Jump in car recalls advising owners to ‘park outside’
There’s been a big jump in the number of car recalls that advise owners to park outside.
That means there’s a high risk of a spontaneous fire, and to reduce the risk, federal regulators and automakers are advising certain vehicles be parked outside of garages and parking structures and away from buildings.
“This is one of those recalls where ignoring it doesn’t make the problem better,” says Mike Lavigne from Carfax, “the reason it was issued is because there is a risk of fire.”
The causes can vary, from brake or hydraulic fluid leaks to battery relay issues.
“It’s not just when the vehicle is in operation, it can be off, cold, and parked inside your garage for six hours, and a fire could erupt,” says Lavigne.
New research from Carfax found there are now more than 3.7 million cars still on the road with “park outside” recalls.
That’s a 40% jump in less than a year.
In Pennsylvania, that includes 171,951 vehicles.
“There are a number of recalls that have been issued without a fix available immediately,” says Lavigne.
Another reason so many of these cars are still on the road is because owners just don’t know about the recall because they’re not the original owner.
“Twelve years is how long used cars are staying on the road,” said Lavigne, “and those cars general have two or three owners.”
Car recalls are sent through the mail and sometimes people just mistake them for junk mail.
You can check to see if your car has an outstanding recall for free, using your VIN or your license plate number at https://www.Carfax.Com/recall/.
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