Motor vehicle manufacturers are required by law to design and manufacture vehicles that meet minimum safety standards as a protection for consumers. Vehicles have hundreds of parts, however, and even with stricter safety regulations, extensive testing and advances in technology, defects and design flaws still occur. In fact, according to the Washington Post, one in five cars produced in 2014 had some type of defect. That number is higher than any other year. Unfortunately, some of these issues can cause serious, and even deadly accidents.

When automobiles or automobile parts are discovered to be defective, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues recalls of the vehicles in question. According to the NHTSA, vehicle recalls play a significant role in keeping America’s roadways safe. It is essential for consumers to pay close attention to any recalls that might apply to their vehicles and have them repaired as soon as possible to help avoid becoming another accident statistic. Since 1966, when the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was passed, more than 390 million vehicles have been recalled as a result of both defective vehicles and flaws with specific parts.

Defective Tires Can Cause Major Vehicle Accidents

While the vehicle tires that are manufactured today are much safer than the tires that were manufactured 25 years ago, design flaws and defects still remain a problem. In fact, more than 46 million tires have been recalled to prevent serious and even fatal accidents.

Steering and Brake Defects Can Result in Serious Injuries

Failures in the steering and braking systems of vehicles can cause drivers to lose control, which can lead to devastating accidents like collisions and rollovers.

Accelerator Defects Can Cause Loss of Control

When an accelerator is defective, it can cause the vehicle to speed up. The driver may become unable to slow down or stop the vehicle even when applying the brakes or using the emergency brake. A recent example is the hoards of vehicles that were recalled by Toyota after numerous car accidents due to acceleration problems.

Airbag Defects Can Be Detrimental to the Safety of Passengers

There are currently two types of defects that have occurred with airbags. In some instances, airbags have failed to deploy on impact. The lack of protection has caused passengers to suffer significant injuries. In other cases, airbags have deployed for no reason causing injuries to passengers and a lack of visibility that can cause an accident.