One out of every five cars on the road has an unfixed recall.
And whether that's your car or the one in the lane next to you, safety experts say that's creating dangerous driving conditions for all of us.
Now a Montgomery County couple is working to get more of these vehicles off the road until they're fixed. They tragically lost their daughter in a fiery wreck nearly two years ago.
"Lara was a rockstar," Gerri Gass recalled.
The 27 year old was just months away from graduating from law school when her Saturn Ion slammed into the back of a semi and burned.
Troopers found no signs of braking or steering away from the truck and the airbags never deployed -- all signs, according to her father Jay, that the ignition switch failed.
In fact, just days before the accident that took his daughter's life, he said, he got a notice from General Motors about the massive ignition switch recall and his daughter's used car.
"This is our chance to make Tennessee roads safer," Gerri Gass explained.
Gerri and Jay Gass now hope state lawmakers will pass legislation that's been dubbed Lara's Law.
What it would require is simple.
"If you're selling a recalled used car, you have to fix it before you can sell it," Jay Gass stated.
But getting the measure into law hasn't been as easy.
"It's been quite difficult," Jay Gass remarked.
Gass said there is strong opposition from the auto industry, especially manufacturers who say, if they were forced to fix more vehicles with outstanding recalls, it would significantly increase their costs.
Right now, industry estimates are that about a third of cars out there with recalls are never fixed.
So the Gasses say the auto industry got language added to the bill that would require used car dealers to fix only the most extreme recalls.
And they added a disclosure release so, instead of fixing a vehicle with a recall, a dealer could have a consumer sign the form, acknowledging they were aware they were buying a vehicle with a recall.
But by signing it, Jay Gass said, the consumer then couldn't sue or hold anyone else responsible if the recall issue caused a wreck or even death.
"So they can't go back against the manufacturer or the dealership, which is just wrong!" Jay Gass exclaimed.
The Gasses are now meeting with lawmakers trying to get the auto industry's language out of the bill and convincing them to support what the Gasses say is otherwise common sense legislation.
"We've got to stop putting money and profits over human life. We have to," Gerri Gass insisted.
The Gasses realize what they're up against, but they're determined.
"If someone would have done that for our daughter years ago, our daughter would be alive. I can't let another daughter die," Jay Gass said.
The Lara's Law bill goes before the Senate Transportation Committee Monday afternoon. The Gasses are encouraging everyone to contact their state lawmakers in the meantime and urge them to support a stronger version of the bill.
