Recalled Vehicles Being Sold by the Millions

Each year, millions of recalled vehicles are sold to unsuspecting buyers without their needed repairs, according to results from a new study from the vehicle history website Carfax. After researching online sellers throughout the country over the past year, more than 2 million vehicles with outstanding recalls were found available on the market, complete with potentially dangerous recall issues intact. The true number of vehicles on sale today is likely much higher however, as only online sellers registered with the site were included in the study; dealerships and other online sellers are likely to offer them as well, making the threat to buyer safety much more widespread.

Recalls have been particularly tough on auto makers over the last several years, as issues with unintended acceleration, engine fires, and faulty air bags, among many other issues, have called for service actions on several millions of vehicles. In 2012 alone, more than 18 million vehicles were recalled, an increase of almost 5% over the previous year. As such, a greater number of recalled vehicles are likely to translate into greater numbers of them for sale to the public. Over the past year, the number of these potentially faulty vehicles on sale in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indian, Wisconsin, and Michigan rose by more than 25%.

Recalls are issued to help correct defective vehicle components that may fail and lead to serious trouble for their owners, even during normal driving conditions. When a potential malfunction is found to exist in a widespread number of vehicles stemming from a common problem, automakers will offer service actions to give owners a chance to correct the potential issue before it can develop into a harmful accident. By ignoring these fixes, vehicles remain at a constant risk for malfunction. Manufacturers and dealerships keep record of these recalls through a vehicle’s VIN number, which Carfax used to assemble the data for the study.

To help prevent this possibility in the future, regulators from the state of California are trying to implement new legislation requiring sellers to perform all recall-appointed repairs before selling them. Another bill proposed last year calls for rental car companies to repair recalled vehicles upon receiving notice before putting them into use for the public. By forcing dealers to correct recall issues, buyers can be protected from hidden dangers. An added legal protection would also provide car buyers the opportunity for legal action against negligent dealers who sell them a faulty vehicle without mending its defects.

Fortunately for potential car buyers, there are a number of resources available to check whether or not a vehicle has been the subject of a recall. "Before a car changes hands, there are lots of opportunities for everyone involved to check for open recalls," says Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax, assuredly. "Yet this data is proof that it's not happening enough." Recall information is made available by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration online, along with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Carfax lists vehicle recalls as well, and will detail whether or not a particular vehicle has been repaired. For this information to make an impact on recalled vehicle sales however, buyers will need to do their due diligence. Protecting yourself from purchasing a potentially dangerous vehicle starts with disciplined research, uncovering potential problems before making your final purchase.