30% of recalled cars remain unrepaired; MD to start notification program

Despite extensive campaigns by automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 30 percent of recalled vehicles remain on the road unrepaired, according to NHTSA. In a record year, 2016 saw more than 53 million vehicles recalled.

In Maryland, owners of unrepaired recalled vehicles will get another notification starting next year. Under a two-year pilot program, Maryland drivers will be told if their vehicle is under recall when they renew their car’s registration. NHTSA asked states to apply for a grant to pay for a notification program, and Maryland was the only state that applied.

Maryland will provide owners and lessees with a brief description of the defect and the nature of the recall, and tell the owner that the vehicle should be repaired immediately at a dealership. At the end of the two-year pilot, the state will provide NHTSA with an evaluation of the notification program.