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In an experimental program, Maryland will start sending these notices to vehicle owners.<span id="more-10292924"></span></p> <p>Recalls can endanger the lives of drivers and passengers, like the notable recent recalls of shrapnel-spewing <a href="../../../../tag/takata/index.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Takata airbags</a>, or the General Motors ignition lock defect. Yet only around 70% of recalled vehicles get repaired, a figure that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to improve. </p> <p>While the <a href="../../../../2015/03/03/recall-act-would-require-consumers-fix-vehicle-safety-issues-before-registration-renewal/index.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Repairing Every Car to Avoid Lost Lives (RECALL) Act</a>, a U.S. Senate bill with an excellent name, would have required every state to implement such a program, that specific bill was not passed. </p> <p>Instead, funding for a pilot program for up to six states was part of the <a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/" rel="noopener" target="_blank" target="_blank">Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act</a>, a transportation infrastructure bill signed into law by President Obama in late 2015. Only one state applied, <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bs-md-maryland-car-recalls-20171027-story.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank" target="_blank">the Baltimore Sun notes</a>, and that was Maryland, which recieved a $222,300 grant to test whether such a notification program will work. </p> <p>“Recalls are serious. Recall repairs are completely free to the consumer. This first-in-the-nation grant will serve as an example to the rest of the country as we continue to work across government to reach consumers in new and creative ways with potentially life-saving information about their vehicles,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement. </p> <p>Recall notices sent with registrations will not be a substitute for notifications from manufacturers, which are still obligated to contact customers. They’re just a supplement, since customers tend to mistake the letters for junk mail. </p> <p>However, vehicles with open recalls won’t be prevented from registering with the state. The MVA, which is what Maryland calls its motor vehicle agency, would obtain recall information from a database that includes whether a particular vehicle has been repaired or not, so it wouldn’t pester car owners who have already had the repairs performed. </p> <p>The pilot program will run for two years, after which it could expand to more states. Or not.</p> <blockquote><p>Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization,<strong> <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank">Consumer Reports</a></strong>, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.</p></blockquote> <footer class="lf-post-footer"> <div class="lf-post-meta"> <p><span class="lf-post-footer--dates">10.30.17</span>By <span class="author vcard"><span class="fn"><a href="../../../../author/consumerlaura/index.html" title="Posts by Laura Northrup" class="author url fn" rel="author">Laura Northrup</a><a href="https://twitter.com/lnorthrup" title="lnorthrup" class="twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i>@lnorthrup</a></span></span></p><p class="lf-post-tags"><a href="../../../../tag/government-at-work/index.html" rel="tag">government at work</a> <a href="../../../../tag/government-grants/index.html" rel="tag">government grants</a> <a href="../../../../tag/pilot-programs/index.html" rel="tag">pilot programs</a> <a href="../../../../tag/mva/index.html" rel="tag">mva</a> <a href="../../../../tag/maryland/index.html" rel="tag">maryland</a> <a href="../../../../tag/nhtsa/index.html" rel="tag">nhtsa</a></p> </div> </footer> </div> </article> <div class="wpcom-related-posts widget widget_related_posts" id="wpcom-related-posts-10292924"> <div class="widget-wrap cs-related clearfix"> <h3>Related</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="../../../../tag/dont-sit-there/index.html" class="cs-tag" rel="tag"> Don't Sit There </a> <a href="../../../05/01/why-is-subaru-telling-me-to-keep-people-out-of-the-passenger-seat-for-the-next-year/index.html"> <div class="cs-related-image-cover" style="background-image: url(../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/14238549032_f9dc40e2c2_k.jpg%3Fw=360&);"></div> <span class="cs-related-title">Why Is Subaru Telling Me To Keep People Out Of The Passenger Seat For The Next Year?</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="../../../../tag/total-recall/index.html" class="cs-tag" rel="tag"> total recall </a> <a href="../../../../2015/06/08/how-recalls-work-and-dont-and-why-theyre-all-so-different/index.html"> <div class="cs-related-image-cover" style="background-image: url(../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/recallnotice.jpg%3Fw=360&);"></div> <span class="cs-related-title">How Recalls Work (And Don’t) And Why They’re All So Different</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="../../../../tag/making-progress/index.html" class="cs-tag" rel="tag"> making progress </a> <a href="../../../../2015/04/13/gm-says-70-of-vehicles-recalled-for-deadly-ignition-switch-defect-fixed/index.html"> <div class="cs-related-image-cover" style="background-image: url(../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/ignition.png%3Fw=360&);"></div> <span class="cs-related-title">GM Says 70% Of Vehicles Recalled For Deadly Ignition Switch Defect Fixed</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="../../../../tag/keeping-dangerous-vehicles-off-the-road/index.html" class="cs-tag" rel="tag"> Keeping Dangerous Vehicles Off The Road </a> <a href="../../../../2015/09/08/new-policy-means-autonation-wont-sell-vehicles-with-open-safety-recalls/index.html"> <div class="cs-related-image-cover" style="background-image: url(../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/used-cars.png);"></div> <span class="cs-related-title">New Policy Means AutoNation Won’t Sell Vehicles With Open Safety Recalls</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="../../../../tag/is-there-still-hope/index.html" class="cs-tag" rel="tag"> Is There Still Hope? </a> <a href="../../../../2015/07/22/bill-would-create-program-to-notify-drivers-of-safety-recalls-when-applying-for-registration/index.html"> <div class="cs-related-image-cover" style="background-image: url(../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/cars.jpg);"></div> <span class="cs-related-title">Bill Would Create Program To Notify Drivers Of Safety Recalls When Applying For Registration</span> </a> </li> </ul></div></div><div class="navigation next-previous-post"> <div class="alignleft"> <a href="../the-beer-booze-company-behind-corona-svedka-mondavi-is-now-investing-in-marijuana/index.html"> <span class="pagination-previous-label">Previous </span> The Beer & Booze Company Behind Corona, Svedka & Mondavi Is Now Investing In Marijuana </a> </div> <div class="alignright"> <a href="../everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started-with-obamacare-open-enrollment/index.html"> <span class="pagination-next-label">Next </span> Everything You Need To Know To Get Started With Obamacare Open Enrollment </a> </div> </div><div class="after-post-ad"><div id="text-5" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap"> <div class="textwidget"></div> </div></div> </div></div></div><script type='text/javascript'> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-10697639-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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