Texas had more than 6 million vehicles with open safety recalls in January, according to data from Carfax.
Federal law requires dealers to perform safety recall repairs free on cars that are up to 15 years old — but many drivers do not follow through.
It’s common for vehicle owners to discard warnings about seemingly innocuous issues like door latches. But unrepaired defects have led to deadly accidents for drivers.
Here’s what to know to stay safe.
Recall language is often unclear
Some drivers might not even know they have open recalls on their vehicle, since manufacturers are required to send notices through U.S. mail — where they could get lost or thrown away.
But even if a notice does reach a vehicle owner, they might not recognize how serious a defect actually is, according to Rosemary Shahan, president of advocacy group Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.
“A lot of manufacturers in the recall notice, they’re saying things like, ‘You may experience a thermal event.’ What they mean by that is your car could catch on fire,” Shahan said.
That technical jargon often does not cause the same sense of urgency as plain language might, which leads drivers to delay or ignore defects, according to Shahan.
While some recalls like acceleration issues are likely to raise immediate alarm, something as seemingly benign as an unfixed latch defect could cause a vehicle door to fly open on the highway.
All recalls should be repaired as soon as possible, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety istration.
Regulation lax for certain sales
While new car lots and rental car companies with more than 35 vehicles are required to fix open recalls under federal rules, there are no Texas state or federal laws requiring the same of used car sellers.
Car lots are required to disclose open defects in seller paperwork. But at the closing of a sale, consumers might not read the stack of papers they’re asked to sign carefully enough.
Private online sellers could also have open recalls on vehicles which might not be identified during a presale mechanical inspection.
“A lot of times, you know, people are just sort of taking on faith that this is a regulated industry, and what could go wrong?” Shahan said.
Tracking is free
There are several free resources consumers can use to check the status of open recalls on a vehicle before purchase.
The National Traffic Highway Safety istration has an online tool car buyers can use to check for recalls, investigations, complaints and manufacturer communication on vehicles and other equipment like tires and car seats.
Carfax also has a free recall tracker on its website.
Consumers can report vehicle safety issues to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or 800-424-9393.