Photo: Ford
There isn’t a car manufacturer that hasn’t initiated a recall, as technical problems have become the norm in the auto industry. According to NHTSA data, Ford is the most recalled carmaker in the U.S., both by the number of recalls and affected vehicles.
Vehicle recalls have become a common part of car ownership, and it’s safe to assume that no car manufacturer has escaped the long arm of the NHTSA. If you’re wondering why recalls are so widespread these days, blame the standardization. A very large number of vehicles share components between models and sometimes even car brands. When a specific part has a manufacturing problem, this will almost certainly be multiplied millions of times, leading to costly recalls.
It’s not always a physical component that needs to be replaced. Sometimes, it’s an assembly issue, which usually is isolated to a certain shift at the assembly plant, and it’s often easier to fix. This was recently the case with the Rivian R1T, which had a problem with the suspension bolts not being sufficiently tightened. To prevent the wheels from falling, owners were invited to the service centers to have the bolts tightened, an easy fix.
In other recalls, it was software that malfunctioned. Depending on how the manufacturers deal with software updates, such issues may prompt a physical recall to install the update at a service facility or can be dealt with via an OTA update. Tesla certainly aims to fix most of its software problems remotely, as it did in September after discovering that the power windows are not well calibrated to avoid pinching. Even so, as per the current legislation, these corrective measures are still named “recalls.”
As you can see, there’s no way to avoid recalls because vehicles are complex products, and so many things can go wrong at any given time. But some carmakers had to recall more vehicles more often than others, and this is where NHTSA statistics offer an eye-opening insight into manufacturing quality. According to the DOT Data Hub, Ford topped the list of the most recalled car manufacturers in the U.S. in 2022.
The Blue Oval has initiated 67 recalls, the most among its peers this year. Ford has left behind Volkswagen Group, which had 45 recalls, and Daimler Trucks, with 42 recalls. Stellantis takes the fourth position with 38 recalls, while General Motors only places seventh, with 32 recalls. That’s even better than Mercedes-Benz, which had 33 recalls in 2022. Hyundai and Kia take the eighth and ninth spots, with 24 and 22 recalls, respectively, while Tesla places 11th with 20 recalls.
When considering the number of cars affected by recalls, the situation is slightly different, although Ford remains number one, with 8.6 million vehicles recalled in 2022. This time, Tesla occupies the second place, with 3.8 million cars affected, followed by General Motors, with 3.4 million vehicles. Chrysler places fifth, with 3 million, while Hyundai and Kia follow with 1.5 million vehicles each.
It’s not always a physical component that needs to be replaced. Sometimes, it’s an assembly issue, which usually is isolated to a certain shift at the assembly plant, and it’s often easier to fix. This was recently the case with the Rivian R1T, which had a problem with the suspension bolts not being sufficiently tightened. To prevent the wheels from falling, owners were invited to the service centers to have the bolts tightened, an easy fix.
In other recalls, it was software that malfunctioned. Depending on how the manufacturers deal with software updates, such issues may prompt a physical recall to install the update at a service facility or can be dealt with via an OTA update. Tesla certainly aims to fix most of its software problems remotely, as it did in September after discovering that the power windows are not well calibrated to avoid pinching. Even so, as per the current legislation, these corrective measures are still named “recalls.”
As you can see, there’s no way to avoid recalls because vehicles are complex products, and so many things can go wrong at any given time. But some carmakers had to recall more vehicles more often than others, and this is where NHTSA statistics offer an eye-opening insight into manufacturing quality. According to the DOT Data Hub, Ford topped the list of the most recalled car manufacturers in the U.S. in 2022.
The Blue Oval has initiated 67 recalls, the most among its peers this year. Ford has left behind Volkswagen Group, which had 45 recalls, and Daimler Trucks, with 42 recalls. Stellantis takes the fourth position with 38 recalls, while General Motors only places seventh, with 32 recalls. That’s even better than Mercedes-Benz, which had 33 recalls in 2022. Hyundai and Kia take the eighth and ninth spots, with 24 and 22 recalls, respectively, while Tesla places 11th with 20 recalls.
When considering the number of cars affected by recalls, the situation is slightly different, although Ford remains number one, with 8.6 million vehicles recalled in 2022. This time, Tesla occupies the second place, with 3.8 million cars affected, followed by General Motors, with 3.4 million vehicles. Chrysler places fifth, with 3 million, while Hyundai and Kia follow with 1.5 million vehicles each.
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