Vehicle Sales Trumps Texas Consumer Safety

Michael S. Callahan | | Defective Products
vehicle recall

Vehicle recalls in 2015 hit record-breaking high

Consumer safety should be the number one priority for all companies that design, manufacture and sell products on any market. The sad truth is that many companies put profit before safety, and the consequences can be tragic.  In 2015, the auto industry had a significant increase in recalls of vehicles because of dangerous, defective components that can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

Recalls Breaking Records in Consecutive Years

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015 there were nearly 900 vehicle recalls for over 51 million vehicles. This beat the all-time record in 2014 when there were 803 vehicle recalls for just over 50 million vehicles. Unfortunately, 2016 is trending in the same direction and if things don’t improve it could be another record-breaking year.

How Do You Know If Your Texas Vehicle Has Been Recalled?

If your vehicle is part of a recall, the vehicle manufacturer is supposed to send a recall notice letter to the owner.  If you are concerned that your vehicle may be included in one of these 1,703 recalls over the last two years and you did not receive a recall letter or you are unable to locate it, the NHTSA can help.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a webpage where you can input your vehicle identification number (also known as a “VIN”) to determine whether there has been a recall(s) on your vehicle, the details of the recall, and what you need to do.

Texas Recalled Vehicles

According to KVUE (Austin), one in every five vehicles on the roads in Texas has a recall on it that has not been addressed. These recalls have been issued for problems that can put the lives of drivers, passengers and others at risk and include recalls for unsafe airbags including Takata airbags that can spray metal shrapnel when discharged, ignition switch defects, power steering defects, and defective tires.

Checkout this ABC Nightline story on safety recall issue for a Chevy Silverado.

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If you have suffered a serious injury or are grieving the loss of a loved one as a result car accident and believe a defective auto component may have caused or contributed to the injury, contact The Callahan Law Firm today for a free case evaluation and let’s discuss what we can do to help.