
Automotive News reports that an AutoAp study concluded that NHTSA’s data on recalls have “significant” error rates, particularly in providing model names and years. The study also found that NHTSA’s data often lags behind automakers’ recall notices to dealers. AutoAp CEO Mark Paul “cites a BMW recall notice published by NHTSA in July.” NHTSA spokesman Derrell Lyles “says the time between when an automaker notifies the agency about a safety issue and NHTSA publishes a recall notice ‘may depend on how long the reviewing process takes.’” Lyles also “says the gap between a manufacturer’s notification to dealers and NHTSA’s publication of a recall is caused in part by the time required to enter identification numbers of affected vehicles into the agency’s database.”
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.