Recalls in 2015 involved a record 51 million vehicles
Federal agency recorded almost 900 separate recalls last year, up from 803.
Automobile recalls set a record last year as stronger government enforcement and widening recalls of exploding air bags pushed the total above 51 million vehicles.
The 2015 number barely beat the old record set in 2014, after that total was adjusted downward from nearly 64 million to eliminate double counting in the massive recalls of air bag inflaters made by Takata Corp., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency recorded almost 900 separate recalls last year, beating the 2014 record of 803, the agency said. The number was higher largely due to automakers’ reactions to millions of dollars in fines against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors Co. and Takata for reporting safety problems too slowly.
Many of the recalls involved small numbers of vehicles as manufacturers moved faster to correct problems.
The 2014 total was adjusted to just under 51 million due to double counting and moving some Takata recalls from 2014 into 2015, NHTSA said.
Takata makes air bag inf laters that can explode with too much force and hurl shrapnel into drivers and passengers. In the U.S., about 23 million of its inflaters have been recalled on 19 million vehicles sold by 12 automakers. Eight people worldwide have died and more than 100 others have been hurt by the exploding inflaters.
The government has said there probably will be more Takata recalls.
NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said the agency has worked to spot defects faster. “But identifying defects is not enough; we have to make sure they get fixed,” he said in remarks prepared for a speech Thursday at the Washington Auto Show.
In the speech, Rosekind announced a digital advertising campaign urging people to keep their families safe by getting recall repairs done. The yearlong campaign, called “Safe Cars Save Lives,” encourages drivers to use NHTSA’s search engine, which lets them enter their car’s vehicle identification number to find out if any recall repairs have yet to be made.
“The campaign makes a simple point: Taking action on a safety recall keeps you and the people you love safe,” Rosekind said.
On average, automakers fix 75% of cars covered by a recall in 18 months, but that means a quarter of the recalled vehicles go unrepaired.
Rosekind’s agency also announced it is working on regulations that could add text messages, email and social media to the current method of notifying owners of recalled cars and trucks by mail. The agency is seeking public input on what methods would work best.
The moves come a week after two announcements in Detroit about speeding up adoption of autonomous cars and reaching an agreement with automakers to work together on boosting safety efforts.