(1)(a) The department shall, before issuing a motor vehicle registration or mailing a motor vehicle registration renewal notice, check information made available by the national highway traffic safety administration to determine whether the motor vehicle is subject to an open safety recall. For a vehicle that is subject to one or more open safety recalls, the department shall provide the owner of the motor vehicle written notice of all open safety recalls applicable to the motor vehicle. The recall notice must be provided at the time the vehicle is registered as well as be included in any registration renewal notices sent to consumers by the department. The renewal notice must include a statement that the vehicle has one or more open safety recalls that may be repaired by a motor vehicle dealer approved by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle at no cost to the owner of the motor vehicle, except as provided in 49 U.S.C. § 30120.

(b) The department shall include as part of any reminder notices sent to consumers before the expiration of their registration a notice that their vehicle has one or more open safety recalls and that each open safety recall may be repaired by a motor vehicle dealer approved by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle at no cost to the owner of the motor vehicle, except as provided in 49 U.S.C. § 30120.

(2) Nothing in this section alters the liability of any motor vehicle manufacturer or motor vehicle dealer approved by the manufacturer to repair an open safety recall.

(3) The director and director’s designees including, pursuant to RCW 46.01.140, county auditors, agents, and subagents, for the purposes of discharging their duties pursuant to chapter 440, Laws of 2023 are not liable for any act or omission related to the provision of an open safety recall notice and are immune from any related civil suit or action, consistent with RCW 46.01.310.

(4) For the purposes of this section, “open safety recall” means a safety-related recall, for which notification by a manufacturer is required to be provided under 49 U.S.C. Secs. 30118 and 30119, that necessitates repairs or modifications to a motor vehicle by an authorized motor vehicle dealer. “Open safety recall” does not include: Recalls related to defects or failures to comply with requirements relating to labeling or notification in a motor vehicle’s owner’s manual; or recalls where the remedy is for the manufacturer to repurchase the motor vehicle or otherwise provide financial compensation to the owner of the motor vehicle.

Effective date—Written notice to owner of motor vehicle from official motor vehicle inspection facility or licensed private inspection facility—Liability of motor vehicle manufacturer or approved motor vehicle dealer may not be altered—2023 c 440: See notes following RCW 46.32.140.