Still to this day, many cars present issues long before the manufacturer is able to identify and address the problem by launching a recall.

News coming from our Northern neighbor, Canada, shows that issues associated with open recalls continue to happen even after the problems are identified. Because consumers are vulnerable to the risks, incidents like the one we are about to discuss should not be ignored.

According to the news sources covering the story, the woman from Banff bought a 1999 Dodge Stratus back in April. One month after the purchase, her vehicle caught fire while in use. That’s right! The driver was still operating the vehicle when the incident happened.

According to the woman, who’s now using her story to raise awareness about the issue, she first heard a suspicious noise. As she pulled over, several people rushed toward her. They told the driver to get out of the car because the bottom portion of the vehicle was on fire. Ten minutes after she pulled over, the entire front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

After inspection, the woman learned the vehicle had been linked to a safety recall. The recall was issued because the units were produced with part in the engine that could cause the vehicle to experience a fire.

The recall campaign was first launched ten years ago, but that particular vehicle she was driving was never addressed directly.

In the past, thousands of Dodge Stratus caught on fire the same way this vehicle did. And once the woman reached to Chrysler to have the damage addressed, the company told her she should have checked the vehicles for open recalls before she purchased it.

Unfortunately, only 70 to 75 percent of all recalled vehicles are actually repaired. Because there were few systems put in place to help drivers learn more about recalls until recently, many consumers continue to buy used cars with open recalls.

In the US, consumers are able to check with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration an updated list of recalled vehicles. With the VIN number, the driver is able to find out whether the car he or she is looking into purchasing has any open recalls.

These features help consumers looking into purchasing used vehicles. But if drivers are not aware of how they may proceed to check their vehicles, the tool is of no use.

As the NHTSA tries to make all drivers aware of the app and the procedure they should follow to learn more about open recalls, safety advocates urge drivers to always check if the used car has open recalls before going on with the deal. For more details on this story, you may follow this link.