Why You Shouldn't Ignore a Recall on Your Car

Automotive recalls are steadily on the rise, and federal statistics estimate that about 30 percent of them go without being repaired. Recalls such as the widespread Takata airbag recall regularly make the news, and automotive website Jalopnik recently investigated the story of a recalled Ford Escape that caught on fire even though it wasn't running, burning up an entire cargo ship.

How many ticking time bombs are on the road? The 30 percent statistic "is an accurate approximation," according to a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) who asked not to be identified, and there were more than 53 million recalls in 2016 alone, the most on record for a single year. That adds up to a lot of affected vehicles, and although some recalls are fairly minor, others carry serious consequences if they go unfixed. While nobody will hunt you down for ignoring a recall notice, car companies don't put them out without good reason and typically that good reason involves the safety of you, your passengers and the other people on the road. Let's take a look at how so many vehicle recalls slip through the cracks. read more »