WASHINGTON, D.C. -

The Government Accountability Office’s auto safety report released last week called for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to tweak its recall processes, noting considerable “room for improvement” in how the U.S. handles automobile recalls.

After the recent recalls of Toyota vehicles, the report contends that Congress had unanswered questions about the auto safety defect recall process including "the sufficiency of NHTSA’s oversight authorities and whether vehicle owners are being effectively motivated to comply with recalls," officials noted.

In response to these concerns, the GAO reviewed laws and documents and interviewed NHTSA and stakeholders about the ins and outs of the recall process.

According to the report, automakers recalled more vehicles in 2010 than in any other year on record.

That being said, the government’s watchdog arm is more concerned about what happens after those recalls are made.

Many recalled vehicles “are never fixed, posing a risk to vehicle operators, other drivers and pedestrians,” noted the GOA.

According to the report, the NHTSA does not have the authority to “notify potential used-car buyers of a defect," posing a possible concern for buyers not up to date on the nation’s open recalls.

“Furthermore, according to GAO’s review, although recall completion rates vary considerably by certain factors, NHTSA has not consistently used the data it collects to identify which factors make some recalls more successful than others. Finally, NHTSA does not have authority to notify potential used car buyers of a defect," the report explained.

The GOA also suggested that NHSTA recall notices do not currently include enough information, and that the agency might rely too heavily on its website, though some consumers are still unfamiliar with the site or unable to utilize this technology.

As a whole, the report focused mostly on improvements within the NHSTA, leaving automakers out of most of its critiques and proposed improvments, but dealers and manufacturers were certainly included in GOA discussions and interviews.

Through these discussions and research, the GOA discovered that industry stakeholders, such as dealers, are “generally satisfied with the recall process,” and manufacturers cited NHTSA’s role in the recall process as a “key benefit.”

 On the other hand, franchised dealerships had some concerns related to manufacturers’ availability of repair parts, but they were also “generally satisfied” with how manufacturers reimbursed them.

Wrapping up, the GOA has tasked the NHSTA to “modify requirements for notification letters," use its own data and automaker’s records in more efficient ways and to seek Congressional action to receive the authority necessary to notify used-car buyers of recalls and the defects associated with them.

For more information from the GOA report, see www.gao.gov.

One Company Responds and Reaches out to Consumers, Dealers

On the heels of the GOA’s report, Carfax applauded the organization’s efforts to improve the recall process, as well as noting their own attempts.

The provider of vehicle history information reports offers consumers free recall checks in an “effort to increase consumer awareness,” noted Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax, during an interview with Auto Remarketing. 

“Carfax is committed to ensuring consumers have all the vehicle information available to them that they need. We felt access to this open recall information was crucial, and we decided to make this information available free of charge when we started receiving it simply as a public service,” Gamache continued.

The company offers consumers a free recall check, searchable by vehicle identification number, and used-car shoppers and owners visiting recall.carfax.com can enter their 17-digit VIN and see if an open recall has been reported to Carfax by the manufacturer for that particular vehicle.

Dealers all over the country also have unlimited access to the company’s vehicle history reports.

Consequently, these dealers are able to use the open recall information included to identify unfixed recalled cars before the units make it off the lot and into the hands of a consumer.

Stressing the importance of reports such as the GOA’s, Gamache noted that “the automotive industry has been incredibly open to recalls; I think that the unfortunate reality is that many consumers are either unaware or ignore recall notices and defects end up going unrepaired.”

That’s where offerings, such as Carfax’s free recall checks, come into play.

“Every organization has a responsibility to raise awareness that an open recall does exist and should be closed. In doing so, they improve safety levels on the roadways, as well as protect resale values,” Gamache concluded.