AAA Supports Immediate Review of NHTSA and Swift Action to Protect Consumers

Statement from CEO Bob Darbelnet

ORLANDO, FL -- Oct. 28, 2014: "A thorough review of NHTSA's ability to manage and respond to vehicle recalls is warranted and overdue given the repeated breakdowns in the recall process that have been on display this year. These missteps not only erode consumer confidence in the Agency tasked with ensuring public safety but most importantly jeopardize the safety of millions of American motorists.

"In the past seven days, Americans have witnessed a broken safety website, incorrect lists of impacted vehicles and a timeline that again paints NHTSA's recall process as slow and ineffective. After several corrections to the list of 7.8 million vehicles impacted by the latest Takata recall, it remains unclear which vehicles are unsafe for motorists to drive and what regions are most at risk. Consumers need to know immediately whether they could be in danger. If a vehicle impacted by this recall is unsafe to drive, simply disabling the airbag is not an acceptable temporary "fix." Consumers impacted by this recall should be provided a loaner vehicle that is safe to drive until the necessary repairs are completed.

"As an advocate for motorists, AAA is again calling on NHTSA to ensure the vehicles we drive every day to work, pick up our kids from school, and visit families at the holidays are safe to operate. The challenges facing NHTSA are significant and President Obama must demand immediate action to fix a system that clearly remains broken."