Automobile Industry Has a Recall Problem

AlixPartners is a firm that specializes in turning around ailing companies. In a January 2018 report, the organization set its sights on the automobile industry, identifying problems that car manufacturers need to overcome in the coming years. Foremost among those problems is an addiction to recalls.

According to the report, nearly 20 percent of all automobiles were recalled in 2016. This is a difficult number to accept, as it requires that one out of every five vehicles on the road was sold with a defect. Still, the methodology was sound, indicating that manufacturers are indeed selling an incredibly high rate of dangerous vehicles as if the car companies have adopted a mentality of ship it and fix it later.

Part of the reason for the high number was the Takata airbag recall, a recall that is still being implemented years later due to the high volume of vehicles affected. Still, one recall alone does not explain the sheer number of defective vehicles recalled for reasons other than airbags.

The ramifications of this are large. Considering there are usually two vehicles involved in every accident, there is a high probability that at least one of them was in need of recall when the incident occurred. Contemplating a morning’s commute, where heavy traffic might mean interacting with literally hundreds of cars, a driver is encountering dozens of defective vehicles on a daily basis.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, and you believe a defective part might have played a role, please consult with an experienced attorney. Until the car manufacturers are held accountable for their actions, the recall culture will persist.