The U.S. Department of Transportation urges car owners to check twice a year for recalls and to have any outstanding issues fixed as soon as parts are available. NTHSA’s dubs its effort “Safe Cars Save Lives.” It’s designed 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.
Car owners should get into the habit of checking for recalls at least twice a year through tools like Kelley Blue Book’s Recall VIN Lookup tool. Information on recalls can also be accessed through www.safecar.gov using a new VIN look-up tool developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA).
Last year, there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationally. According to government figures, each year an average of 25 percent of recalled vehicles are left unrepaired. The safety agency is seeking additional ways to notify vehicle owners, purchasers and dealers of safety-related defects and noncompliance.
