Consumer Reports reports a survey it conducted on 1,007 randomly sampled American adults found that 85 percent of those polled support mandatory fixes for “recalls involving dangerous defects,” including those “that could cause failures of braking or steering systems.” The survey found that about 70 percent believe emissions recalls should be legally required, and 51 percent support a law requiring owners to fix safety defects with “a low risk of causing bodily harm.” Consumer Reports says data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that recalls increased from 348 recalls affecting 19 million cars in 1995 to 973 recalls affecting 88 million cars in 2015, in large part due to the Takata airbag recalls. Data from NHTSA and the Government Accountability Office shows that only about 65 to 70 percent of recalled vehicles are repaired within 18 months. This October, NHTSA will conduct a six state pilot program “that aims to inform owners of any recalls when they attempt to register their vehicles.”
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.
