It’s bad enough there are inherent risks out there when you get behind the wheel, but most motorists don’t anticipate hidden dangers due to unfixed recalled vehicles.
A new study suggests that some 45 million vehicles in the United States remain in operation on our roads and freeways despite recent recalls.
Indeed, these potentially dangerous vehicles put all motorists at risk for injury or death — especially those occupying the defective vehicle. The problem stems in part because of inaction by vehicle owners themselves, but also due to parts shortages and the extensive number of recalls in recent years.
On Monday, J.D. Power’s SafetyIQ released a study it conducted using data supplied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association that indicates there is a serious problem.
Specifically these 45 million vehicles were recalled between 2013 and 2015, the study said.
Some 437 million vehicles were identified as defective by safety recalls over the past two decades, including a record high of 51 million alone last year in 2015, the report said.
The study identifies several reasons why these vehicles go un-repaired such as the age of the vehicle, the type of vehicle and the size of the recall for a particular problem.
The newer the vehicle is, the more likely the owner is to take their vehicle to get repaired. Vehicles manufactured between 2013 and 2017 got fixed 73 percent of the time compared to those made between 2003 and 2007 whose owners completed repairs only 44 percent of the time.
Owners of larger vehicles and commercially-owned vans had the highest rate for completing recalled repairs at 86 percent, but so did compact premium SUV owners with 85 percent taking their vehicles to get required repairs.
The worst offenders were owners of mid-premium sports cars. Roughly 31 percent of people who owned these vehicles got their recalled cars repaired and large SUV owners weren’t much better with only 33 percent taken in to be fixed.
Roughly half of vehicle owners with airbag or suspension issues got their vehicles repaired, but those with power train and electrical issues were more likely to take the time to get their recalled vehicles fixed. Indeed, if there was a power train problem some 71 percent of the vehicle owners got it repaired compared to 62 percent of owners with electrical issues and 66 percent who had hydraulic brake problems.
If you were injured due to a defective or unfixed vehicle you may have a potential lawsuit against the vehicle owner or the auto manufacturer. Your vehicle may also be considered a lemon under California law. If that is the case, there are remedies available to you that an experienced Lemon Law attorney can explain. The best part about this is a Lemon Law attorney’s fees are not paid by you and do not come out of any settlement obtained for you because California laws require manufacturers to pay these separately. There’s really nothing to lose. Call Johnson Attorneys Group at 800-235-6801 to request a free consultation and find out if you have a claim.
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