Auto Recalls for Dangerous Vehicles May Come too Late for Some Motorists

Auto recalls for dangerous vehicles:

One week after actor Anton Yelchin, 27, was run over and killed by his own Jeep Grand Cherokee in June 2016, he received a recall notice in his mailbox. Fiat Chrysler notified him about the very same safety defect that killed him, but they were too late.

The auto manufacturer recalled 1.1 million vehicles in April 2016. However, the recall came after hundreds of vehicle owners complained about them suddenly rolling away.

Meanwhile, the Star Trek actor, who portrayed Pavel Chekov in the movie franchise, never knew this. He was run over when his Jeep slipped out of park and rolled backwards down his steep Studio City driveway. The young man was crushed between his mailbox and a brick security fence.

Yelchin’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both Fiat Chrysler and ZF North America, the company that manufactured the faulty Monostable E-shift component. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, was settled in 2018 for an undisclosed amount. Fiat Chrysler was accused of negligence, product liability and breach of warranty.

At the time of his death, the problematic gearshift design was linked to 266 rollaway crashes and 68 injuries. The vehicles affected included the 2014 and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2012-14 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300s. Yet, owners of these vehicles were unaware of the issue. They continued to drive the dangerous vehicles.

Safety Concerns with Recalled Vehicles

By the time an auto manufacturer recalls a defective vehicle, it may be too late for some motorists. These drivers may have already suffered injuries or a death resulting from a major safety issue.

That’s why it’s the mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get and defective vehicles off the road as soon as possible. In fact, the federal safety agency encourages automakers to provide loaner cars to owners of defective vehicles. It’s one way to keep them off roadways. Usually in cases where there is a serious recall and a repair is not yet available.

The largest safety recall in the world is the ongoing Takata airbag recall. The massive airbag recall affects millions of vehicles in the United States and roughly two dozen brands.

Defective airbags are linked to 16 deaths in the United States. The latest death involved a 2002 Honda Accord. Honda recalled the car in January 2021.

So far, automakers have replaced 56 million inflators in various brands and models equipped with the dangerous Takata airbags. Currently, there are an estimated 15.9 million defective airbags still on the road. This is according to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report.

You May Take Legal Action If You Suffer Injuries

Also, if you suffered injuries in a crash due to a safety defect, you may have grounds for a civil lawsuit. Johnson Attorneys Group can file a civil lawsuit against the car manufacturer or other liable parties. People hurt in a collision can recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering.

Recall Notice, but Dealer Doesn’t Have Replacement Parts

Some vehicle owners receive their recall notice only to learn that the dealership doesn’t have the parts to repair it. It could be there are not enough parts to go around due to the size of the recall or the car company may need to design a new replacement part. Now what do you do? Continue to drive the vehicle, rent another vehicle?

Your decision will be based on the seriousness of the recall, but who pays for the rental vehicle or do you get a loaner vehicle from the dealership? These are questions a qualified lemon law attorney can answer. Johnson Attorneys Group has been helping owners of lemon vehicles in California for more than a decade.

California Lemon Law Attorney James Johnson

If you purchased a defective vehicle and you have repeated problems or safety concerns, it may be time to call for help.

California Lemon Law Attorney James Johnson will review your case and let you know if it qualifies as a lemon.

We recommend that you obtain an invoice for all repairs and recall visits from the dealership. These documents will support your potential case. Should the vehicle experience repeated issues or become a safety risk, these documents support the Lemon Law Claim. Contact us for a free case review at 800-558-1087.