Vehicle recalls often ignored

-Columbus Dispatch

03/01/2008— Millions of Americans receive vehicle recall notices each year, and millions take no action even when some of the problems pose serious dangers, according to federal data.

A lower-than-expected response to a Ford recall that dates to the late 1990s so concerned the automaker and government that it was repeated this week. That recall was necessitated because of cruise-control switches that can overheat, but as of this week, only about half of the nearly 10 million Ford vehicles affected have been fixed.

"The failure to have the switch disconnected could lead to a vehicle fire at any time, even when the vehicle is turned off and the key is not in the ignition," said Karen Aldana, spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency has received 60 complaints of engine fires since August.

Ford has "gone well beyond the legal requirements in terms of communicating with customers," spokesman Wes Sherwood said. But the repair rate was lower than Ford expected and is far below NHTSA's overall goal.

Nearly 79 percent of more than 11 million vehicles recalled by automakers in 2006 were repaired; the number usually hovers around 70 percent each year, NHTSA said.

"Are we satisfied with it? It's certainly a very good record," Eric Bolton, NHTSA spokesman, said of the auto-repair rate. "But we want 100 percent recall compliance. We work very closely with manufacturers to make sure … the owners are contacted and they bring those vehicles in."

This Ford recall, which has grown to cover more vehicles since 1999, covers some Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles whose model years are from 1992 to 2003. The abundance of older vehicles is probably one reason some drivers haven't responded, experts said.

"The chance of people responding who have really old cars is much less," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer-advocacy group in Washington. "They just don't think it is worth all the trouble of getting the vehicle fixed."

Owners also might be close to selling the car, or they figure it's safe after years of driving. Also, the older the vehicle, the more likely it's been abandoned or wrecked but is still listed as registered. That can inflate the number of recalled vehicles that show up as active, said Claybrook, who led the safety agency during the Carter administration.

Experts say drivers' reactions to recalls vary, usually in proportion to how dangerous the defect appears. If car owners don't think the problem poses much risk -- or if they think the chances are low that they will be affected -- they might put off repairs, said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

But even if the odds are low, an accident could be tragic, he said. Ford has received hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits over engine fires.

"If it's in your garage, it could burn your whole house down," he said. "But it is a very, very irregular thing that might happen."

Owners can take vehicles to a dealer to disconnect the cruise-control switch, but some parts needed to replace it are in short supply. Ford will have an "ample supply" of replacement parts by June, Sherwood said.

But it means that car owners might have to go to the dealer more than once. Some might be putting off the repair until they know the parts are available to save themselves a trip, Cole said.

That's probably part of the reason the repairs are taking longer than Ford expected, said Rhett Ricart, chief executive of Ricart Automotive.

"It's not the repair time, it's getting the part," said Ricart, who has a Ford franchise. "We could fix 100 of them a day. Once you get the component, it's a blitzkrieg."

Still, consumers can have the switch disconnected before the parts are available and eliminate the safety hazard. Claybrook said drivers should respond to recall notices immediately.

"It's a safety risk and (the work) is being done free of charge -- except for the enormous inconvenience of getting it to the dealer," she said.

Dispatch reporter Monique Curet contributed to this story and information from the Associated Press also was used.

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