Top 10 Auto Recalls

Total Recall: A Look at Vehicle Recalls Over the Past 25 Years Since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was passed in 1966, the government can recall unsafe cars. Over the past 50 years, more than 390 million vehicles have been recalled in the United States. However, the past 25 years is most telling; data from the top 32 vehicle manufacturers shows 21,403 unique auto recalls between 1986 and 2011. Mandatory VS Voluntary There are two types of auto recalls: Can cause serious injury or death if not repaired. Recalls mandated by: • National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Mandatory Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) → Many mandated by federal government based on consumer complaints or safety testing. Issued by car manufacturers voluntarily. Mechanical or physical defects are main reasons. • May not necessarily present a safety issue. +, Voluntary TEN Domestic Auto Manufacturers' Recalls of the Past 25 Years The numbers in the following graphics represent the total number of specific recalls per manufacturer (total recalls for all of their vehicles combined). Mandatory 88888 Voluntary 1. FORD 2. CHEVROLET 3. GMC 4. DODGE 5. CHRYSLER -2,192 1,079 1,731 854 1,120 551 1,164 329 484 121 Total: 3,271 Total: 2,585 Total: 1,671 Total: 1,493 Total: 605 6. JEEP 7. PONTIAC 8. MERCURY 9. BUICK 10. PLYMOUTH 483 86 443 97 331 301 95 263 103 73 Total: 569 Total: 540 Total: 404 Total: 396 Total: 366 Foreign Auto Manufacturers' Recalls of the Past 25 Years TEN Total 88888 Mandatory Voluntary 1. VOLVO 2. BMW TOYOTA 4. HONDA 5. NISSAN 6. VOLKSWAGEN 7. MITSUBISHI 8. MERCEDES BENZ 9. MAZDA 10. AUDI 600 700 800 500 900 400, 1,000 300. 1,200 200. 1,300 100 - - 1,400 - 1,500 TOP Vehicle Recalls by Make and Model of the Past 25 Years The numbers in this table represent the total number of specific recalls per vehicle (i.e. the Honda Civic was recalled 254 separate times between 1986 and 2011). Total 88888 Mandatory 00000 Voluntary 256 254 249 212 200 1. DODGE RAM 2. HONDA CIVIC HONDA ACCORD 4. FORD F150 5. DODGE CARAVAN 166 136 156 135 163 147 128 120 30 26 21 6. FORD MUSTANG 7. FORD F250 8. JEEP CHEROKEE TOWN&COUNTRY CHEROKEE 9. CHRYSLER 10. JEEP GRAND Most Famous Recalls Over the Past 25 Years Deaths & Injuries Ford Motor Company 1.5M vehicles recalled Fuel tank design defect made vehicles susceptible to fire in the event of a rear-end collision. 1978 • Over 500 deaths (Dowie) +21 deaths (NHTSA) Ford Motor Company 20M cars and light trucks recalled Automatic transmissions that slipped into reverse. 1980 6,000 accidents 1,710 injuries + 98 deaths Ford Motor Company Defective ignition switches cause engine misfires that led to stalling and brake and steering failures. cars 1996 • 31 injuries + 11 deaths Ford Motor Company Combination of tread 6.5M separation on Firestone tires and vehicle prone to rollovers during emergency vehicles 2001 maneuvers. • Over 200O deaths Ford Motor Company 14.3M Defective cruise control switch that caused fires vehicles 1999-2010 O • 1,100 fires + NO injuries • NO deaths Toyota Removable floor mat can O interfere with the vehicle's accelerator. vehicles 2009-2010 + 2,000 accidents + 243 injuries + 16 deaths Sources: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov http://www.nhtsa.gov http://www.consumeraffairs.com http://www.cars.com http://www.forbes.com http://www.inautonews.com http://carscoop.blogspot.com http://www.foxbusiness.com http://www.popularmechanics.com http://www.lemon-law-types.com http://www.wfu.edu http://www.theautoindustrieblog.com http://www.moneyallocator.com 203 208 237 196 137 168 155