The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an improved SaferCar app that will automatically notify users about recalls.
Available for Android and iOS devices, the redesigned app allows people to build a virtual garage which includes vehicles as well as car seats, tires, trailers and other equipment.
Once users download the app, they simply enter or scan their VIN. They then repeat this process for other items they want to receive alerts for.
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Once all this information has been entered, the app will check once a day to see if anything in your virtual garage has been recalled. If something has been recalled, it will alert you and provide information about the recall.
The app sounds like a great idea and it’s nice to see it extends beyond just vehicles. Car recalls get plenty of publicity, but you rarely hear about tire or trailer recalls.
However, they happen all the time as the NHTSA noted there were 53 million vehicles, car seats, tires and other equipment recalled in 2019 alone. That’s up from 35 million recalls in 2018 and the government noted “one in four vehicles on the road has an unrepaired recall.”
In a statement, NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said “In today’s world, smartphones are the tool of choice for many tasks – and the updated SaferCar app is a new safety tool at the public’s disposal.”
The app is currently available for Android devices and can be installed here. For Apple devices, the app should arrive later today.