Unfortunately for many drivers across the country, several automakers seem to ignore the importance of safety. As they allow equipment issues to go unaddressed by not launching recalls, many drivers and their loved ones are injured in preventable crashes.
It’s because many consumers are unaware of the risks due to many automakers’ failure to act promptly that people are injured—or even killed—in perfectly preventable accidents. In an attempt to act with these concerns in mind, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now hitting BMW North America with a $40 million fine over the company’s violations of important federal safety regulations.
According to the federal agency, the company failed to contact impacted consumers promptly after identifying defects. The company has also failed to fix Mini Cooper vehicles that had failed a side-impact crash test.
BMW has agreed to pay the fine. Part of the penalty ($10 million) will go to cover overhaul procedure costs, $10 million is an immediate fine, and $20 million should cover deferred fines that would kick in if the company does not make the necessary changes in time.
While the NHTSA is being tough on BMW, the same way it has been with Fiat Chrysler and other companies, the agency suffered a great backlash from its failure to identify problems with General Motors cars that were killing people over defective ignition switches.
While deadly accidents were being reported to the agency for about a decade, regulators failed to open a probe into the matter, allowing the company to wait over 10 years to launch a recall that would have helped millions of consumers.
Drivers are often urged to stay alert and avoid ignoring recall campaigns. But when companies make a mistake, the NHTSA is supposed to act. Ignoring these companies’ mistakes will lead to injuries and fatalities.
If you’re curious to know more about BMW’s failures, follow this link to read the full report.
Stay on top of the recall news by following our blog or downloading the NHTSA app. Have your vehicle fixed as soon as you learn that it’s been impacted by a recall campaign. Waiting to get your car fixed may increase the chances of a crash.
