NATIONAL SAFETY AGENCY RELEASES 1995 MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL TOTAL

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released figures concerning motor vehicle, equipment and tire recalls during 1995.

NHTSA Administrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D., said that a total of 305 safety recall campaigns in 1995 involved more than 17.8 million vehicles, compared to about 6.5 million recalled in 1994. More than one-fifth of the 1995 recalls, representing 64 percent of the vehicles, were influenced by NHTSA investigations. The others were initiated voluntarily by the manufacturers.

In addition to the 1995 recall total, which was the largest in history, more than 4 million Chrysler minivans are involved in a replacement campaign to improve the safety of their rear-door latches.

Of the 100 to 200 safety defect investigations NHTSA opens each year, more than 75 percent are initiated by calls to the agency's Auto Safety Hotline. In 1995, the Hotline received more than 800,000 calls from consumers -- its largest call volume ever. Dr. Martinez attributed the increase in consumer calls to publicity the Auto Safety Hotline received.

Dr. Martinez, a board-certified emergency physician, also said that more people are responding to manufacturers' recall notices today than ever before. "I encourage all vehicle owners who receive a notice from their manufacturer to get their vehicles fixed promptly. If you ignore a recall notice, or a manufacturer's letter telling you to have a safety problem fixed, you are putting yourself and your family at risk of injury."

In the past seven years, the average recall completion rate was 68 percent for all vehicles and 72 percent for passenger cars, with gradual increases each year. After a recall campaign begins, NHTSA monitors its performance for 18 months to ensure that notification of owners has been completed and that the remedy for the safety problem is effective.

Of the 305 safety recall campaigns in 1995, 236 were recalls for safety defects and 69 were for noncompliance with federal safety standards. Likewise, 258 of 1995's safety recalls involved vehicles, 44 involved vehicle equipment and 3 involved tires.

Vehicle and equipment recalls in 1995 represent an increase over 1994 when there were 286 safety recalls: 244 for vehicles, 37 for vehicle equipment and 5 for tires.

Consumers who want to report a safety problem or receive a summary of recalls involving a vehicle should call the Auto Safety Hotline at (800) 424-9393. Representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday, and an automated system handles calls 24 hours a day.

Lists of current recalls are announced monthly and are available to consumers on the World Wide Web.