
From January 2024 through the first quarter of 2025, Ford had the highest number of recalls at 94, accounting for 7 percent of the total number of vehicle recalls during that time frame. Meanwhile, Tesla had the highest number of vehicles impacted by recalls — over 5.7 million.
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Car recalls occur when a manufacturer, consumers, or the federal government finds a defect in a car that causes it not to meet federal safety standards. As a result, manufacturers must notify consumers of the defect and either repair, replace, or refund the affected vehicle part — or even the entire vehicle.
In 2025 so far, over 3.5 million vehicles in the U.S. have been recalled due to 197 separate vehicle and equipment issues that posed safety risks. But which car companies were most impacted, and how did they respond? We dove into the most recent national data to find out.
From January 2024 through March 2025, Ford had the largest number of recalls: 94 in total, affecting more than 5.6 million vehicles, according to data from the NHTSA.1
Top 20 Manufacturers With Most Vehicle and Equipment Recalls
Car manufacturer | Number of recalls, 1/1/24-3/31/25 | Percent of total recalls |
---|---|---|
Ford Motor Company | 94 | 7% |
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) | 78 | 6% |
Forest River, Inc. | 67 | 5% |
General Motors, LLC | 41 | 3% |
BMW of North America, LLC | 39 | 3% |
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC | 33 | 3% |
Hyundai Motor America | 28 | 2% |
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC | 26 | 2% |
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | 25 | 2% |
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC | 24 | 2% |
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) | 24 | 2% |
Kia America, Inc. | 24 | 2% |
Jayco, Inc. | 22 | 2% |
International Motors, LLC | 21 | 2% |
Nova Bus (US) Inc. | 21 | 2% |
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | 21 | 2% |
Nissan North America, Inc. | 20 | 2% |
Tesla, Inc. | 20 | 2% |
Mack Trucks, Inc. | 17 | 1% |
Winnebago Industries, Inc. | 16 | 1% |
However, while Tesla had fewer recalls overall (20), it had the most vehicles impacted by recalls at nearly 5.8 million. Over 40,000 of those vehicles are Cybertrucks recalled due to a risk of trim detaching from the vehicles.2 Most other recall issues over the past year have been resolved via over-the-air software updates.
Top 10 Manufacturers for Recalls by Vehicles Impacted
Manufacturer | # Cars Potentially Affected (Jan 2024-March 2025) |
---|---|
Tesla | 5,799,778 |
Ford Motor Company | 5,686,112 |
Chrysler | 4,884,662 |
Honda | 4,100,232 |
General Motors, LLC | 2,037,337 |
BMW of North America, LLC | 1,874,010 |
Aisin World Corp. of America | 1,750,015 |
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | 1,539,025 |
Kia America, Inc. | 1,526,983 |
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | 1,380,600 |
On average, there were around 4.8 recalls per manufacturer from the beginning of 2024 through the first quarter of 2025.
While the number of recalled vehicles and equipment increased overall from 2010 to 2024, it’s not a straight line. Recalls have been up and down since peaking in 2015. On average during this time period, there were over 41 million vehicles recalled in the U.S. per year, with an average year-over-year increase of about 10 percent.
Year | Estimated vehicles affected by vehicle and equipment recalls |
---|---|
2010 | 22,535,003 |
2011 | 14,226,018 |
2012 | 17,073,387 |
2013 | 24,784,776 |
2014 | 52,153,681 |
2015 | 85,650,987 |
2016 | 75,499,971 |
2017 | 41,281,295 |
2018 | 38,065,423 |
2019 | 52,991,265 |
2020 | 56,158,897 |
2021 | 33,856,550 |
2022 | 31,773,899 |
2023 | 39,097,918 |
2024 | 33,024,359 |
2025 (First Quarter) | 3,539,989 |
This information is the latest available from the NHTSA’s report on safety recalls, plus the 2025 data available so far as of March 31, 2025.
Recall completion refers to how many vehicles were fixed and are no longer on the road with the defect. If a company completes a vehicle recall, it means it either replaced the car, repaired the car, or refunded the consumer to fix the issue.
Manufacturers With Highest and Lowest Completion Rates for Vehicle and Equipment Recalls
Among manufacturers with 5 or more recalls
Jan 2024 – March 31, 2025
Manufacturers with highest completion rates | Average completion rate | Manufacturers with lowest completion rates | Average completion rate |
---|---|---|---|
Gillig, LLC | 100% | Orange EV | 0% |
Cummins, Inc. | 81% | Grand Design RV, LLC | 15% |
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. | 80% | Lucid USA, Inc. | 20% |
Oshkosh Corporation | 76% | Storyteller Overland | 26% |
Daimler Vans USA, LLC | 69% | Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. | 30% |
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC | 66% | Lamborghini (Automobili Lamborghini) | 30% |
Forest River Bus, LLC | 64% | Motiv Power Systems | 31% |
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | 62% | Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. | 31% |
Nissan North America, Inc. | 60% | Fisker Group Inc | 31% |
Tesla, Inc. | 59% | Indian Motorcycle Company | 33% |
Based on the 2025 data so far, Gillig, LLC has the highest recall completion rates reported at 100 percent on average. Cummins, Inc. and Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. follow. Gillig primarily manufactures heavy-duty transit buses for public transportation. Cummins produces engines and power systems for commercial and industrial vehicles, while Kawasaki focuses on motorcycles, ATVs, and other powersports vehicles.
Orange EV had the lowest average reported completion rates in this period of 0 percent. The company specializes in manufacturing pure-electric, heavy-duty terminal trucks, commonly known as yard trucks, designed for moving trailers and containers. The average rate across all manufacturers was 48 percent.
Top 10 Components Recalled (Jan 2024-March 2025)
Component | Total recalls |
---|---|
Electrical System | 262 |
Equipment | 208 |
Steering | 77 |
Structure | 69 |
Air Bags | 66 |
Exterior Lighting | 57 |
Back Over Prevention | 56 |
Power Train | 55 |
Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 42 |
Suspension | 40 |
A car recall is when either a vehicle manufacturer or the federal government, via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), determines that a vehicle doesn’t meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This federal legislation mandates minimum performance requirements for vehicle parts that affect safety, such as lighting, brakes, and tires.3
If a recall is issued, car manufacturers need to either fix the defect or, in the most extreme cases, repurchase the vehicles so they aren’t on the roads.
Car recalls happen due to clearly identified safety problems. (Emissions issues, in contrast, are handled by the Environmental Protection Agency, not by the NHTSA.) Safety recalls could include issues with the following vehicle parts:
Delayed backup cameras, fire-causing leaking fuel systems, or broken accelerators could lead to injuries, property damage, or, in the worst cases, traffic fatalities.
Vehicle manufacturers are responsible for issuing recall notices to consumers.
The manufacturer must issue the recall notice within 60 days of the date it notified the NHTSA of the issue.
The manufacturer should pay for the repairs. If you already paid, however, you can request a reimbursement. Just show a receipt or any documentation of the repair to your manufacturer within 10 days of the original receipt of the recall notice.
So long as the vehicle is less than 16 model years old, the manufacturer will pay for the repairs, including parts and labor, and there is no deadline you have to meet.4 Note, though, that the manufacturer will not pay for a rental car while yours is in the shop — that will depend on your car dealer and your insurance coverage, namely whether it includes rental car reimbursement.
Unsure if your car is under a recall? You can check on the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls) by entering your vehicle identification number (VIN).
To be even more proactive, sign up for recall notification emails at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/subscriptions.
The government has federal standards on safety for vehicles. However, it’s not the sole entity that can report safety problems to the NHTSA. Car manufacturers should report them, of course, and consumers can as well. If the NHTSA receives enough complaints about the same issue, the agency will investigate the problem and determine whether the issue violates federal safety standards.
From there, the NHTSA will order the manufacturer to fix the issue, which the company can challenge in federal district court. But if the court rules on the side of the NHTSA, the manufacturer must issue recall notices. Of course, if it’s a problem the manufacturer found itself, it still must report it to the NHTSA and correct the issue, notifying consumers in a timely manner.
Once recall notices are sent, a manufacturer has three possible solutions it can execute:
If you get a recall notice, don’t ignore it; it could mean there’s an issue that could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Staying on top of recalls is critical for any car owner. While no one wants to be involved in a car recall, at least you won’t have to spend a dime on the repairs.
We analyzed data from the following third parties:
As of March 2025, Tesla has had the highest number of potentially affected vehicles at almost 5.8 million. The recalls included an issue with the warning lights on five different models. A small font size made the panel hard to read, increasing the likelihood of a crash. This recall affected the following models and model years:
This recall was handled with an over-the-air software update, so it didn’t require customers to spend any money on repairs. The latest recall is for a risk of the trim on Tesla’s Cybertrucks falling off. Tesla will be replacing the trim on all affected vehicles.
Ford has had the highest number of recalls, accounting for 7 percent of all vehicle recalls from January 2024 through March 2025.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a list of the safest cars of 2025 by type and size. Winners include the following 2025 models:
See the complete list at https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks
NHTSA Recalls by Manufacturer. Transportation.gov. (2025).
https://datahub.transportation.gov/Automobiles/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/mu99-t4jn
Tesla recalls most Cybertrucks due to trim detaching from vehicle. Reuters. (2025, Mar 21).
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recall-over-46000-cybertrucks-nhtsa-says-2025-03-20/
PART 571 – FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS. National Archives Code of Federal Regulations. (2004, Apr 9).
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-571
Can a Ford recall expire? Ford. (2025).
https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/recall/recalls-and-faqs/do-recalls-expire/