A recent study by Recall Masters reported that each day there are 955,368 used cars for sale. Of this number, 36,105 are cars with open recalls on them. Sixty-two percent of these cars have active recalls that require attention, which means your safety and the safety of your passengers may be at stake. When we looked at the most common culprits behind the recalls, we found topping the list at just shy of seven percent is the defective hood latch.

A defective hood latch may sound innocuous enough, but if the latch becomes disengaged while driving at a high rate of speed on the highway, the odds you will get into a car accident can rise significantly, according to the recall article. If you happen to be driving in the fast lane at accelerated speeds on a congested highway, the potential for serious injury is ramped up further still. To avoid this from happening to you, there are steps you can take to prevent anything from threatening your safety, as well as the safety of your family and passengers.

There is a high number of active recalls open on a slew of models this year and the last few years with defective hood latches. What you can do for peace of mind is check your vehicle identification number (VIN) at the National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA) Recall Lookup by VIN. This allows you to research common safety problems involving tires, car seats and a host of others, in addition to searching for recalls by VIN on your car and all cars going back fifteen years, pulling from a database of major vehicle manufacturers.

About the NHTSA

Established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970, the NHTSA works diligently to preserve high standards of motor vehicles and highway safety. They are committed to the prevention of accidents and the financial and emotional consequences of faulty vehicles and car crashes. You can get time-sensitive updates on recalls you may be hearing about right now by visiting their Recalls and Defects page.

On a state level is the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance, a network that uses outreach and education to develop highway safety strategies. Both public and private organizations share data that informs these strategies, with a focus on road engineering infrastructure, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.

On a dealership level, you do have options when it comes to safeguarding your best interests. As the recall issue becomes a major story, dealerships are making their stance on recalls more transparent. AutoNation is one such dealer with a recall-free policy, reserving an estimated 15 percent of used car inventory each day that are affected by open recalls, and not putting them up for sale until the issues are addressed.