According to the NHTSA, a record of over 51 million vehicles were recalled in 2015. Stronger enforcement is believed to be behind the growing number of recalls, and a recall of air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. accounted for a large number of recalls that year. A total of 23 million of its inflators had been recalled, and eight people were killed because of issues with its product.
The Takata Corp. recall started in 2014 and extended into 2015. Overall, there were nearly 900 recalls in 2015 compared to 803 in 2014. The increased number of recalls was in response to fines levied against Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Takata for failure to report safety concerns soon enough. Many of the recalls involved only small numbers of vehicles and were a result of manufacturers making sure that the issue was taken care of in a timely manner.
To ensure that vehicle issues get fixed, the NHTSA started a campaign called “Safe Cars Save Lives.” It is a digital campaign that allows users to use its search engine to find out about recalls related to their vehicles. It is believed that around 75 percent of recalled vehicles are fixed within 18 months. The group also wants to add provisions that would include emails, text message and social media alerts when a recall is announced.
If an individual is injured because of a defective product in a car, the manufacturer or the car or the manufacturer of the product may be liable for damages. An attorney may be able to help with an auto product liability case that could result in the injured victim winning compensation. Compensation may cover medical bills, lost wages and other costs related to the injury such as a modified vehicle or in-home nursing care.