Automakers launch online tool to look up car recall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Automakers have launched an online tool that will allow US car owners, insurers and regulators search for open recalls, an auto trade group said on Friday.

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which includes BMW, Ford and General Motors, and the Association of Global Automakers have tied up with vehicle information provider Carfax to provide the service.

US lawmakers have been critical of the auto industry and the regulators for allowing tens of millions of vehicles with faulty Takata air bag inflators on the road years after the largest auto safety recall in history.

More than 57 million vehicles on US roads have unfixed recalls although the affected vehicles are repaired free of charge, according to Carfax.