Record 64 million vehicles recalled in US

[DJR-351]

Record 64 million vehicles recalled in US

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-s...d-in-us_140215

Nearly 64 million cars and trucks were recalled in the United States in 2014 for safety defects in a record-breaking year for both recalls and vehicles, a US agency says. The previous record had been set at 30.8 million vehicles in 2004, a number which was surpassed in June of 2014.

Automobile makers issued 803 recalls last year affecting 63.95 million vehicles, the highest number dating back to 1966, the National Highway Transportation Highway Safety Administration said in an email to AFP on Friday. 'These figures demonstrate the need for vigorous, effective oversight to remove safety defects from our highways,' said Mark Rosekind, head of the NHTSA, in a statement cited in the email. Of the 803 recalls, 123 were influenced by NHTSA investigation and enforcement efforts, the agency said. General Motors, the largest US vehicle maker, began a recall of 2.6 million cars in February 2014 for defective ignition switches that it now has acknowledged caused at least 52 deaths and had recalled almost 27 million vehicles by year's end.

The US Congress and the Justice Department are investigating why GM waited more than a decade after uncovering the problem to start recalling cars. Along with the ignition switch faults GM, along with Honda, Ford and Chrysler and six other automobile makers, were forced by the NHTSA to recall all vehicles fitted with airbags made by Japanese firm Takata. Due to propellant deterioration some Takata airbags installed between 2002 and 2008 exploded on deployment, causing more than 100 injuries and four deaths.

Honda, Takata's largest American client, was forced to extend a withdrawal of nine million vehicles from US roads. Takata is under investigation over the airbag defect and continue to deny they hid the problem.