AutoNation Inc., one of America's largest automotive retailers, has announced a policy to not sell, lease or wholesale any new or used vehicle that has an open safety recall.

This new policy will apply to all of AutoNation's 293 U.S. vehicle franchises.

"There's no way to expect that customers would or should know of every safety recall on every vehicle they might purchase, so we will ensure that our vehicles have all recalls completed," said Mike Jackson, chairman, CEO and president of AutoNation. "We make it our responsibility as a retailer to identify those vehicles and remove them from the market until their safety issues have been addressed."

A commitment not to sell vehicles subject to a safety recall is not without cost, as adequate parts are not always immediately available, and AutoNation must hold the vehicles in inventory until they are repaired, according to the company.

AutoNation says that their customers' protection is worth the investment in the process. They believe that the economic considerations must take a back seat to safety concerns, according to the company.

For this reason, the program addresses AutoNation's entire inventory, including those vehicles outside the sales floor. For example, AutoNation will not wholesale any vehicle that has an open safety recall.

Under the policy, all vehicles with open safety recalls are identified, pulled from inventory and "Not For Sale" tags and key tags will be placed on them, according to the company.

For more information, visit www.autonation.com.