More Than 500K Recalled Cars Cruising In Maryland
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- There are new concerns that more than a half million recalled vehicles are driving around in Maryland.
Some drivers may not even know their car is on the list.
Researchers said the recalls range from the simple to the down right dangerous and it's time for you to check if your car is on the list.
The figures are staggering, a Silicon Valley-based company said there are 550,000 plus recalled vehicles driving around in Maryland, including in Baltimore, Towson and Columbia.
"That's a lot," said Pat Wilson of Baltimore.
Recall Masters said one of the biggest issues is drivers who don't know their vehicle is on a list and others who do know ignore it.
"What recall vehicle owners need to understand is that these vehicles should they have an issue, are not just going to put them at risk, they are putting other drivers on the road at risk at the same time," said Christopher Miller of Recall Masters.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles were added to recall lists this year alone; most notably, for defective air bags.
Recalls range from minor to more severe problems, like Takata airbag defects that are blamed for killing at least 11 people in the U.S, or the recall that affected more than a million Jeep Grand Cherokees because drivers could accidentally put the SUV's into the wrong gear.
Dealers said manufacturer errors could impact their relationship with customers.
"We sell the cars to customers and so we want to make sure people are taken car of. We are not real happy about somebody coming in and saying 'hey, I saw there was a recall on my car' and I say 'yes Mr. customer there was, but unfortunately we don't have the parts,'" said Peter Kitzmiller of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association.
Recall Masters said more than 6 million vehicles were recalled in 2016, leaving some to wonder, what's driving this problem.
"You're valuing their trust and expertise, the manufacturers, that they are addressing these issues, and why are they putting them out on the road without having this quality assurance," said Liz Briscoe of Baltimore.
Experts said all recalls, big or small, can be fixed at authorized dealers with no charge to customers.
You can check to see if your car is being recalled.
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