In 2014, automakers recalled nearly 64 million vehicles in the United States. That’s more than double the number recalled in 2004, which held the previous record, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
This news is deeply troubling to experienced Dallas auto product liability lawyer, who knows how dangerous hidden vehicle defects can be. With no warning of a hidden defect, a vehicle’s driver or passengers may not know a problem exists until an accident, serious injury, or death occurs.
In 2014, according to the NHTSA, 803 separate automotive recalls were announced. The recalls affected 63.9 million vehicles. Before 2014, the highest number of recalls in any calendar year had occurred in 2004, when 30.8 million vehicles were recalled. So far, 3.5 million vehicles have been recalled in 2015, according to the report.
Some regulators are already predicting that 2015 may see an even greater number of vehicle recalls, as the NHTSA increases pressure on automakers to announce defects and recall vehicles more efficiently. The increased concern is related to a number of recent defects that have claimed multiple lives, such as the recall of faulty GM ignition switches that has been linked to at least 52 deaths in the United States.
Data from other sources indicates that even though recalls are being announced in large numbers, millions of recalled but unfixed vehicles are still on the road. Carfax Inc. estimates that 46 million cars with un-repaired, recalled defects are still being driven every day. Nearly five million of those vehicles were bought or sold in 2014.
