Auto recalls last year break annual record set in 2014

DETROIT – Automobile recalls hit another 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 previous 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 inflators 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 due largely to automakers reacted to millions of dollars in fines against Fiat Chrysler, General Motors 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.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, in remarks prepared for a speech Thursday at the Washington Auto Show, 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 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” promotes use of NHTSA’s search engine that allows drivers to enter their car’s vehicle identification number to find out if any recalls repairs haven’t been made.

On average, automakers fix 75 percent of cars covered by a recall in 18 months, but that means a quarter go unrepaired.

Rosekind’s agency also announced it’s 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.