TAMPA BAY, Fla. — A new warning from Carfax about potentially dangerous vehicles kicks off the summer driving season.
There are 2.5 million urgent recalls on vehicles that aren't yet fixed. Of those, 237,000 are registered in Florida, making it the third highest state in the number of vehicles that contain warnings to not drive the vehicle or to park it away from buildings.
The alert involved 200 different models. Christine McGuire Wolfe drove one of those recalled vehicles. The then firefighter narrowly escaped her Kia SUV after it burst into flames with her behind the wheel.
“I don't think I can accurately describe how quickly it went up," McGuire Wolfe said.
In her case, the recall notice warning of a fire risk arrived in the mail too late, days after the vehicle burned up. But many drivers either ignore, overlook, or just don't receive the warning automakers send only by mail. Carfax estimates only 25% of drivers respond to recall notices.
The overall number of urgent recalls could soon explode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is calling for the immediate recall of 67 million airbag inflators due to a dangerous defect.
In all, there are more than 50 million cars, trucks, and SUVs on America’s roads with an unfixed recall. More than 3 million are in Florida; 700,000 of those rides are registered in the Tampa Bay area.
It takes less than two minutes to check if your car is on a recall list, and it's free. Log onto the Safe Car website and plug in your VIN. You can also download the free Carfax car care mobile app.
Both sites will tell you whether you have an unfixed recall.
