MotorWatch Fact Sheet
WHO
Who is MotorWatch? MotorWatch is composed of over a thousand members who care about the safe operation of their motor vehicles. MotorWatch is an indefatigable protector of the American public’s right to have safe, defect-free motor vehicles. MotorWatch was established as a 501c-3 non-profit educational organization for the purpose of providing motorists with life-saving information. MotorWatch is mostly run by dedicated volunteers. The backbone of MotorWatch is the MotorWatch Technical Committee, which is composed of over fifty of the most knowledgeable automotive experts in the world.
Who does MotorWatch serve? The MotorWatch vision is to provide motorists with as much information as possible about their motor vehicles, including motor vehicle safety recalls, safety investigations, and emission related failures. MotorWatch serves all motor vehicle operators, from motor scooters to recreational vehicle owners and Class-8 tractor trailers. Anyone who owns a motor vehicle with a department of motor vehicles VIN number or anyone who is interested in its safe motor vehicle operation can belong. Motorwatch started signing up members in 1988 and has a following of loyal members all across America.
What is the MotorWatch mission?
o To bring about safer, more reliable motor vehicles. An unreliable motor vehicle can leave the operator and occupants in harm’s way.
o To provide the latest safety recall and other pertinent safety information related to each specific make and model year vehicle, written in plain easy to understand terms.
o To create a Motorists Early Warning System (MEWS).
o To help motorists know the inherent weaknesses (pattern failures) of their motor vehicles. In this manner, consumers will have the ability to address potential problem areas before a failure can occur.
o To post the MotorWatch pattern failure database and other important information on motorwatch.com.
o To provide vehicle owners with an information database archiving pattern failures related to their vehicle based on year, make, model, and failure mode.
o To provide timely tips to save MotorWatch members time, money and maybe their lives
o To provide the motoring public with travel, transportation, operation, service safety and life-saving information.
o To provide important safety information concerning all aspects of travel, including in the air and on water.
o To provide helpful shortcuts, money saving tips and consumer advice for motor vehicle owners and technicians.
o To be a neutral, non-fettered, non-governmental, unbiased independent data gathering and disseminating organization.
o To provide a portal for the free exchange of information between technicians and vehicle owners.
o To provide a neutral central website portal where vehicle owners can access all of the repair information databases.
o To provide an anonymous bulletin board for manufacturers information to be presented to the service industry without the manufacturer being held liable for the consequences of the information.
What information does MotorWatch publish?
o The NHTSA motor vehicle recalls. These are re-written for easier understanding and to eliminate the confusing verbiage which fails to disclose the gravity of the problem or makes it seem flippant and unimportant.
o The NHTSA motor vehicle safety investigations.
o The listings of new and developing motor vehicle pattern failures.
o Motor vehicle maintenance and care Information for consumers and technicians.
o General information about automobiles and transportation.
o Information dispelling myths concerning automobiles.
o MotorWatch Technical Committee answers to questions about maintenance and safe operation of motor vehicles.
What information is posted on motorwatch.com? MotorWatch posts current motor vehicle safety recalls, the latest NHTSA motor vehicle investigations, a daily motor minute, a weekly safety minute, car care tips, as well as other motor vehicle-related multimedia programming. An archive of the past three years recalls is posted.
What information do you plan to have at motorwatch.com? Several phases are planned in order to bring MotorWatch information online:
1. Online access to The Motorists Early Warning System. MotorWatch is poised to become an Internet portal where motorists, consumers, fleet personnel, automotive technicians, and auto manufacturers can go to find out information about a given motor vehicle.
2. Online access to the existing MotorWatch pattern failure databases, which is composed of over 10,000 pattern failure database records.
3. Online access the information which has been published in the MotorWatch newsletter over the past 21 years.
4. Motorwatch is to be a clearinghouse for the dissemination of motor-vehicle-related information. Online access as a central clearinghouse to all of the other automotive information databases (see next item).
What organizations does MotorWatch serve? The MotorWatch website will serve as a portal to many existing motor-vehicle information systems and databases as well as those that are created in the future. The website is planed to serve as a portal or clearinghouse for their information, which include: AAA, ASA, ATRA, Alldata, AutoCheck, CarFax, Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Reports, iATN, Identifix, IIHS, Intellichoice, JD Powers, MAP, Mitchell-1, NHTSA, Public Citizen, NICB, and SAE.
What is MEWS? The Motorists Early Warning System (MEWS) is a unique data base assembled over many years by MotorWatch. The MEWS database provides motorists with vital safety information and other information concerning vehicle pattern failures, special warranty extensions, and emission-related problems specific to their vehicle. A web-based version of the MEWS will save motorists lives by providing an immediate notification concerning motor vehicle safety investigations and recalls as well as potential emission-related failures.
What happened to Nutz and Boltz? The organization began in 1986 under the name “Nutz and Boltz.” The name was changed to MotorWatch in January, 2005. MotorWatch is an easier name to remember, a name that more accurately portrays the mission of this organization.
Where is MotorWatch located? MotorWatch members live all over the North America, but our organization is based in Maryland. The Internet website is used for posting of the MotorWatch safety information. Now that the Internet has reached into a majority of American’s lives, the ability to contact motor vehicle owners has become easily available.
Where do you publish this important info? On the website motorwatch.com and in the MotorWatch newsletter. The newsletter is published in a printed paper version as well as an electronic PDF version which is available to MotorWatch members.
When did MotorWatch start and how long has it been serving the motoring public? MotorWatch has published a printed version of motor vehicle safety and pattern failures safety notifications to America’s motorists starting in 1988, and on its website since 1997. In 1986 MotorWatch began building its database of motor vehicle pattern failures, repair tips, and factory authorized customer satisfaction campaigns. MotorWatch has the oldest pattern failure database.
How will MEWS work? The motorwatch.com site will allow motor vehicle owners to enter their VIN designation and to instantly find safety-related motor vehicle information. If the VIN is not available, simply enter the year, make, and model of a vehicle into the MEWS. It will retrieve all records on safety recalls, safety investigations, pattern failures, and relevant motor vehicle upgrades including emission-related pattern failures. The site will automatically send an email containing the information to the email address entered by the user. The motor vehicle lookup system will either use a VIN, or vehicle description (make, model, year) pull down menus.
MEWS will provide instantaneous lookup of any records in the database which match the vehicle criteria, which will be based on the VIN.
MEWS will allow anyone with an email address to sign up for email notification.
MEWS will also provide notification about important motor vehicle pattern failures which could affect the reliable operation or pattern failures of specific emission control systems.
How will MotorWatch and MEWS serve motorists?
MotorWatch could have prevented the carnage caused by the Ford Explorer’s and Firestone Tire debacle if it had been operational. The MotorWatch Motorists Early Warning System will provide an independent reporting and tracking system which continually upload all of the relevant NHTSA databases. This will provide an alternative to the customary manufacturer’s recall notification system which depends on U.S. Mail. By doing so, MEWS will provide a second form of notification via email.
How is MotorWatch funded? MotorWatch was established as a non-profit educational organization in order to receive charitable donations. For more than two decades MotorWatch has been funded by member’s dues. Corporate sponsorship and charitable donations also help fund MotorWatch, and sponsorships as well as seek grants are being sought in order to develop and operate MEWS.
Why is MotorWatch needed, why not have the government do it? It is a known fact that truck drivers, cultural groups, and many others eschew the government or anything that is related to the government. NHTSA and the DOT are seen as the enemy by truckers and ethnic groups and the government web-based reporting system is hamstrung in effectively reaching these two large groups of motorists. Truck drivers and owner operators will not go near any DOT associated government organizations for fear of the DOT. Racial groups also mistrust the government and will not go anywhere near the Department of Transportation website.
Motorwatch was created as a non-profit educational member-owned organization that is seen as unfettered by association with governmental agencies and those affiliated with the government. For over two decades MotorWatch has earned the reputation as a neutral-third party organization whose goal is to serve the motoring public.