in the address where the recall notifications are sent to, said Mr Oh. 

“We urge vehicle owners to update their contact details and arrange for their vehicles to be rectified as soon as they receive recall notifications from our members,” he said. 

What more can be done?

Associate Professor Jawn Lim from the Singapore Institute of Technology’s business, communication and design cluster said there was an “over-dependence” on dealers to inform car owners about recalls.

“This system becomes volatile when dealers close or change ownership,” he said. “There is a need to reduce reliance on such volatile links in the system.”

He said contact details such as company names, emails, or phone numbers often change.

Assoc Prof Lim said one solution could be to use a car’s on-board unit (OBU), the device that powers ERP 2.0, to notify drivers about recall alerts immediately.

Another possible option is to require vehicle inspection stations to maintain an alert list of troubled cars, he added.

“This way, during regular inspections before road tax renewals, owners can be reminded or notified of any manufacturing faults that must be rectified,” he said.

But Mr Chan from Sgcarmart said potential policy changes were unlikely, as it would require a high level of information regulation by LTA.

“Ultimately, that’s one of the realities of the grey market, and a compromise that customers need to accept,” he said.