On the Dash:
- Lawmakers are urging Amazon to remove or clearly label used car listings with open safety recalls.
- Current law allows the sale of used vehicles with unresolved recalls, unlike new vehicles.
- Senators are pushing new legislation and voluntary action by Amazon to improve buyer safety and transparency.
Three U.S. senators are pressing Amazon to address safety concerns after discovering used vehicles listed on Amazon Autos with unresolved safety recalls and urging the company to remove affected listings or clearly disclose recall information to buyers.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Edward Markey, and Elizabeth Warren said in a Dec. 22 letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy that they were “extremely troubled” by the practice, warning that unrepaired defects can pose life-threatening risks to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Lawmakers said Amazon should not expect consumers to independently verify recall status in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database.
Amazon Autos currently features select new Hyundai models and used vehicle inventory from Ford dealers. In their letter, the senators cited listings for vehicles such as the Ford Bronco and Hyundai Santa Fe, models that have been subject to recalls affecting more than 100,000 vehicles. They also referenced the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, a recall-prone model included in used inventory tied to Amazon’s dealer partners.
The senators highlighted the broader scope of recent recalls across the industry, citing Ford’s recall of more than 200,000 vehicles over a faulty park module that could lead to rollaway incidents, and Hyundai’s earlier recall affecting more than half a million vehicles. With recalls issued on such a scale, the senators said vehicles with known defects can remain on the market while repairs lag behind.
While federal law prohibits the sale of new vehicles with unresolved safety recalls, there is no similar restriction for used vehicles. Therefore, the senators said that the gap exposes consumers to unnecessary risk and allows potentially dangerous vehicles to be sold legally.
To address the issue, Blumenthal, Markey, and Warren are backing the Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act, which would bar the sale of used vehicles with open recalls until repairs are completed. While legislation advances, they urged Amazon to take voluntary action by removing recalled vehicles from its platform or prominently displaying recall status on listings rather than redirecting buyers to federal databases.
