Unfixed Recalls for Sale; Carfax Study Shows Emerging Issue

CENTREVILLE, Va., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- At least 1.4 million used cars that were recalled but not repaired were for sale in 2009, according to a new study by Carfax. Used car shoppers should exhaust all resources to identify open recalls and have them fixed by franchise dealers. Recall repairs are free.

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"Unrepaired open recalls are an important factor in vehicle evaluations," said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. "As many as one in three recalled vehicles go unfixed by their owners. It's a matter of safety – every day these cars are bought and sold and being driven on our roads. Carfax is working with leading manufacturers and consumer advocates to alert people to open recalls and make sure more of these are fixed."

California, Virginia and Texas had the most cars for sale with open recalls last year – more than 100,000 in each state. Several resources are available for consumers to help identify open recalls, including a free Recall Check from Carfax at www.carfax.com/recall. Open recall information reported to Carfax by auto manufacturers is also available on Carfax Vehicle History Reports.

"Ford is committed to communicating safety recall information to vehicle owners in an open and transparent manner as part of our commitment to top quality," said Robert Case, Operations Manager, Recall and Service Programs at Ford Motor Co. "Ford was the first major automaker to establish a relationship with Carfax to provide open safety recall information as we recognized the Carfax Vehicle History Report as a valuable tool used by many consumers and business entities."

Carfax receives open recall information for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Porsche, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Suzuki and Volvo vehicles. In addition, Honda and Acura began making their open recall information available through Carfax on July 16.

More detailed information about specific recall campaigns is available at www.safercar.gov and www.iihs.org.

About Carfax (www.carfax.com)

Millions of used car buyers and sellers each year rely on Carfax, the most trusted provider of vehicle history information. Using the unique 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) found on vehicle dashboards and title documents, Carfax instantly generates a detailed Vehicle History Report on any used car or light truck. Carfax Vehicle History Reports™ provide valuable information that helps used car buyers and sellers make better decisions.  Free Carfax Vehicle History Reports are instantly available with vehicles listed in nearly every online marketplace by Carfax-subscribing dealers.  For more information, ask your dealer or visit www.carfax.com.

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Larry Gamache

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SOURCE Carfax