The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) is encouraging drivers to go online and check for any vehicle safety recalls.

Last year, 1,073 safety recalls affected more than 35 million vehicles and pieces of equipment, including tires and car seats. Despite recall notifications from manufacturers and even though repairs can be made at no cost to the owner, a report by CARFAX, a vehicle history reporting service, found that an estimated one in five vehicles has an unresolved recall issue.

This means of the close to 1.4 million vehicles on Hawai‘i’s roads, approximately 280,000 vehicles, could have at least one outstanding safety recall which poses potential danger to drivers, passengers and other roadway users if not addressed.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a free tool to check for open manufacturer recalls on vehicles, car seats, tires and other vehicle-related equipment. Visit www.NHTSA.gov/Recalls and enter the license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) to check for an open recall. If there is an open vehicle recall, owners should contact their local dealership and schedule a free repair. For recalls involving tires, car seats or other equipment, owners may need to contact the manufacturer for information.

NHTSA recommends checking for recalls at least twice a year. Vehicle owners can also sign up to receive notifications by email about future safety recalls at www.NHTSA.gov/Alerts.

AP Photo