According to an article on Mlive.com, a recent Carfax study reports that one in four vehicles within the United States is operating with an unaddressed safety recall. The report stated that the number of recalled vehicles on the road today totals over 63 million vehicles, a figure approximately 34% greater than the number of recalled vehicles on the road in 2016.
In the event of a safety recall, the protocol is for the manufacturer to alert the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which then notifies vehicle owners that their vehicles are defective and that their local authorized dealership may perform the necessary repairs at no cost to the owner.
Recent Notable Recalls:
A significant portion of the recalled vehicles on the road are attributable to the 2016 Takata airbag recalls, which spanned 22 brands, 19 automakers and 42 million vehicles. Other notable recent recalls include:
- 978,000 2011 Hyundai vehicles due to the propensity for vehicle seatbelts to detach;
- February 2017 recall of more than 363,000 Nissan Altima vehicles, 2015-2017 models, due to the tendency for one of the back door latches to open when the rear window is lowered;
- Volkswagen’s recall in January 2017 of over 600,000 Audi vehicles for either a) the tendency for the 2013-2017 A5s, A5 Cabriolets and Q5 SUVs to overheat and catch fire due to the risk of blockage of an electric coolant pump (involving approx. 350,000 vehicles) or b) the tendency of 2011-2017 of G5 SUVs to sustain sunroof damage that allows water to soak into foam around the inflaters of the G5’s airbags, creating a risk of airbag rupture that sends shrapnel flying inside the vehicles (involving approx. 235,000 vehicles); and
- BMW’s recall of model years 2011-2013 X5 SUVs, 2011-2014 X6 SUVs, and 2011 X6 Active Hybrid due to the risk of driveshaft joints failing, which may cause the vehicles to stop moving and subject drivers to increased crash risks.
If you or someone you know has been harmed as a result of a defective vehicle or product, please contact our office at (916) 520-6639.