Open Vehicle Recalls Hit New High
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Recalls
Traffic Accidents
According to a recent Carfax report, no fewer than 47 million vehicles currently on US roads are in need of a recall repair. This number represents no fewer than one fifth of all American vehicles, and while many of them may represent “better safe than sorry” fixes that haven’t resulted in any accidents, it’s still enough of a problem that the Department of Transportation is starting up an awareness campaign.Growing Demand, Limited Supplies
Part of the reason for this recent upswing in open recalls is the fact that the number of recalls period has spiked massively in recent years. Both 2014 and 2015 managed to more than double the previous record, logging right around 51 million recalls each (and on the bright side, this means that over half of the past two years of recalls have been successfully serviced).
A significant percentage of these open recalls are related to the massive Takata air bag recall which has affected nearly 30 million vehicles and counting. Many of the car owners involved are entirely unable to get the repairs they need because Takata can’t manufacture the replacement parts fast enough, and so they remain incomplete not out of ignorance or laziness but because they are currently impossible to complete. And while Takata is an extreme example, other recalls can also suffer from supply and manpower shortages thanks to the sheer volume of recent recalls.
A Shifting Recall Culture
Another issue related to the number of open recalls has been the general reluctance of some companies to issue and publicize their recalls. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was slapped with a record-breaking fine in 2015 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration thanks to its frequent failures to identify defects, communicate discovered defects with the NHTSA, and to promptly distribute the necessary letters that would have informed their customers about the recalls.
However, the massive increase in recent recalls isn’t just because inspectors keep finding more defective Takata air bags. It’s also because the air bags and GM’s recent ignition switch scandal have reminded everyone just how important car safety is, and it’s because the NHTSA’s new director is out to enforce the rules about recalls as strictly as possible and to make sure the car manufacturers know it. As such, they’ve begun to err on the side of caution, which is why recalls are supposed to be issued in the first place.
Do Your Due Diligence
But whether or not a recall notice is properly sent to the current owner, a recall may slip by everyone’s attention when the vehicle is being sold off. Sponsored dealerships will usually complete any open recalls on used vehicles that match their brands since they would have had to perform them anyway, but that’s not necessarily true about off-brand used cars or used cars for sale by unaffiliated dealerships or private owners.
According to Florida law, used car sellers aren’t required to inform their customers of an open recall, nor do they have to send the car in for repairs before selling it off. Because of this, Florida is a leading state in terms of vehicles for sale with open recalls.
Fortunately, it’s easy enough to find out if a vehicle you’re looking at has an open recall thanks to an NHTSA database you can access from several different sites. Simply enter in the vehicle’s VIN to find out, and if you do spot a recall notice remember to budget some time in for the repair if you should happen to purchase the vehicle.
But if the worst should happen and you or someone you love is injured in an accident caused by an open or undisclosed recall, then you may be entitled to compensation for damaged property, lost wages, medical bills, and general pain and suffering. And if the accident happened in or around Sarasota or Port Charlotte, contact the All Injuries Law Firm right away. Our help can extend from the first free consultation all the way to the final day in court if necessary, and the insurance companies of Florida are well aware of how much we might cost them.