Safety Institute Lists 15 Cars on Vehicle Safety Watch List, Jeep Takes Top 2 Spots

The Safety Institute has released its Vehicle Safety Watch List, a result of research on the most dangerous vehicles on the road today. The Safety Institute is a non-profit organization committed to advocating for and educating consumers about product safety and injury prevention. The Vehicle Safety Watch List is a quarterly report based on recall and car accident data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The efforts behind The Vehicle Safety Watch List are funded in large part by the parents of Brooke Melton, a 29 year old woman who died in a car accident after her Chevy Cobalt malfunctioned. After the death of their daughter, Mr. & Mrs. Melton discovered that General Motors was aware of the cause of the malfunction and had not disclosed the information to the public.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 4 x 4 Tops the List of Cars to Watch Out For
Jeep’s Grand Cherokee 4 x 4 (make: 2014 & 2015) has taken the 1st and 2nd spot in the list, both for issues with the power train.

The list below, taken directly from the Safety Institute’s website, contains 15 cars that have shown trends in defects, have been investigated for issues by NHTSA and/or recalled by the manufacturer. Clicking in the notes column will take you to the Safety Institutes summary of the data reported to NHTSA regarding the defects to the part of the car identified as being problematic.

Rank This Period	Vehicle and Component	Component Definition	Notes
1	2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4×4 Power Train	Power Train	Investigations, and recall
2	2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4×4 Power Train	Power Train	Investigations, and recall
3	2012 CHRYSLER 300 Power Train	Power Train	Investigation, and recall
4	2008 BUICK ENCLAVE Structure	Structure	No Investigations, but recall
5	2009 CHEVROLET COBALT Electrical	Electrical	Investigation, and recalls
6	2009 TOYOTA CAMRY Speed Control	Speed Control	Investigations, and recalls
7	2007 CHEVROLET COBALT Electrical	Electrical	Investigation, and recall
8	2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA Electrical	Electrical	No Investigations, but recalls
9	2012 GMC ACADIA Structure	Structure	No Investigations, but recalls
10	2012 VOLVO S60 Steering	Steering	No Investigations, No recalls
11	2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Electronic Stability Control	Electronic Stability Control	No Investigations, but recall
12	2006 PONTIAC G6 Steering	Steering	Investigation, and recalls
13	2012 FORD FUSION Steering	Steering	Investigation, and recall
14	2015 MAZDA MAZDA6 Structure	Structure	No Investigations, No recalls
15	2013 DODGE DART Foundation Brake	Foundation Brake	No Investigations, but recall

How to Find out If Your Car Has Been Recalled 
Typically, manufacturers notify owners via mail or phone call about a recall on their vehicle. However, for those who have purchased a used car, how can you be sure that the car has been serviced for an issue listed under a recall? The NHTSA operates a database of all cars that have been repaired as part of a recall and allows the user to search by the vehicle’s VIN number.  If you have a previously owned car, we encourage you to search for your vehicle to find out if yours has been repaired as part of a recall or is still in need of service. Roads are a shared resource and it is our duty to ensure that the cars we are driving are not a danger to ourselves or to others.