— According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 53 million child seats, equipment components, tires, trailers and vehicles were recalled in 2019, nearly 20 million more than 2018 and 11 million more than 2017.
And the government estimates 25% of all vehicles on the roads have at least one unrepaired recall for safety problems that can be fixed by dealerships for free.
But a new smartphone app called SaferCar released by NHTSA hopes to help consumers keep up with important safety recalls.
Ignoring safety recalls can lead to crashes, injuries and deaths, something seen when car owners received Takata airbag recall notices which were ignored until the airbag inflators finally exploded.
NHTSA says the SaferCar app remembers all the vehicles and equipment you enter and notifies you of all related recalls.
An owner will enter their vehicle identification number (VIN) to check for vehicle recalls, but tire, trailer and car seat recalls may also be searched.
The SaferCar app will also provide local dealerships that can make recall repairs for free.
With every consumer having concerns about privacy, NHTSA says your information won't be sold and no user data is stored.
"Because each user’s information is stored only on their device, no personal information can be shared with NHTSA—ensuring a safe and private user experience. Once the user sets up their virtual garage, the app checks for safety recalls every day, and will notify the user if an issue requires their attention." - NHTSA
Federal safety regulators say the SaferCar app is available for Android and iOS.
Customers can learn more and download the app by visiting SaferCar.