Does your car have an open safety recall? There’s a quick way to find out

CHARLOTTE — According to CARFAX, there are more than 1.6 million vehicles on the road with an open recall in North Carolina. That’s more than 18% of all the vehicles on the roads in the state.

“It is alarming because these are major safety issues. Some of these are very serious safety issues and they can impact other drivers on the road,” CARFAX’s Emilie Voss told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke. “We put our loved ones in our vehicles, we’re out on the road. It’s not just yourself, it’s your family, your loved ones, and all the other people that are on the roadways with you.”

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Voss said North Carolina ranks eighth among states with the most vehicles on the road with an open recall. She said the Charlotte area has about 543,000 recalled vehicles, which makes it No. 23 on the list of cities.

Gerald Gaddy said his 2013 Hyundai Sonata had been having engine problems, so he took it to a dealer. The dealer said the car had an open recall. Stoogenke checked and the car actually had two. Both involve the fuel system and Hyundai said one could cause a fire.

“Doesn’t seem safe to me,” Gaddy said.

One repair was available, but the other one was not.

“It’s a horrible feeling,” Gaddy said. “It’s a hidden thing. It could be fine right now, and you start driving it and that’s when the engine shuts down.”

Stoogenke said it’s easy to find out if your car has an open recall. Car owners can check here.

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If a dealer does not have the parts for a recall yet, Stoogenke suggests still taking the vehicle to the dealer because it may be able to do something that will help until the part(s) are available. It can also document the problem.

If you have to spend any money, save any receipts in case you can be reimbursed later.

CARFAX offers the Car Care program for free, where the company will monitor recalls and notify you if your vehicle has one. Click here for more information on the program.

(WATCH MORE FROM ACTION 9: Another Hyundai model involved in non-crash fire)