While the American automotive recall system is useful and important, it requires that the owners of vehicles included in those recalls take action. According to new study, a shockingly large number of people are not.
Based on data collected by Carfax, it has been revealed that over 2.5 million vehicles in the United States are currently subject to unresolved “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside” orders. Shockingly, at least 10 states have over 70,000 vehicles actively operating on the roads despite these safety advisories.
These are two of the most severe warnings an automaker or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can make. A “Do Not Drive” order is issued when a vehicle has a critical safety issue that poses a significant risk of fatality in the event of an accident. One such example is vehicles equipped with recalled Takata airbags that have the potential to release shrapnel into the passenger compartment and which have been linked to 24 deaths and over 400 injuries in the United States alone.
Number Of Vehicles With Unresolved “Do Not Drive” Or “Park Outside” Warnings
Meanwhile, the “Park Outside” order is reserved for vehicles with an elevated risk of fire, especially in cases where the vehicle could combust whether or not it is on. In order to protect buildings and those who occupy them, owners are advised to park away from structures until a fix is implemented.
“Despite efforts by state and federal governments—and the auto industry itself—too many consumers are driving in vehicles that have been deemed too dangerous to drive, or that shouldn’t be parked in or near a home for fear of a fire,” said Faisal Hasan, General Manager for Data at Carfax. “Officials and communities need to break through consumer recall notice fatigue and drive home the message: We can save lives today by getting these recalls fixed.”
Read: The Biggest Recalls And The Most Recalled Automakers Of 2022
Owners can check if there is an open recall on their vehicle by using NHTSA’s website or Carfax.com/recall, and in all cases the repairs necessary to make the vehicles safer are free. The company also plans to start warning its users of urgent recalls by using email campaigns.
Elsewhere, Vehicle Recall Search Services are being introduced to make more people aware of open recalls on their vehicles. For instance, in Texas, drivers are provided with a free recall check when they get their vehicle’s safety inspection. Since being introduced in 2018, the check has been run more than 3 billion times.
