NHTSA-mandated and OEM Voluntary recalls increased in 2018 from 2017 data, adding to the enormity of the recall crisis

Laguna Hills, CA, February 19, 2019 — In its third “State of Recalls” report, Recall Masters, the automotive industry’s leading provider of recall solutions, revealed that more than 32.7 million affected vehicles were accounted for in recalls mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in calendar year 2018. Another estimated 159 “voluntary manufacturer notice” campaigns affected a minimum of 14.5 million vehicles. While many vehicles have more than one defect present, the 2018 total of 47.2 million affected vehicle recalls translates to more than one in four vehicles on US roads with at least one open recall. With an estimated 276.1 million registered vehicles in the country, the threat to drivers and passengers is greater than ever.

Automotive recalls drew concern from consumer groups and legislators in recent years after dangerous Takata airbags caused several deaths and injuries. The Takata airbag problem lingers menacingly for 2018, as 74 airbag recall reports affecting almost 10 million total vehicle recalls keeps close pace with the 97 reported campaigns and 15.8 million vehicles cited in 2017. The rise in recalls for 2018 from 2017 came predominantly from software/electronics recalls, which overcame airbag recalls for the first time. As vehicles become more like computers than machines, recalls in the software/electronics category may be the next recall crisis on the horizon. For 2018, software/electronics recalls accounted for estimated 102 total campaigns affecting almost 18 million vehicles, a staggering jump from the estimated 2.5 million vehicles affected in 2017. The State of Recalls 2018 report provides additional analysis like risk to consumers, vehicle system defect source, and vehicles counts for each defect category.

“This report takes a much deeper look at vehicle defects that include NHTSA-mandated recalls and a variety of other factory notices,” explains Sean Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer for Recall Masters. “While this is the most comprehensive report of its kind, we acknowledge the gaps in data that come from how factory notices and collected, tabulated and scored. The automotive industry, consumer safety groups, legislators and consumers look to Recall Masters to provide them with a better understanding of vehicle defects and how to solve the recall crisis, which means more data than what the government currently provides. These ’voluntary manufacturer notices‘ are not regulated and can range from typographical errors in the owner’s manual to defects that are on their way to becoming NHTSA-mandated recalls. We would all benefit from centralizing that data so that reporting can be more accurate. It’s going to take a collective effort, but we’ll get there in time.”