NEW YORK -- Engineers with Airbus are unveiling their futuristic concept for a transparent plane, which would allow passengers to have an unobstructed panoramic view. Airbus admits it could be four decades before the concept becomes a reality.
Just don't look down... (Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
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By MICHAEL GORMLEYALBANY -- New York's Senate has temporarily restored New York City's rent control law to protect more than 1 million tenants until a longer term solution can be negotiated. The law that dates to 1946 lapsed Wednesday night because a political fight in the Senate resulted in rejection first by Democrats, then by much of the Republican majority.
The extension adopted late Friday is retroactive to the expiration and runs until midnight Monday, so all tenants will be protected from any rent hikes or eviction landlords might have sought after the bill lapsed.
The adoption of a longer term rent control law is tied to a bill that would cap the growth of property taxes statewide.The last day of the scheduled session is Monday.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Politics & Elections » By MARTIN CRUTSINGERWASHINGTON -- Americans bought fewer cars in May, pulling retail sales down for the first time in nearly a year. Sales among U.S. retailers fell 0.2 percent last month, the Commerce Department said. It was the first decline after 10 straight increases.
Auto sales dropped 2.9 percent, the largest decline since February 2010. But excluding the weak car sales, retail sales rose 0.3 percent.
The slump in retail sales was the latest report signaling that the economy has lost momentum. Consumers are struggling to deal with high gasoline prices and a slowdown in hiring. While the surge in gas prices eased in May, pump prices are still significantly higher than a year ago.A lack of deals and the shortage of some fuel-efficient models in high demand were to blame for the decline in auto sales. The natural disasters in Japan disrupted shipments of cars and component parts to the United States.
For May, sales at gasoline stations rose 0.3 percent, much slower than the 1.4 percent jump in March.
Higher gas prices have pushed retail sales higher in recent months. But they have also left consumers with less to spend on discretionary goods. Analysts hope that the economy will regain momentum in the second half of this year if gasoline prices moderate and consumers spend more on other items.
Sales at department stores and big general merchandise stores such as Wal-Mart and Target edged down 0.1 percent in May. Many of the nation's big retail chains reported shoppers pulled back on such as clothing and home goods.
Sales were also down at furniture stores and electronics and appliance stores, declines that probably reflected the continued weakness in the housing market.
Economists surveyed by The Associated Press now believe the economy will show only a modest growth pickup in the current April-June quarter. They forecast growth at an annual rate of 2.3 percent, which would be only a slight improvement from the lackluster 1.8 percent growth in the January-March quarter.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
FILE - In this April 9, 2009 file photo, a sign outside the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga. is shown. Lockheed Martin on Saturday, May 28, 2011 admitted it was the recent target of a "significant and tenacious" cyber attack, although the defense contractor and the Department of Homeland Security insist the hack was thwarted before any critical data was stolen. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) DENVER -- Aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. plans to cut 1,200 employees in its space systems equipment division. The company said Tuesday that the cuts will be nationwide and trim the division's 16,000-person work force by nearly 8 percent.
The company said middle management will be reduced by 25 percent.
The cuts will most heavily affect areas where Lockheed Martin is winding down its contract work, such as Sunnyvale, Calif., the Delaware Valley region of Pennsylvania, and Denver. Lockheed said it will offer voluntary layoffs to eligible salaried employees to minimize layoffs.The cutbacks come as budgetary pressures are prompting the Obama administration to pare back defense spending. On Tuesday, a House panel approved a defense spending bill that would impose limits on U.S. spending in Iraq and Afghanistan. By voice vote, the House Appropriations Committee approved the legislation that would provide $530 billion to the Pentagon and $119 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill is $9 billion less than President Barack Obama requested.
"It's really all about the budgetary environment that is affecting our customers," said Lockheed Martin spokesman Steve Tatum. "There are fewer new business opportunities on the horizon."
The space systems division makes a variety of products, from satellites to spacecraft and missile defense systems, used by military and commercial customers. As new orders dry up for such high-tech systems, Tatum said Lockheed is cutting back on middle management across the division.
The company said it will keep producing satellites and other equipment that have already been designed and ordered. And it is transitioning some programs out of development and into production, including a satellite-based surveillance system called the Space-Based Infrared System and a communications system known as Advanced Extremely High Frequency.
Lockheed's stock rose 78 cents to close at $79.64 Tuesday.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
Eyewitness NewsSTORRS -- University of Connecticut Police Chief Robert Hudd has announced his retirement amid criticism over his salary, which has risen to almost $256,000.
Susan Herbst, who becomes UConn's president on Wednesday, said it was the 54-year-old chief's decision to retire.
The Hartford Courant has reported that Hudd received more than $135,000 in raises since 2001, including a pay hike of over $44,000 last year.
His job also has expanded to include taking charge of the school's environmental health and safety department, building and fire code operations, and public safety operations on all satellite campuses and the UConn Health Center.Herbst has indicated she would like to see the chief position revert to a more traditional role. She has asked Hudd to stay on until a successor is in place.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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By MIKE STOBBEATLANTA -- A new study shows one in four high school students drink soda every day - a sign fewer teens are downing the sugary drinks. The study also found teens drink water, milk and fruit juices most often - a pleasant surprise, because researchers weren't certain that was the case.
"We were very pleased to see that," said the study's lead author, Nancy Bener of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Still, a quarter have at least one soda each day. And when other sugary drinks like Gatorade are also counted, the figure is closer to two-thirds of high school students drinking a sweetened beverage every day.That's less than in the past. In the 1990s and early 2000s, more than three-quarters of teens were having a sugary drink each day, according to earlier research.
The CDC reported the figures Thursday, based on a national survey last year of more than 11,000 high school students. They appear in one of the federal agency's publications, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Consumption of sugary drinks is considered a big public health problem, and has been linked to the U.S. explosion in childhood obesity. One study of Massachusetts schoolchildren found that for each additional sweet drink per day, the odds of obesity increased 60 percent.
As a result, many schools have stopped selling soda or artificial juice to students.
Indeed, CDC data suggests that the proportion of teens who drink soda each day dropped from 29 percent in 2009 to 24 percent in 2010, at least partly as a result.
"It looks like total consumption is going down," said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.
But the results of the new CDC study are still a bit depressing, said Brownell, who has advocated for higher taxes on sodas.
"These beverages are the kinds of things that should be consumed once in a while as treat - not every day," he said. "That's a lot of calories."
A 20-ounce Coke, for example, has 240 calories.
Brownell also said it's possible more than a quarter of teens are drinking soda, because many people underreport things they know they shouldn't be eating or drinking.
Bener agreed it's difficult to know if consumption of sugary drinks has been falling much, adding that schools are only half the battle.
"Getting them out of the schools doesn't solve the problem completely because a lot of these drinks are consumed in the home," said Bener, a CDC health scientist.
More detail: About 16 percent have a sweetened sports drink every day, and 17 percent drink some other sugary beverages like lemonade, sweetened tea and flavored milk. Black students were more likely than whites or Hispanics to drink sugary beverages.
The study also found that 7 percent of high school students drink diet soda each day, 5 percent have energy drinks and 15 percent have at least one coffee or tea.
Also, 72 percent drink a serving of water daily, 42 percent drink at least one glass of milk and 30 percent have 100 percent fruit juice.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Health News » ERLANGER, Ky. -- Toyota said Thursday it expects to return to full North American production in September, faster than it expected following parts shortages stemming from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. said its North American production is currently at 80 percent on average. Eight of its 12 North American-built models returned to full production on June 6, the automaker said.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami damaged auto parts plants in northeastern Japan and cut power to others, interrupting the supply of car and truck parts to carmakers across the world.
Toyota, along with Honda Motor Co., was one of the hardest hit.It cut production to about 30 percent of normal in May by idling factories for several days or reducing their hours. It warned dealers to expect shortages of some models well into the summer.
Toyota has resumed full production of the Avalon large car, Camry midsize car, Corolla compact, Highlander SUV, Matrix small car, Sequoia large SUV, Sienna minivan and Venza crossover vehicle, the company said.
The Lexus RX350 SUV, Toyota RAV4 small crossover and Tundra and Tacoma pickups are not expected to return to full production in June.
The automaker will focus on making up as much lost production as possible after September, said Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota's North American manufacturing, said in a statement.
The automaker has 13 factories in North America that employ 25,000 people. Toyota has said it will not lay off any workers.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
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NEW YORK -- The New York City Health Department has issued hundreds of violations to restaurants failing to post a letter grade reflecting the result of an inspection.
Health officials announced Tuesday that they'll pay surprise visits - so food establishments can't suddenly pull out the signs.
More than 800 violations have been issued for not displaying a grade, or putting it in a place where patrons can't spot it easily.
The grading system was started last July. About three-quarters of the city's more than 24,000 restaurants have been inspected. The rest must post a "Grade Pending" sign.An A, B or C reflects cleanliness, food safety and other requirements such as number of sinks.
A restaurant may appeal a grade, or be reinspected with improvements. Violations come with fines up to $1,000.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Eyewitness NewsWASHINGTON -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission have voted to give rental companies more time to buy cribs that meet new safety standards.
The commission voted Friday to extend the deadline for short-term rental companies to buy the new cribs from June 28 of this year to Dec. 28, 2012. That's the same deadline for child-care facilities, hotels and motels to buy the safer cribs.
The commission says in a statement that manufacturers and retailers will still be required to shift to the new designs by June 28.
The new standards halt the manufacture and sale of traditional drop-side cribs, which the commission says are dangerous. They will also require stronger mattress supports, more durable crib hardware and more rigorous safety testing. More information on crib safety is available at www.cpsc.gov/cribs. (Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
In this image released by The Martha Stewart Show, Martha Stewart stands by a table set for 50 guests at her home in Bedford, N.Y. On Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, the 67-year-old lifestyles guru kicks off the fourth season of "The Martha Stewart Show" entertaining guests at her 153-acre farm 30 miles north of New York. (AP Photo/The Martha Stewart Show, Anders Krusberg) (AP) (AP Photo)
By MATT MOOREPHILADELPHIA -- Martha Stewart's media aspirations just got bigger: Meet Martha Stewart, comic-book heroine. The woman who created her own media empire - television, magazines and more - is getting a biographical treatment in her own comic book next month.
"Female Force: Martha Stewart," a one-shot issue from Bluewater Productions Inc. to be sold in comic book shops, bookstores and online, will focus on how Stewart rose to become of the nation's best-known purveyors of home decor, cooking and confident but practical living.
It's the latest in a line of titles from the Vancouver, Wash.-based publisher, with previous subjects in the "Female Force" family of titles focusing on Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama, Barbara Walters, Sarah Palin and Margaret Thatcher, among others.Publisher Darren G. Davis said the comic, written by C.W. Cooke, will look at all sides of Stewart, including her rapport with fans as well as her conviction on insider trading.
"Our goal is to show the behind-the scenes machinations - many of them ignored by the mainstream media - that resulted in Martha Stewart becoming the phenomenon she is," he said.
A comic book, he said, was the perfect way to do that.
"A visual medium provides perspective that is not only accessible but more relatable to the average person without losing any of the information involved," Davis said.
Cooke said he wrote the issue because Stewart embodies the "American Dream" and "sounds like a superhero," too.
"I am writing Martha Stewart as both icon and from a perspective of someone who might see her as callous, calculating and scheming," he said.
Cooke notes that in addition to being a businesswoman, entrepreneur and famous brand name, Stewart has been a model and a small business owner.
"She's been to jail and she's come out unscathed," he said. "She sounds like a superhero, but really, Martha is an amazing human being and I hope readers love learning about her as much as I did."
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Eyewitness NewsTRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said in a nationally televised interview Tuesday that criticism over his decision to use a state police helicopter to attend two of his son's baseball games and a political event would not prevent him from doing so again, but he would pay for the rides upfront. In a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, the governor said he would make the same decision in using the month-old, $12.5 million helicopter but would pay for the ride on the front end to prevent any bad public perception.
Democrats have called for hearings to look into the Republican governor's personal use of the perk and have called Christie a hypocrite for wasteful spending.
Christie said in the interview that he reimbursed the state after using the helicopter to shuttle from the Statehouse to the ballpark because he thought it was important to let the public know he wasn't using the aircraft "as a perk of public office."Morgan interviewed Christie at his home, at Livingston High School where Christie went to school, and at the Ritz Diner in Livingston. Morgan also spoke with Christie's son, Andrew, who said he was just happy to have his dad at the game.
A rising star in the Republican Party, Christie has turned down repeated pleas to run for president in 2012.
He said no one in the current field of GOP candidates for president has distinguished himself or herself enough for him to publically back at this point.
"A lot of those folks impress me personally but none of them have emerged in my mind yet as the best option," Christie said. "I don't think any of them have yet distinguished themselves to say this is the best person, not only to take on Barack Obama but, more importantly, to lead our nation in the next four years after this election."
Morgan asked Christie's wife, Mary Pat, if her husband would make a great president, and she didn't hesitate in saying he would.
She said her husband was the best communicator she knows.
Asked what he felt most guilty about, the heavy-set governor said it was his weight. Christie said he'd be much happier personally and for his children if he could get that under control.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Politics & Elections »
Eyewitness NewsBROOKLYN (WABC) -- Federal prosecutors were calling for the maximum punishment when an investment manager from Brooklyn was sentenced Friday. They'll have to settle for 20 years.
Philip Barry will spend two decades behind bars for orchestrating a $60 million Ponzi scheme that bilked more than 800 investors.
Barry, called Brooklyn's Bernie Madoff, faced as much as 27 years in prison.
Barry operated out of a bare-bones storefront, but he lured neighborhood investors in Bay Ridge with the promise of high returns. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) By ALEX VEIGALOS ANGELES -- The number of U.S. homeowners who were put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments fell in May to the lowest level since 2006, the result of a slowing housing market and lingering delays in banks' foreclosure process. Mortgage lenders, many of which are still working through foreclosure documentation problems that surfaced last fall, also took back fewer properties in May, the second monthly decline in a row, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
The delays continue to push the 2 million U.S. homes already on banks' books or in some stage of foreclosure further into limbo and put banks on track to repossess about 200,000 fewer homes this year than in 2010, the firm said.
"The problem with that, even though it sounds better, is that all of those foreclosure auctions we should have seen this year roll into next year, and that means it's going to take that much longer for the housing market to recover," said Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at RealtyTrac.The pace of homes entering the foreclosure process and those ending up as bank-owned properties began slowing sharply last fall, when allegations surfaced that many banks relied on erroneous documents when they foreclosed on thousands of homes.
Since then, banks, federal regulators and state attorneys general have been reviewing how foreclosures were carried out the past two years. That has prompted lenders to resubmit paperwork on foreclosures and, in states where courts play a role in the process, caused a logjam of foreclosure cases.
Lenders also have put off on taking action against delinquent borrowers as U.S. home sales have slowed this year.
In many cases, banks are only going forward with the foreclosure process as quickly as they can sell the properties they already have on the market, Sharga said.
Banks have almost 900,000 properties already on their books, so if the ones on the market aren't selling, there's little incentive for them to take back more homes that will end up sitting vacant.
Combined with the 1.1 million homes in some stage of foreclosure, the properties represent more than three years of housing inventory at the current sales pace - and that's if no other homes go into foreclosure.
The backlog spells further declines in home values, as homes in foreclosure sell at a 20 percent discount on average, and those discounts erode prices throughout a neighborhood.
One bright spot is that the number of home loans that are at least 90 days late has fallen five quarters in a row and are at the lowest level since the start of 2009, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
That's partly because loans made in the aftermath of the credit crisis, when lenders tightened underwriting standards, are not becoming delinquent as often as riskier loans made between 2005 and 2007. That means fewer of those loans are likely to into foreclosure.
In all, 214,927 properties received a notice of default, scheduled home auction or home repossession in May, down 2 percent from April and down 33 percent from May last year, RealtyTrac said.
That represents one in every 605 U.S. households. The notices can lead up to a home eventually being lost to foreclosure.
The number of homes receiving an initial notice of default fell to 58,797, the lowest level since December 2006. The notices fell 7 percent from April and 39 percent from a year earlier, the firm said.
Underscoring the scope of the foreclosure delays, initial notices of default, which mark the start of the foreclosure process, have posted annual declines the past 16 months, even though there are some 4 million U.S. homeowners who are at least three months behind on their mortgage. Ordinarily, most of them would already be in foreclosure.
The pace of bank repossessions slowed in May to 66,879 properties, down 4 percent from April and down 29 percent from May 2010, the firm said. In the past eight months, bank repossessions have posted three annual increases and been down the other five.
Still, lenders did take back more homes last month in several states, including Georgia, New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Michigan.
Going by the pace of home repossessions so far this year, Sharga estimates banks will take back 800,000 homes this year, down from more than 1 million last year.
Despite the drop in foreclosure activity last month, several states continue to have outsized foreclosure rates.
Nevada led the nation, with one in every 103 households receiving a foreclosure notice in May. Bank repossessions fell 21 percent from April, but initial notices of default rose 8 percent.
Rounding out the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rate in May are Arizona, California, Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Idaho, Florida, Illinois and Colorado.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
Macy's in New York is holding a one day promotion to purchase Weatherproof jackets for the price of the outside temperature. NEW YORK -- Macy's and the union representing workers at its flagship Manhattan store and three other New York locations have reached a tentative agreement. Both sides continued negotiating after the midnight deadline in the hopes of reaching a deal.
On Monday, more than 4,000 workers with Local 1-S of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union had voted to strike if a new contract was not reached by Thursday.
The other stores are in the Bronx, Queens and Westchester County.Workers employed at the Herald Square store will begin voting on the proposed contract Thursday. The other stores will vote next week, Monday through Wednesday.
"The workers at Macy's today are sending a clear message to working people throughout this country: when people join together in strong unions, they can fight back and win," union president Stuart Appelbaum said. "While working people throughout this state and country have been under assault, the unionized workers at Macy's have been able to make impressive gains. It is a lesson that working people everywhere need to understand."
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
A Starbucks customer drinks coffee in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008. NEW YORK (WABC) -- Starbucks decision to change dairy providers has touched off a lawsuit. Elmhurst Dairy says the switch will result in hundreds of people losing their jobs.
Starbucks changed to Dean Foods and says no New York City jobs will be lost. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Business »
Eyewitness NewsMILFORD (WABC) -- It looks like a batch of bad gasoline is wrecking havoc on cars in Connecticut.
In Milford, one dealership alone has recently serviced 15 cars with fuel injection problems.
Other repair shops are reporting similar complaints, like stalling and sputtering.
No one has pin-pointed the source of the problem, but many people believe it could be a gas terminal in New Haven. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
A woman walks past a bank of elevators in the Empire State Building in New York, Thursday, June 16, 2011. The Empire State Building and Otis Elevator Co., the nation's best-known elevator manufacturer, were set to announce Thursday a partnership to replace and modernize the building's elevators to bring them into the computer age and reduce passenger wait time. ((AP Photo/Seth Wenig))
By STEPHEN SINGERHARTFORD, Conn. -- Everything is big with New York's Empire State Building, so upgrading the 20th century elevators running up and down its 102 floors without disrupting thousands of office workers, visitors and tourists each day is no small task. The office and retail tower and Otis Elevator Co., the nation's best-known elevator manufacturer, announced Thursday a partnership to replace and modernize the building's elevators to bring them into the computer age and reduce passenger wait time. It's the final phase of a $550 million renovation project.
For the Empire State Building - among the world's most photographed buildings, reproduced into countless paperweights and star of a 1933 movie with King Kong hanging from its side - the renovation caps its 80th year.
And for Otis, which sold its first elevators in 1853 but now gets much of its business in China's booming office construction market, working at the marquee office tower in midtown New York is as high profile as it gets."When you're young from another country you think of the Empire State Building," said Didier Michaud-Daniel, Otis' president who hails from France. "The Empire State Building is known worldwide, so in terms of image it's a great opportunity for us to talk about what we're going to do there."
The newly refurbished elevators promise quick and efficient rides to make the prized address even more attractive to tenants, who also are benefiting from upgraded lighting, heating and cooling and other systems.
Anthony Malkin of the Empire State Building Co., which owns the tower, said his company has been leasing to tenants that occupy entire floors or multiple floors and expect premier appearances and service.
"We're touching on everything, restoring the Art Deco lobby to its original grandeur and a new energy-efficient system," he said.
Upgrading all 68 elevators and replacing 13-ton machines with new equipment while workers, tourists and others enter and leave will be a major effort. The elevators will carry nearly 10 million people each year, Otis said.
Malkin called it the largest elevator modernization of its kind in the world and Otis, a United Technologies Corp. subsidiary based in Farmington, Conn., says it's the biggest in its 158-year history.
The two sides did not disclose how much the contract, which includes a 10-year maintenance agreement, is worth.
Design specifications and the bidding process lasted more than a year in what Malkin called a "hotly competitive process." Only three elevator manufacturers - Schindler, ThyssenKrupp and Otis - could credibly compete, he said. Otis came up with a novel and innovative staffing system, Malkin said.
The project is a homecoming for Otis, which designed and installed the Empire State Building's original elevators during the Depression. It will hire a full-time branch manager to run the project that is set to begin in November and be finished in March 2014. It will involve as many as 60 workers on two shifts a day, six days a week.
The number of tenants has declined to fewer than 200 from 561 since 2006 as tenants rent entire floors or multiple floors and the building's management seeks larger and higher quality tenants, Malkin said. The renovations, including the new elevators, are part of the plan.
The new elevators promise to route passengers better and reduce their wait times, Otis said. Michaud-Daniel said it's probably the first time ever in a building this size that elevator equipment will be as good or better than those newly installed.
"I've been working in the industry 30 years and for me, coming from France, it was a dream getting the Empire State Building back," he said. "We're extremely proud of it."
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Border's has reached a tentative agreement with bankruptcy lenders to keep more than three dozen stores open.
The troubled bookstore chain has already closed more than a third of its stores. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Used cars fill the lot outside the Karp auto dealership in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001. In a little-noticed effect of last month's surge in new car sales, consumers traded in far more used cars and trucks than usual, sending values plummeting and leading to inventory surpluses that will take some dealers months to sell. ((AP Photo/Rich Kareckas))
By JOAN LOWYWASHINGTON -- Used car dealers may be selling cars and trucks that have been recalled but not repaired because manufacturers don't send them the same recall notifications that are sent to franchised dealers, said a study by a government watchdog. Even if used car dealers or franchised dealers know of a recall, there is no requirement that they tell prospective buyers or make the repairs before a sale, said the Government Accountability Office study released Wednesday. Nor does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees auto safety, have the power to order dealers to make the repairs or to warn buyers.
The safety administration also lacks the authority to require automakers to inform used car dealers of recalls.
The situation "could pose a significant risk to the safety of millions of vehicle drivers and may have a negative impact on recall completion rates," the study said. "Many consumers may be unknowingly putting their lives at risk by purchasing a defective vehicle."More than 35 million used cars were sold in 2009, including 11 million sold by used car dealers.
Used car dealers told investigators that part of the problem is that there is no database that they can check using a vehicle identification number (VIN) - which all cars and trucks have - to see if there are recall-related repairs for that vehicle that haven't been made, the report said.
NHTSA estimates that average of 70 percent of repairs are made within 18 months of a recall. However, investigators said the average from 2000 to 2008 was 65 percent. The average also varied substantially from year to year.
It also varies significantly by manufacturer. Some manufacturers had a better than 90 percent average repair record for recalled vehicles, but at least one manufacturer averaged only 23 percent fixed and another 53 percent. The report didn't name the manufacturers.
The National Automobile Dealers Association said in a statement that its goal is to have 100 percent of recalled vehicles repaired.
It urged used car owners to check with a franchise dealer who can search the manufacturer's database to see if all recall repairs have been made.
Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said in a statement that consumers can check directly with automakers or search the safety administration's website, Safecar.gov, to see whether there is a pending recall for a particular model. However, since the government website isn't searchable by VIN number, it's impossible for used car owners to tell whether their particular vehicle has been repaired.
The study recommends the safety administration make its vehicle recall database searchable by VIN number and ask Congress to give it the authority to ensure car buyers are notified of recalls prior to sales.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)