(NAPSI)—If you’re like most people, car safety and performance are important to you. But you might be surprised to hear that over 47 million vehicles have unfixed safety recalls—vehicles you might be sharing the road with or driving yourself.

Alarmingly, family-oriented vehicles like SUVs and minivans are the least-often fixed. An auto recall usually occurs when the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that a car has a defect or fails to meet federal safety standards.

While repeated attempts are made to reach the owners, the stats suggest that people aren’t well-enough informed about recalls, and may not know where to start. To help you stay informed, you can use the free myCarfax.com service to get e-mails or text alerts about current and future recalls on your car.

Fixing recalls helps maintain the safety and value of your car, makes roads safer, and is normally free. Plus, most recall fixes are completed in less than a day.

Remember that only a manufacturer’s dealer is authorized to fix recalls. If your car is recalled, call your local dealer immediately.

Learn more and sign up at www.mycarfax.com.