Title page
Contents
Highlights 2
Letter 6
Background 10
Certain Factors Influence Vehicle Recall Repair, but NHTSA Does Not Regularly Research Them 14
The Primary Factors Influencing Owners to Repair Recalled Vehicles Are Convenience, Awareness, and Perception of Safety Risk 14
NHTSA Has Identified but Does Not Regularly Research the Factors Influencing Vehicle Recall Repairs 16
NHTSA Has Not Fully Implemented a Process to Identify Lessons Learned from Collaborations for Recall Efforts 19
Vehicle Manufacturers and NHTSA Use Collaborative Efforts to Work to Improve Recall Completion Rates 19
NHTSA Has Partially Implemented the Key Practices of a Lessons-Learned Process for Collaborations 24
Stakeholders Identified a Variety of Additional Actions the Federal Government Could Take to Improve Recall Completion Rates 28
Modernize Recall Notification Requirements for Manufacturers beyond First-Class Mail 30
Require New Vehicles to Have an In-Vehicle Recall Notification 31
Require Manufacturers to Provide Recall Repairs through More Channels 32
Ensure Manufacturers Acquire and Maintain Sufficient Replacement Parts for Recall Repairs 33
Develop a National Vehicle Database That Could Track the Status of Vehicles in the U.S. 34
Conclusions 35
Recommendations for Executive Action 36
Agency Comments 36
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 37
Appendix II: Stakeholder Responses to Survey on Additional Federal Actions to Improve Recall Completion Rates 44
Appendix III: Modified Two-Stage Delphi Survey 50
Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of Transportation 58
Appendix V: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 59
Figure 1. The Role of Vehicle Manufacturers and NHTSA in the Vehicle Safety Defect Recall Process 11
Figure 2. Collaborations the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Vehicle Manufacturers Have Engaged in to Improve Vehicle Recall Completion Rates 20
Figure 3. Comparison of NHTSA's Efforts for Collaborations to Improve Recall Completion Rates Against Key Practices of a Lessons-Learned Process 24
Figure 4. Stakeholder-Identified Top Actions the Federal Government Should Prioritize to Help Improve Completion Rates of Vehicle Recalls, by Stakeholder Category 28
Figure 5. Selected Stakeholder Views on the Importance of the Federal Government Taking Additional Actions to Improve Completion Rates of Vehicle Recalls 45
Figure 6. Selected Stakeholder Views on the Effectiveness of the Actions the Federal Government Could Take to Help Improve Completion Rates of Vehicle Recalls 46
Figure 7. Selected Stakeholder Views on the Actions They Think the Federal Government Should Prioritize to Help Improve Completion Rates of Vehicle Recalls 48
Table 1. Interviewees 37
Table 2. Factors That Influence Vehicle Owners to Respond to Safety Defect Recalls, according to Literature Review and Interviewees 39
Table 3. Survey Stakeholder Selection 42