The car recall situation in this country may be more dangerous than you think... especially with the summer driving season being here.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds there are more than 53 million vehicles on the road right now have open recalls. That means more than one in four cars. National Safety Council CEO Debrah Hersman says Florida has the third most in the nation with four-million cars with open recalls.
She stresses these recalls are serious: "Manufactures don't issue these recalls lightly. There has to be a significant safety defect. This is not something for convenience or cosmetic issue. It's a safety issue."
One of the major concerns remains the Takata airbag recall with 42-million cars being ordered back to the dealership for free repairs.
The situation is more critical in Florida because "Florida is a hot, humid, southern tiered state. That is a priority area for those Takata airbag recalls," Hersman says.
Statistics show for newer models, more than 80% of recalled vehicles have them repaired, but with it becoming more difficult for manufacturers to notify cars with multiple owners, the completion rate falls to 44% for vehicles between five and ten years old.
The National Safety Council is making it easier for you to check to see if your call is recalled through their just launched Check To Protect national campaign.
Once you have your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) go to checktoprotect.org, type in that number and it will tell you if your car has an open recall.