New figures from the DVSA suggest more than half of unsafe recalled vehicles have not been fixed
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has released figures to consumer motoring magazine Auto Express revealing that over one million unsafe vehicles are still on the roads despite being recalled by the manufacturers.
The DVSA claims that 2.2 million cars in the UK have been affected by manufacturer recalls since 2012, but that only 47.7 per cent of these vehicles have been taken to dealerships for the necessary repair work.
The recalls are due to a number of serious issues, including potentially life-threatening faults with steering wheels and air bags and some which pose a potential fire risk.
The figures suggest that 1.05 million of the 2.2 million affected cars have been repaired at manufacturer dealerships, while a remaining 1.15 million cars are still on the roads without having undergone the crucial work.
The list of top vehicles recalled by manufacturers since 2012 include models by BMW, Toyota, and Honda, which were all affected by the Takata airbag crisis.
BMW has successfully recalled only 1.5 per cent of the 227,849 UK-registered cars that were fitted with the faulty airbags, which include its 3-Series and 5-series models.
Due to a risk of fire, Vauxhall recalled 234,921 of its Zafira B models in May last year. The completion rate for this issue currently stands higher the overall average at 69.7 per cent, but considering the dangerous nature of the problem, it is worrisome that a further 30.03 per cent remain unfixed on the roads.
Manufacturers send out letters to customers who have purchased the affected models warning them of the faults, however, both Honda and BMW said that finding older vehicles can be tricky and pushing owners to go the dealerships is not always simple.
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