Record 51 Million Vehicles Recalled in 2015, Says NHTSA

NHTSA and automakers have come under harsh criticism on auto safety issues from Congress and others in the wake of General Motors’ delayed recall of 2.6 million vehicles for ignition switch defects linked to 124 deaths. The recall affected various models of Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles equipped with an 8.4-inch touchscreen.

Last year, there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationally.

The 2015 number barely beat the old record set in 2014.

Another driver said she only checks for safety recalls on her vehicle if the check engine light comes on; “I’ll expect since I do my maintenance that there may be a recall on the engine or transmission”.

Called “Safe Cars Save Lives”, the campaign is created to build awareness around the tools available to consumers to determine whether or not their vehicles have been recalled and to have those problems resolved in a timely manner. The number was higher as automakers moved faster to fix problems.

In 2014, the agency said automakers recalled a record 63.9 million vehicles in 803 campaigns – led by GM’s recall of 26 million vehicles. “But identifying defects is not enough; we have to make sure they get fixed”, he said.

The goal is to keep you and your family safe.

Rosekind’s agency also announced it’s working on regulations that could add text messages, email and social media to the current method of notifying owners of recalled cars and trucks by mail.

NHTSA says “each year, on average, 25 percent of recalled vehicles are left unrepaired”.