50 Million Cars in the U.S. Have Outstanding Recalls

A massive number of cars covered by open safety recalls are hitting roads across the country every day, according to a new report.

Some 50 million cars have open recalls, vehicle information provider Carfax found in an annual study. Although the number is slightly down from a year earlier, it means that one in every five cars on the road is subject to an open recall.

“We are heading in the right direction when it comes to the number of open recalls on the road, but the numbers remain incredibly high," said Faisal Hasan, Carfax’s general manager for data, in a statement announcing the results of the study. "We still have a long way to go.”

There was some good news for car owners, drivers and anyone else on the road in California. The Golden State saw a 12% decline in the total number of cars with open recalls. Still, California was home to the highest number of open-recall vehicles (5.6 million), followed by Texas (5.1 million) and Florida (3.1 million).

Automakers recall millions of vehicles around the world every year. These moves are required by law in the U.S. when car manufacturers become aware of defects that pose safety risks or otherwise do not comply with federal standards.

For example, Ford recently announced that it was recalling 250,000 sport utility vehicles over a driveshaft defect that could cause them to roll away. The move came weeks after Toyota said it would call back some 460,000 cars because of a software glitch that may inadvertently disable their electronic stability control systems. Both companies said at the time that the problems increased the risk of accidents involving the recalled cars.

Manufacturers often issue voluntary recalls in the U.S. before they are forced to do so by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet, recalls often come long after the malfunctioning cars have left factory floors and been sold to unsuspecting buyers. Used car dealers are generally not required to get recalled cars fixed before selling the vehicles.

California Car Owners: Know Your Rights

Fortunately, the California lemon law empowers many car owners in the state to get defective and malfunctioning vehicles fixed without having to wait for a recall.

The lemon law requires carmakers to perform a full range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also obligates auto manufacturers to buy back (or replace, in some situations) cars that they are not able or flat out refuse to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the purchase price, as well as other related fees and costs.

Speak With a Lemon Law Attorney at Our Firm

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle or are haggling with a car manufacturer over repairs, the California lemon lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with an attorney at our firm.