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Product recall insurance for automotive components

Our solution can support and complement your risk management strategy by minimising the financial repercussions of a product crisis and enabling brand recovery.

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In today’s global marketplace, the risk of product recall has never been greater. In the first 6 months of 2020, the European Commission issued 271 automotive related product safety/recall alert notifications.*

Increasing regulatory scrutiny, pressured margins, complex supply chains and changing technology can lead to an increase in the occurrence and severity of product recalls.

Some product defect risk can be mitigated using technology during production, but errors can affect even the most prestigious, global product manufacturers and brands.

Crisis planning and high-standard quality controls are key to mitigating the risk of product recall. Insurance cannot replace effective business governance, but product recall insurance can support and complement an effective risk management strategy by minimising the financial repercussions of a product crisis and enabling brand recovery.

Crisis planning and high-standard quality controls are key to mitigating the risk of product recall.”

Louise Dorrian | Head of Product Recall Willis Towers Watson

What can be covered?

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Product guarantee

Cover for when a design or manufacturing error results in the failure of a product to perform its intended function.

icon representing third party financial loss cover
Third party financial loss

Provides an Insured with coverage for costs that a third party (like a customer) holds them liable for, that have arisen as a direct result of the insured’s product defect or contamination.

icon representing government recall cover
Government recall

Provides coverage for the insured where a government authority or safety agency orders or mandates a recall.

How can product recall insurance help you?

Product recall insurance can help a company to protect:

  • Shareholder value
    Product recalls can have a significant effect on a company’s balance sheet, causing a cash shortage that can eliminate profit.
    We’ll work with you to make sure that product recall protection is embedded in your wider risk management strategy so that you meet your fiduciary duty to protect shareholder value.
  • Brand and reputation
    When risk management systems and controls do fail, what matters is how you respond and manage the event.
    We’ll help you ensure your investment in risk transfer includes any crisis support you may need to respond to crises, protect and rehabilitate your brand.
  • Costs expenditure
    Whether incurred by your company or a third party such as a direct customer. The costs to cover labour, transportation and disposal due to a product recall can be expensive. A product recall policy would typically cover these types of costs.

Key coverage comparison

Please note below is a generalised comparison tool that selects a variety of covers where the triggers may be similar, but where discussion of the differences regarding cover will help understanding of our offering.

There are many derivatives of these wordings; it would not be possible to include every eventuality. For this reason, while we have made every effort to ensure this is a fair comparison there may be examples where the below assessment is not accurate in some areas. This is a guide only and professional advice should be sought from the appropriate professional before making any decisions based on this comparison.

Recall expenses

Key coverage comparison for recall expenses
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Recall costs *
Physical/chemical analysis of product to establish cover
Inspection costs
Destruction costs
Product replacement costs
Slotting and re-slotting fees

Rehabilitation of brand

Key coverage comparison for rehabilitation of brand
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Public relations assistance
Promotional offers
Sales and marketing expenses
Point of sales notices
Advertising costs

Business interruption

Key coverage comparison for business interruption
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Overheads including wages/salaries and depreciation of plant and machinery
Clean down and repair of machinery or plant
Subcontracting of manufacturing
All affected products included

Consultancy advice

Key coverage comparison for consultancy advice
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Crisis consultancy with no deductible

Third party liability

Key coverage comparison for third party liability
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Resulting from product liability litigation ✔ / ✖ **

Triggers

Key coverage comparison for triggers
Coverage Specialised product recall insurance Extended product liability
Cover for product that 'would' cause bodily injury or damage
Cover for product that 'fails to perform intended function'
Recall ordered by government authority

* Not given as standard and likely to be sublimited
** Product Liability cover can be included in some cases

Case study

All names, characters, and incidents portrayed in the case studies are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, companies, entities or products is intended or should be inferred.

icon representing product defect case study
Product defect creates safety risk

A manufacturer supplying cast metal engine parts to some of the world’s largest automotive producers was informed by a customer that they would be recalling 100,000 vehicles due to an issue with the cylinder heads they provide.

It was found that hairline cracks were present in some products already in the field, having been integrated into original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicles. On review, the issue occurred as a result of the product being cooled too quickly after casting.

Though there were no reported accidents involving the affected vehicles, the defect created a potential safety issue that resulted in a requirement to recall and replace all affected parts.

The manufacturer was forced to replace the affected parts, resulting in a loss of $2 million with severe disruption to their business and a reduction in profits due to redistribution of resources to re-complete the client order.

In addition to this, their customer also sought to recover the $1 million loss they incurred in carrying out the recall (transport, labour and storage).

Automotive product recall coverage would offer comprehensive indemnity in this scenario, triggering where the insured comes into possession of evidence that a product defect would cause bodily injury and/or property damage.

In addition to the customer’s direct costs for recalling the vehicles, the coverage may reimburse other third-party expenses such as their loss of profit. Automotive product recall also covers the first-party expenses incurred by the manufacturer in providing replacement parts.

Other benefits are designed to mitigate the disruption a recall can cause, such as staffing costs and subcontracting expenses.

Source - *https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumers_safety/safety_products/rapex/alerts/

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