Each year, millions of recalled vehicles are sold tounsuspecting buyers without their needed repairs, according to results from anew study from the vehicle history website Carfax. After researching onlinesellers throughout Range Hood Motors Manufacturers the country over the past year, more than 2 million vehicleswith outstanding recalls were found available on the market, complete withpotentially dangerous recall issues intact. The true number of vehicles on saletoday is likely much higher however, as only online sellers registered with thesite were included in the study; dealerships and other online sellers arelikely to offer them as well, making the threat to buyer safety much morewidespread.Recalls have been particularly tough on auto makers over thelast several years, as issues with unintended acceleration, engine fires, andfaulty air bags, among many other issues, have called for service actions onseveral millions of vehicles. In 2012 alone, more than 18 million vehicles wererecalled, an increase of almost 5% over the previous year. As such, a greaternumber of recalled vehicles are likely to translate into greater numbers of them for sale to the public.

Over the past year, the number of thesepotentially faulty vehicles on sale in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indian,Wisconsin, and Michigan rose by more than 25%.Recalls are issued to help correct defective vehiclecomponents that may fail and lead to serious trouble for their owners, evenduring normal driving conditions. When a potential malfunction is found to existin a widespread number of vehicles stemming from a common problem, automakerswill offer service actions to give owners a chance to correct the potential issuebefore it can develop into a harmful accident. By ignoring these fixes,vehicles remain at a constant risk for malfunction. Manufacturers anddealerships keep record of these recalls through a vehicle’s VIN number, whichCarfax used to assemble the data for the study.To help prevent this possibility in the future, regulatorsfrom the state of California are trying to implement new legislation requiringsellers to perform all recall-appointed repairs before selling them. Anotherbill proposed last year calls for rental car companies to repair recalledvehicles upon receiving notice before putting them into use for the public. Byforcing dealers to correct recall issues, buyers can be protected from hiddendangers.

An added legal protection would also provide car buyers the opportunity for legal action against negligent dealers who sell them a faultyvehicle without mending its defects.Fortunately for potential car buyers, there are a number ofresources available to check whether or not a vehicle has been the subject of arecall. “Before a car changes hands, there are lots of opportunities foreveryone involved to check for open recalls,” says Larry Gamache,communications director at Carfax, assuredly. “Yet this data is proof thatit’s not happening enough.” Recall information is made available by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration online, along with the InsuranceInstitute for Highway Safety. Carfax lists vehicle recalls as well, and willdetail whether or not a particular vehicle has been repaired. For thisinformation to make an impact on recalled vehicle sales however, buyers will needto do their due diligence. Protecting yourself from purchasing a potentiallydangerous vehicle starts with disciplined research, uncovering potentialproblems before making your final purchase.