News for Car Buyers and Vehicle Owners

"How to Find and Fix Hidden Safety Recall Defects in Your Car"

"Does your car, or your teen's car, have a hidden deadly
safety recall defect? Here's how to find out and fix it."

The Educator, Published by the California Teachers Association

February 10, 2022
By Rosemary Shahan

"6.3 million vehicles currently registered in California have at least one potentially deadly unrepaired safety recall defect. Is your car one of them?"

"You're doing all you can to make your classroom safe. But what about your own safety? For most teachers, the riskiest part of your day is driving to and from work. Adding to the risk: You and your family may be riding in a car with dangerous unrepaired safety recall defects.

Air Force officer Stephanie Erdman nearly lost an eye when the Takata airbag in her 2003 Honda Civic exploded in a 2013 collision. Corona resident Delia Robles, a 50-year-old grandmother, was not as lucky: In 2017, on her way to get a flu shot, the 2001 Civic she was driving collided with a pickup truck. According to her son, she was driving only 25 mph and always wore a seat belt. Ordinarily, she would have survived. But the Takata airbag exploded upon impact and caused her death. Honda had recalled the car years before the crash, but the defective airbag was never repaired.

Most airbags protect drivers and passengers from serious injuries and death. But Takata used a cheaper, more volatile chemical to inflate its airbags, causing metal shrapnel to slice into drivers' and passengers' faces, necks and torsos. Over 100 million airbags in vehicles produced by GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler/Jeep, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, Subaru, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Hyundai and other major auto manufacturers were built with recalled Takata airbags. They have caused hundreds of devastating injuries, including blindness, and dozens of fatalities.

What you can do

How can I find out if my car, or a car I might buy, has an unrepaired safety recall?

It's easy, and the information is free. All it takes is the car's Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, and access to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, nhtsa.gov/recalls."

Read more: The Educator: "How to Find and Fix Hidden Safety Recall Defects in Your Car"

"Law Could Turn Tennessee into Dumping Ground for Dangerous Cars"

News Channel 5

January 10, 2018
By: Sarah McCarthy

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A new law could put countless dangerous cars on Tennessee roads by allowing dealers to easily sell cars under safety recall, according to consumer advocates.

'It basically makes Tennessee a dumping ground for unsafe cars that will kill people,' said Andy Spears with Tennessee Citizen Action. 'And now there's an incentive for dealers in other states to ship their dangerous cars here to our dealers, because now we have a way to get rid of those cars.'

The Motor Vehicle Recall and Disclosure Act allows used car dealers to sell vehicles under safety recall as long as the buyer signs a disclosure form. But advocates like Spears argue a majority of buyers will overlook that sheet of paper, which will likely be lumped in with the dozens of other forms a person is asked to sign while buying a car.

News Channel 5: "Law Could Turn Tennessee into Dumping Ground for Dangerous Cars"

Spears said the law reverses important protections for car buyers and puts every driver on the road at risk....

'This is the first state in the nation to pass a law this dangerous,' Spear said. 'These types of laws were denied in California, Maryland, and Virginia. So other states have seen this law but rejected it when they found out what the law does.'

Spears said the only way for Tennessee consumers to protect themselves now is to do your own research. Run the VIN number of any car you want to buy through www.safercar.gov.

If you find a dealer willing to sell you a car under safety recall, Spears said to walk away from the business altogether."

Tennessee Law Fuels Used-Car Recall Fight

Automotive News

December 27, 2017
by Eric Kulisch

"Proponents of a new Tennessee law regulating sales of recalled vehicles call it a step forward in closing what some call the used-car loophole. Consumer and safety groups call it a sham that's written not to protect consumers from dangerous cars, but to shield dealers from lawsuits.

At issue is whether disclosure of an open recall offers the consumer enough protection against a safety defect.

Under federal law, new vehicles with open recalls cannot be sold. But the ban doesn't extend to used vehicles. That gap has frustrated efforts by manufacturers and safety regulators to improve recall repair rates, as vehicles under recall get harder to track as they pass from owner to owner. Efforts in Congress to close the loophole sputtered amid opposition from dealer groups, as did an effort by AutoNation to withhold recalled used cars from the retail market.

The Tennessee measure, which takes effect Jan. 1 and was supported by the state's dealer lobby, doesn't bar the sale of used vehicles with pending recalls. Rather, it requires dealers to check a recall database before selling a vehicle and either perform the recall repair or notify the customer of any defect. Customers would have to sign a form acknowledging they were notified. (Vehicles subject to a manufacturer's do-not-drive order would have to be repaired before sale.) ....

Yet safety advocates say the policy is a cop-out. They warn that the disclose-and-sell rule sets a precedent for other states to roll back safeguards for used-vehicle purchases, which are governed in many states by consumer protection laws. Rather than increase transparency, they say, the law attempts to shield dealerships from responsibility if a vehicle sold with a recall is involved in an accident.

'They are trying to legalize fraud,' Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, told Automotive News. 'It's written to protect unscrupulous car dealers.'

While there's no federal law barring sales of used vehicles under recall, used-car buyers are indirectly protected by state and federal laws against unfair and deceptive trade practices. The Tennessee law is designed to nullify those types of protections, Steven Taterka, a former assistant state attorney general who represents consumers in auto fraud cases, said during a conference call for reporters."

Read full report: Automotive News, Tennessee Law Fuels Used-Car Recall Fight

"CarMax sells cars under recall without repairing the problem, report warns"
"Over one-in-four cars were found to have safety recall defects"

Consumer Affairs

October 11, 2017
By Amy Martyn

"When shoppers search for used vehicles on CarMax.com, they are greeted with a sleek website, the promise of a 'Carmax Quality' certification on the entire inventory, and upfront pricing -- no haggling necessary or allowed.

CarMax doesn't care enough about your safety to get FREE safety recall repairs done, but still expects you to pay top dollar.

It's the exact opposite of what a shopper gets when they visit a run-down used car lot. But a new study suggests that the quality of CarMax Quality Certified cars is about the same as vehicles at that used car lot, and the company's 'no-haggle' policy means that consumers could be paying more for a car with open recalls and safety issues, according to a coalition of consumer safety groups.

'They're saying we won't even negotiate the price, and we want top dollar for this death trap,' co-author Rosemary Shahan, with the Consumers for Auto Reliably and Safety (CARS) Foundation, tells ConsumerAffairs.

The report finds that over one in four vehicles for sale at eight CarMax locations are under a recall and have not been repaired, according to a review conducted by the CARS Foundation, the Center for Auto Safety and the MASSPIRG Education Fund....

The most common defect the researchers found in the CarMax vehicles was recalled airbags, a problem that is unlikely to go away anytime soon.

In the largest recall of its kind, Takata, the automotive industry's main airbag supplier, has admitted that its airbag inflators are prone to exploding. This defect has resulted in deaths, disfigurements, and a congressional investigation.

Takata agreed to recall over 30 million vehicles, but with a virtual monopoly over the airbag market, no competitor is ready to sell a fix, and car dealerships are now experiencing a huge backlog. Many customers stuck with potentially deadly, explosive airbags have no choice but to wait."

Read more: Consumer Affairs: "CarMax sells cars under recall without repairing the problem, report warns"

5 Investigates: "Dealers selling used cars with open safety recalls"

WCVB-TV Boston

September 30, 2017
By Kathy Curran

This car fire could have been prevented if the dealer would have checked the NHTSA website and had the recall repaired for free.

"Kathy Curran speaks with one woman whose car burst into flames while she was in the driver's seat. 'It could have had disastrous results.' Bonnie's sense of safety in her new Chrysler minivan went up in smoke when her driver's side arm rest burst into flames as she was cruising down the road.

'But I'm like, oh, my god, why is there smoke coming out of the door of my car?' Smoke filled the inside of her 2013 Town & Country she bought in Milford. A faulty window switch was to blame. Safety recalls from Chrysler sounded the warning that the switch could overheat and catch fire, but the problem was never repaired. Bonnie dropped almost $18,000 on the car, drove it off the lot, and had no idea about the dangerous threat inside.

'You feel betrayed. Absolutely. I mean, when you're getting a car, you should have a relative amount of faith that you're not going to have any major problems.'

The dealership said they didn't know this minivan had an open safety recall. They say they ran a vehicle history report and it came back clean. They tell us they normally repair recalls or notify their customers about them, but they admit they never actually check their cars for open recalls on the federal safety website that tracks them. There's no federal law preventing the sale of used cars with open recalls. But state law as seen on the contract does say cars must be fit to be driven safely."

See full report: WCVB-TV Boston (ABC): "Dealers selling used cars with open safety recalls"

"27% of vehicles at CarMax have an open safety recall"

The Consumerist

September 29, 2017
By Ashlee Kieler

"Even though CarMax, the nation's largest seller of used cars, has been called out publicly by safety advocates and federal regulators, a new report claims that more than 1-in-4 vehicles being sold by CarMax is currently under an open safety recall.

The Federal Trade Commission would allow cars with unrepaired, explodingTakata airbags to be advertised as "safe."

The Center for Auto Safety, along with Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) Foundation and the MASSPIRG Education Fund, recently released a report finding that 27% of vehicles for sale at eight CarMax locations contained unrepaired safety defects.

The report — based on a survey of 1,699 vehicles that CarMax advertised for sale at eight locations in Northern and Southern California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — found that more than one-in-four — or 461 — vehicles had open safety recalls....

The recalls ranged from seat belt defects, non-deployment of airbags, engine fire risks, loss of power steering while driving, faulty parking breaks, and shrapnel-shooting airbags.

At least 45 of the 1,699 vehicles surveyed contained recalled Takata airbags that have been linked to 11 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the U.S.

Of the vehicles found to have open safety recalls, 86 had more than one unrepaired safety issue. Among those vehicles, 19 had three or more open safety issues.

One GMC Sierra Light-Duty Pickup Truck for sale in Westborough was found to have six unrepaired safety recalls....

While CarMax advises customers to have recalls repaired immediately by the manufacturer, many of the vehicles for sale with recalls can't be fixed.

Of the vehicles surveyed, 41 (or 9%) have an unrepaired safety recall for which no remedy is yet available.

Consumers who purchase such a vehicle may have to wait months or years before their unsafe recalled vehicle can be repaired, the groups contend.

These vehicles included a 2014 Ford Escape that was recalled over a seatbelt anchor that could break, preventing the passenger from being restrained in the event of a sudden stop. Another 2016 Mercedes GLE Class vehicle was recalled over an unintentional engine shutdown problem that could increase the risk of crash in certain traffic situations.

'It is dangerous and irresponsible for CarMax or other dealers to assume that car buyers will have time to get unsafe, defective vehicles repaired before disaster strikes,' the report states."

Read more: The Consumerist: 27% of vehicles at CarMax have an open safety recall

"CarMax Accused of Selling Unsafe Vehicles"

CBS News MoneyWatch

September 28, 2017
by Rachel Layne

Jewel Brangman, who dated Clint Eastwood's son Scott Eastwood for years, was killed by an unrepaired Honda with a recalled Takata airbag.

"CarMax, the biggest used car dealer in the U.S., is selling vehicles with unrepaired defects subject to safety recalls, three consumer advocacy groups claim.

More than one in four vehicles, or about 27 percent of those in eight CarMax dealerships, had defects subject to safety recalls, such as Takata air bags and General Motors ignition switches, according to a report released Thursday by the groups, which include Masspirg, the CARS Foundation and the Center for Auto Safety.

About 45 vehicles had potentially lethal air-bag inflators made by Takata, the Japanese company behind the largest auto recall in history. In 2014, GM recalled millions of vehicles for the faulty switches starting 2014. The switches as of last year were linked to 124 deaths and more than 275 injuries.

Some of the defects found in vehicle models sold by CarMax have been 'responsible for thousands of injuries and dozens of deaths,' according to the statement from the groups, which called for action from state law enforcement officials."

Read more: CBS News MoneyWatch: "CarMax Accused of Selling Unsafe Vehicles"

"CarMax sells cars under recall without repairing the problem, report warns"
"Over one-in-four cars sold by CarMax were found to have safety defects"

ConsumerAffairs

October 11, 2017
by Amy Martyn

FTC consent orders allow CarMax to advertise recalled cars that are prone to catching on fire as "safe" and passing a "rigorous inspection."

"When shoppers search for used vehicles on CarMax.com, they are greeted with a sleek website, the promise of a "Carmax Quality" certification on the entire inventory, and upfront pricing -- no haggling necessary or allowed.

It's the exact opposite of what a shopper gets when they visit a run-down used car lot. But a new study suggests that the quality of CarMax Quality Certified cars is about the same as vehicles at that used car lot, and the company's "no-haggle" policy means that consumers could be paying more for a car with open recalls and safety issues, according to a coalition of consumer safety groups.

"They're saying we won't even negotiate the price, and we want top dollar for this death trap," co-author Rosemary Shahan, with the Consumers for Auto Reliably and Safety (CARS) Foundation, tells ConsumerAffairs.

The report finds that over one in four vehicles for sale at eight CarMax locations are under a recall and have not been repaired, according to a review conducted by the CARS Foundation, the Center for Auto Safety and the MASSPIRG Education Fund...."

Read more: ConsumerAffairs: "CarMax sells cars under recall without repairing the problem, report warns"

"Buying a Vehicle from CarMax? Watch for Recalled Takata Airbags"

Bloomberg

by Ryan Beene
September 28, 2017

"A review of eight CarMax Inc. locations by safety advocates found more than one-in-four vehicles reviewed had unrepaired safety recalls, including some with air bag inflators linked to deadly malfunctions.

Will YOUR Carmax car have potentially lethal unrepaired Takata airbags in it?

A total of 461 vehicles contained at least one outstanding safety recall that had not been repaired, 41 of which had recalls for which no repair was available, the review by safety advocates found. The study looked at the recall status of about 1,700 used autos listed for sale at eight CarMax dealerships in three U.S. states.

Of those, 45 vehicles contained air bag inflators made by Takata Corp., the company behind the largest auto recall in history, that were subject to recall but had not yet been repaired.

The defects include fire risks and other hazards that have been linked to deaths and injuries, said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation, one of the groups that did the study. The Center for Auto Safety and the MASSPIRG Education Fund, an advocacy group, also were part of the research.

'Yet they continue to sell these to the public and they market them in a very deceptive way,' Shahan said. 'We are demanding that state law enforcement officials crack down on CarMax and other dealers who are engaging in these practices.'"

Read more: Bloomberg: "Buying a Vehicle from CarMax? Watch for Recalled Takata Airbags"

NEWS for Immediate Release: September 28, 2017

Contacts: Rosemary Shahan, CARS Foundation, 530-759-9440
Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG Education Fund, 617-747-4319
Jason Levine, Center for Auto Safety, 202-328-7700

CarMax Survey Finds 27% of Vehicles for Sale with Dangerous Unrepaired Safety Recalls
Percent has more than doubled since 2015
One CarMax "Certified" vehicle had 6 unrepaired safety recall defects

       The nation's largest retailer of used cars, CarMax, has more than doubled the percentage of dangerous, defective unrepaired recalled used cars for sale to consumers, according to Used Car Roulette, a new report released today by the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation, MASSPIRG Education Fund, and the Center for Auto Safety.

       The report is based on recent surveys conducted by the Frontier Group of nearly 1,700 vehicles CarMax advertised for sale in Northern and Southern California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, compared with data about CarMax's sales of unrepaired recalled cars in those states in 2015. The report also found that more than one in four cars for sale on the surveyed lots have unrepaired safety recalls.

       "CarMax is selling huge numbers of unsafe, defective recalled cars that are ticking automotive time bombs. They pose a serious threat to the safety of all American motorists and their families," said Rosemary Shahan, President of the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) Foundation, a non-profit auto safety organization based in Sacramento, CA.

       "Over the last two years CarMax has expanded across the state. Meanwhile our survey found one in four of their cars for sale is unsafe," said Deirdre Cummings, Consumer Program Director for MASSPIRG Education Fund, a non-profit consumer protection organization in Massachusetts. "No one should have to gamble with their safety or the safety of those who share the roadways."

       "Recalls happen when there is an unreasonable safety risk or the car fails to meet a safety standard. Evidence of these defects is readily available to CarMax and calling an unrepaired recalled car 'safe' is deceptive on its face," said Jason Levine, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety, an independent, non-profit consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, DC.

The survey of nearly 1,700 vehicles for sale at eight CarMax locations – four in Massachusetts, two in California, and two in Connecticut – found that more than one in four vehicles (27%) had unrepaired safety recalls. Researchers surveyed vehicles for sale at all four CarMax locations in Massachusetts (Danvers, North Attleboro, Norwood, and Westborough), two locations in California (Oxnard and Sacramento), and two in Connecticut (East Haven and Hartford). They found that:

More than one in four (27%) vehicles surveyed had unrepaired safety recalls.
At each of the 8 CarMax locations surveyed, at least 20% of vehicles CarMax advertised for sale had at least one unrepaired defect subject to a safety recall.
At North Attleboro MA, Westborough MA, and East Haven CT, more than 30% of vehicles CarMax offered for sale had at least one unrepaired safety recall defect.
On average, the percentage of vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls CarMax offered for sale has more than doubled, jumping from 12% to 27%, compared to survey results from 2015, which covered five of the eight locations newly surveyed.
In 2015, for example, 10% of vehicles sold at the Hartford CarMax location had unrepaired safety recalls. In the newly updated survey, 28% of vehicles at the same location had unrepaired safety recalls, an increase of 180%. In North Attleboro the percentage of vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls rose from 17 to 31%.
43 vehicles had unrepaired safety recalls for which no repairs are available, so consumers who purchase them are stuck driving unsafe cars for an indefinite period before they can get the cars repaired.
The survey found 86 vehicles that had more than one unrepaired safety recall; 19 vehicles had 3 or more unrepaired safety recalls. One GMC Sierra Light Duty Pickup Truck for sale in Westborough had 6 unrepaired safety recalls.

       "For a customer at CarMax, about one out of four cars they look at will contain an unsafe recalled part," said Gideon Weissman of Frontier Group, report co-author. "Those are bad odds, and far worse than the results of surveys from just two years ago."

       It is dangerous and irresponsible for CarMax or other dealers to assume that car buyers will have time to get unsafe, defective vehicles repaired before disaster strikes. In one tragic case, a California Highway Patrol officer, his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and his brother-in-law, were all killed by a runaway Toyota Lexus the same day, within hours after a dealer handed the CHP officer the keys. (That was the crash that led to the Toyota sudden acceleration recall, affecting millions of cars.)¹

       "It is illegal in Massachusetts for any car dealer to sell a used vehicle to a consumer that is not fit to be driven safely on the roads," said Sebastian Korth, an attorney who specializes in representing Massachusetts consumers in cases against auto dealerships and lenders. Mr. Korth is representing Bonnie Belanger of Mansfield, MA in a case against a different dealership. On June 17, 2016, Ms. Belanger purchased a 2013 Chrysler Town & Country for approximately $19,000 from Fafama Auto Sales in Milford, MA. It was not disclosed to her that the minivan had two unrepaired safety recalls. In December of 2016, the driver's door caught on fire without warning, just as described in the recall notice. Ms. Belanger says about her experience: "If you are buying a car from a licensed car dealer in our state, you shouldn't have to worry they didn't bother to get the free safety recall repairs done first. That's their job, to make sure all the cars they sell are safe to drive before they sell them to a consumer."

1 "CHP Releases 911 Tape in Officer's Fiery Crash," San Diego Union-Tribune, September 10, 2009. Posted at:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-bn10-911call-fatal-crash-2009sep10-htmlstory.html

The consumer groups are calling on state law enforcement officials to curb CarMax's sales of unsafe recalled cars, and on the Courts to overturn consent orders finalized by the Federal Trade Commission which allow dealers including CarMax to advertise that unsafe vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls are "safe," "repaired for safety," and passed a "rigorous inspection" and are offered for sale as "certified" cars, without getting the free repairs, if they merely disclose that the cars they offer for sale "may" have an "open recall." Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, USPIRG, and the Center for Auto Safety are suing the FTC to get the consent orders overturned. The case is pending before the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

CarMax advertising and "disclosures" are false, misleading, and deceptive

       CarMax claims that they provide disclosure about safety recalls. However, the information CarMax provides verbally and in writing is often false, contradictory, deceptive, or misleading, or presented too late to be an effective form of disclosure.

       CarMax advertises that "We select the best" and that "We renew each car." In Massachusetts, a CarMax sales contract for a Jeep with 3 unrepaired safety recalls included this information in bold type: "ATTENTION PURCHASER: All vehicles are WARRANTED as a matter of state law. They must be fit to be driven safely on the roads..."

       The new report found that sometimes the AutoCheck vehicle history reports provided by CarMax to prospective car buyers falsely indicate that there is NO safety recall, when according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, based on data provided by the manufacturer that issued the safety recall(s), there are in fact multiple unrepaired safety recalls.

       CarMax sometimes does not present the "disclosure" form to car buyers until AFTER they have already signed a purchase contract. That is what happened to safety advocate Sean Kane, who purchased a Jeep from CarMax in North Attleboro, MA, in 2015. He shopped for the car with his 15-year-old son, and told sales personnel that it was very important to have a safe vehicle for his son to drive. CarMax did not present him with the recall "disclosure" form until AFTER he had already signed the purchase contract.

       The "disclosure" form itself was false and misleading, indicating that according to NHTSA there was an "open recall(s)" but according to AutoCheck there was NO safety recall. In fact, the Jeep CarMax sold him had 3 unrepaired safety recalls – it was prone to catching on fire, had faulty brakes, and was prone to stalling in traffic.

CarMax has Safer Options

CarMax is not authorized to perform safety recall repairs. But that is no excuse for selling unsafe cars. The company, which took in over $15 billion in 2016, can easily afford to pay employees to deliver unrepaired recalled cars to dealerships that are authorized to perform the repairs, and incentivize the dealers to perform the repairs promptly. Under federal law, auto manufacturers must provide the repairs to owners, including auto dealers, for free. CarMax could also sell the recalled vehicles at wholesale, instead of retailing them to consumers for top dollar.

Links to key documents:

Used Car Roulette: Full Report, with Appendix that includes details about each recalled vehicle

Used Car Roulette: Executive Summary

Summaries about Bonnie Belanger and Bianka Janvier's car buying experiences

Description of Sean Kane's experience buying an unsafe, recalled Jeep from CarMax

Purchase contract for Jeep Sean Kane purchased from CarMax, including warranty mandated by MA law that the car is "fit to be driven safely on the roads..."

AutoCheck report for Jeep that Sean Kane purchased from CarMax (Jeep had 3 unrepaired safety recalls)

Disclosure form for Jeep that Sean Kane purchased from CarMax (Jeep had 3 unrepaired safety recalls)

Documents re: Legal Case: Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, U.S. PIRG, and Center for Auto Safety vs. Federal Trade Commission

###

CarMax accused of selling unsafe vehicles

CBS MoneyWatch

September 28, 2017

What will it take for Carmax to stop selling unsafe recalled vehicles?

"CarMax, the biggest used car dealer in the U.S., is selling vehicles with unrepaired defects subject to safety recalls, three consumer advocacy groups claim.

More than one in four vehicles, or about 27 percent of those in eight CarMax dealerships, had defects subject to safety recalls, such as Takata air bags and General Motors ignition switches, according to a report released Thursday by the groups, which include Masspirg [Education Fund], the [Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety] CARS Foundation and the Center for Auto Safety.

About 45 vehicles had potentially lethal air-bag inflators made by Takata, the Japanese company behind the largest auto recall in history. In 2014, GM recalled millions of vehicles for the faulty switches starting 2014. The switches as of last year were linked to 124 deaths and more than 275 injuries."

Read more: CBS MoneyWatch: CarMax accused of selling unsafe vehicles

Alexander Brangman with his daughter Jewel, who was only 26 years old when she was killed by an unrepaired recalled Takata airbag in a low-speed crash in a 2001 Honda Civic

The CARS Foundation is proud to work with Alexander Brangman, father of Jewel Brangman, who was killed by an unrepaired, recalled exploding Takata airbag in a 2001 Honda Civic. Alexander has become a leading spokesperson for promoting auto safety and alerting the public about the hazards of vehicles with unrepaired safety recall defects.

More about the tragic crash that claimed Jewel Brangman's life, and how it has affected her father Alexander and her friends:

NBC Channel 4: Airbag Recall Loophole Could Leave Drivers at Risk

People: Scott Eastwood's girlfriend Jewel Brangman died from faulty airbag in crash

More about Alexander Brangman and his pro-safety, pro-consumer advocacy

NEWS FLASH: CarMax Caught on Camera Selling Unsafe Cars - AGAIN
"Used cars with open safety recalls for sale"

WCBV -TV, Boston

By Kathy Curran
December 14, 2015

"Risk of engine failure, brake failure and even fire -- all potential problems with a Jeep Grand Cherokee put on display on Boston Common by two consumer protection groups.

5 Investigates went undercover, partnering with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group and research analyst Sean Kane of The Safety Institute. We hit the CarMax lot in search of used cars for sale with unaddressed safety recalls and also searched the dealer's inventory online.

CarMax Caught on Camera Selling Unsafe Cars - AGAIN

We found car after car with serious safety problems and 5 Investigates' cameras watched as Kane bought that 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo at the CarMax dealership in North Attleboro.

The car looks great and according to CarMax it passed the dealer's comprehensive quality inspection. So you would think it's safe to drive. Well, think again.

5 Investigates discovered the Jeep has some serious safety issues, so serious that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's website shows it has three safety recalls that have not been fixed.

'The bottom line is I've got a $29,000 vehicle that has a potential for a brake failure, the potential for the engine to shut off intermittently and the potential to catch fire,' Kane said."

Watch video: "Used cars with open safety recalls for sale" WCBV -TV, Boston, 12/14/15

"CarMax sells used cars with unresolved recalls"

NBC Connecticut

August 24, 2015
By Max Reiss

Watch news report

"Blumenthal: CarMax playing car recall roulette"

WTNH-TV

August 24, 2015
By Mark Davis

Watch news report

"CarMax Plays 'Recalled Used Car Roulette' by Selling
Potentially Dangerous Vehicles"

The Consumerist

August 25, 2015
by Ashlee Kieler

"Sen. Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, who has sponsored several bills that would ensure used vehicle recalls are addressed before being sold, tells NBC Connecticut that the ConnPIRG report is 'chilling.'

'Bottom line: CarMax is playing a deadly game of "used car recall roulette" with consumer lives,' he said.

During the investigation at an East Haven, CT, dealership, ConnPIRG found that of the 42 vehicles subject to recall, four were part of two or more recall campaigns.

'One vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Yaris, had four unrepaired safety recalls, including air bags that may fail to inflate when needed, seat rails that can break and allow the seats to slide forward in a crash, and two defects that can cause it to catch on fire,' the report states.

At the Hartford CarMax location, investigators found 32 vehicles with unaddressed recalls, five of which were subject to two or more recall each.

'One vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Prius Hybrid 4D Hatchback, had three unrepaired recalls, including faulty steering components that can cause a loss of steering, corroded coil wire that can cause stalling while the vehicle is being driven, and an accelerator pedal that can get stuck in wide open position, causing a crash, serious injury, or death,' the report found.

Although the group’s findings are certainly eye-opening, and CarMax may be violating federal laws against unfair and deceptive advertising, or certain state laws, there is no specific federal law that gives the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the authority to force dealers to fix recalled used cars before they are sold or rented."

Read more: CarMax Plays "Recalled Used Car Roulette" by Selling Potentially Dangerous Vehicles

"Consumer groups seek probe into CarMax sales
of unrepaired recalled cars"

The Los Angeles Times

June 10, 2015
By Jerry Hirsch

"Two consumer groups have asked California’s attorney general and the Department of Motor Vehicles to investigate the sales practices of used car giant CarMax.

CarMax sells unsafe recalled vehicles

The California Public Interest Research Group and the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation said the auto retailer regularly sells used vehicles that have been recalled but not repaired -- despite advertising that its autos undergo rigorous 'quality' inspections....

Researchers visited two of CarMax’s 18 stores in California, one in Oxnard and the other in Sacramento, and cross-checked vehicle identification numbers with a federal database that tracks whether a vehicle has been recalled and if it has been repaired.

They found that more than 10% of the 455 cars at the Oxnard CarMax had unrepaired recalls. Seven were subject to two or more recalls. In Sacramento, 9% of the 386 vehicles had unrepaired recalls.

CarMax sells unsafe recalled vehicles

The more than a dozen safety defects included: springs that can break and puncture the fuel tank, causing a fire; doors that can unlatch without warning and slide open in traffic; bolts that might break, causing an engine stall in traffic; and air bags that may fail to inflate in a crash...

The consumer groups, however, claim CarMax’s sales system might have potential violations of California regulations, including 'bait and switch' infractions, where a consumer is lured to the dealer with the promise of a car that is safe and reliable and then is switched to a defective, unsafe vehicle.

Other infractions might include false and misleading advertising and violations of vehicle code provisions that prohibit sales of vehicles that fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, they said in their report."

Read more: "LA Times: CA groups say CarMax sells unsafe cars"

"California groups say CarMax sells unsafe used vehicles"

The Sacramento Bee

June 10, 2015
by Mark Glover

"Two Sacramento advocacy groups released a report on Wednesday citing what they called CarMax’s dangerous practices and called on state officials to investigate the auto seller’s in-state operations. Specifically, the groups targeted CarMax’s 'sales of unrepaired, defective vehicles that are subject to federal safety recalls.'

CALPIRG and CARS called on Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Department of Motor Vehicles to investigate CarMax practices regarding 'advertising and sales of unrepaired recalled cars, and take all appropriate action.' 'CarMax is playing recalled car roulette with its customers’ lives and endangering the safety of others who share the roads,' said Rosemary Shahan, CARS president....

Citing information that CALPIRG obtained from the CarMax store on Stockton Boulevard, the report released Wednesday said 'approximately 9 percent of all cars recently offered for sale at that location had an unrepaired federal safety recall.' The report said 34 of 386 vehicles for sale at a local CarMax on May 26-27 were subject to safety recalls. The report listed defects including engines that could stall, possible air bag failure, worn parts, key systems failures and bad electrical connections.

At the CarMax store in Oxnard, 46 of 455 vehicles for sale on May 20-21 were subject to federal safety recalls, according to the report."

Read more: "Sacramento Bee: CA groups say CarMax sells unsafe used vehicles"

News for Car Buyers and Vehicle Owners

"Does your car, or your teen's car, have a hidden deadly safety recall defect? Here's how to find out and fix it."

"6.3 million vehicles currently registered in California have at least one potentially deadly unrepaired safety recall defect. Is your car one of them?"

What you can do

"Does your car, or your teen's car, have a hidden deadly
safety recall defect? Here's how to find out and fix it."