Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the official 2015 vehicle recall count. A record 900 million different recalls led to a total of 51.26 million recalled vehicles. In 2014, the total number hit 50.99 million with 803 recalls.
While the counts didn’t reach the early estimates of 60 million, 2015 surpassed 2014 to take the record and became the year of the recall. This increase represents increased vigilance from the NHTSA and automakers to ensure safe vehicles. With the NHTSA working harder, the manufacturers must announce recalls quickly to avoid hefty fines like those issued to General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Takata after they failed to move fast enough.
The NHTSA’s goal is to find and fix the vehicle defects prior to accidents and injuries. In the past, companies waited for damage to occur before alerting government agencies and the public. More than just pressuring the companies, the NHTSA wants to impress upon vehicle owners the importance of getting recalled cars repaired with their campaign ‘Safe Cars Save Lives.’
Faulty Takata airbag inflators led to one of 2015’s biggest recalls, but the company isn’t finished adding to the total. After a tenth death occurred due to the defective airbag component, the Japanese manufacturer added another five million vehicles to the 19 million previously recalled.
More than 15 percent of vehicle owners in the United States were affected by the vehicle recalls in 2015, but many ignore the requests and advertisements informing them of the importance of repairs. Instead of listening, many will conduct their own risk assessment and decide whether or not to get the vehicle repaired. There is a notable trend with socioeconomic status affecting this decision. For many, taking the time to get a defect fixed they haven’t noticed doesn’t seem important.
Even if you think your car is safe, you’re potentially putting your life and the lives of other drivers and passengers in danger by ignoring safety warnings. To stay safe on the roads, here are some easy steps to take when a recall is announced:
- Pay attention. Is your vehicle included? Check to see if you received any communication from your automaker. It’s possible it might not make it to you if you’ve moved or you’re not the original owner. Use the NHTSA’s vehicle identification number (VIN) look up tool to confirm your car is included.
- If your car is included, call your nearest dealership and schedule an appointment. It’s likely your automaker will pay for the repairs. In the meantime, take any available steps to make your car safer. For example, GM suggesting removing the keychains from the ring to keep the key safely in the lock cylinder.
- Stay vigilant. Unfortunately, recalls happen every day and may come from the actual carmaker or a company that created a part like Takata.
Sources
- N. Burke, “Record 51.26 million vehicles recalled in U.S. in 2015,” The Detroit News (Jan. 21, 2016). [Link]
- CBS This Morning, “Takata airbag recall expands after 10th death,” (Jan. 23, 2016). [Link]
- Chew, “More cars were recalled than ever before last year,” Fortune (Jan. 22, 2016). [Link]
- Edgerton, “What to do if your car is recalled,” CBS Money Watch (Nov. 10, 2015). [Link]