More and more vehicles are being driven without getting their recalls fixed.
According to a Carfax report, one in four vehicles on U.S. roads has open recalls, totaling over 63-million units. That represents a 34-percent increase from 2016, with the research finding the issue affects nearly one in three vehicles in Texas, the highest rate in the nation. Following Texas are Hawaii, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York.
It’s worth noting that several of the states in the top 10 are high-humidity states, where the massive Takata airbag recall initially centered around.
Read more about recent Car Recalls
The new data also suggests family life may be a factor on why vehicle owners are not aware about a recall or haven’t gotten their vehicles fixed. Minivans and SUVs are the ones most likely to have unfixed recalls, said the report.
“Reducing the number of open recalls on the road is an ongoing effort,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “Safety is our number one concern. Carfax, manufacturers and government are working together to make it easier for drivers to get accurate information and timely alerts about open recalls. It may be inconvenient, but people driving recalled cars should make getting them fixed a high priority.”
