According to CarFax, in 2018 there were 57 million vehicles on the road with open safety recalls. That equates to one in five cars in the U.S.
If you travel using ride-sharing from Uber or Lyft, you may be riding in one of those recalled vehicles. Your driver may be safe, but their car may not be.
What Can You Do?
Regrettably, there isn’t a way on the ride-sharing apps that can tell passengers if the vehicle that is picking them up is under recall. So, if you’re worried about travelling in a ride-share vehicle that might be under recall, here are some suggestions to consider:
- Check the recall information with NHTSA, you will need the car’s VIN which may be difficult to get.
- CarFax has a free app, MyCarFax. You can input the license plate number and it will show if the vehicle has any outstanding recalls. With both Uber and Lyft, when you order the ride, you will see the car’s license plate number. Use the app to make sure the vehicle is not under recall.
- With so many cars having Takata Airbags, the Air Bag Recall website allows you to put in a VIN or license plate to determine if the vehicle has a defective airbag.
A recent article by Paige Kelton with Action News Jax discussed the dangers of riding in a vehicle with open recalls. It stressed the importance for consumers to be proactive riders and make sure the ride-share vehicle you plan to ride in is recall-free.
Worth Repeating
At Terrell • Hogan, helping families recover from accidents and personal injury is what we do every day, but we know that it’s best to try to find ways to prevent injury and loss before they happen. So, until there’s a solution to this problem, we will continue to repeat information about recalls of defective and dangerous products to help keep you informed and safe.
