Ford has become a punchline over the number of recalls it has issued over the past few years. In 2023, it managed its third straight year of most recalls issued with the NHTSA. This year, it managed to drop four recalls in one day, covering the Mustang, Explorer, and Transit van. However, Ford could end its streak this year as, here in November, it’s tied with Chrysler. Both have issued 62 recall notices on various models.
Ford
Ford is one of America’s oldest automakers and one of the oldest in the world, popularized for being the first to effectively mass produce the automobile under Henry Ford with the Ford Model T. In over 120 years, Ford has become a sales leader in a variety of segments, with popular nameplates like the Ford F-150, Transit, and Mustang.
- Founded
- June 16, 1903
- Founder
- Henry Ford
- Headquarters
- Dearborn, Michigan, USA
- Owned By
- Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
- Jim Farley
How America’s Automakers Rank In Recalls
The bulk of Chrysler’s recalls are for airbags (18 recalls) while the majority of Ford’s recalls are for electrical issues. Four of Chrysler’s have the dreaded “park outside advisory” badge; none of Ford’s are quite that concerning.
Unfortunately, eight of Ford’s recalls this year were steering-related and, if not addressed, include the words, or words to the effect of, “can increase the risk of a crash” – as do both of its tire recalls affecting the Bronco Sport, Maverick, and Transit. However, Ford doesn’t make tires, and automotive suppliers causing recalls is a whole other subject.
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Automotive Recalls, NHTSA, 2024
- Ford: 62
- Chrysler: 62
- Forest River: 55
- BMW: 34
- General Motors: 31
Interesting Data Points
While mining the data, we also found a few other interesting nuggets, starting with the fact that, of the top 20 automakers, Volkswagen issued the fewest number of recalls (18) in the US. The third most recalls in 2024 were issued by Forest River, Inc. Forest River makes a vast number of recreational vehicles; buses, vans, and commercial vehicles, and Jayco is in the same segment. Going back up to ten years, Forest River outdoes Ford in recalls, but Ford outdoes all the regular passenger car companies.
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According to internet comment sections all over the web, you shouldn’t buy Kia and Hyundai cars as they are prone to engines dying. However, Hyundai has only the sixth-highest number of recalls (25) and Kia is way down the list with just 18. The majority of Hyundai’s are electrical system related, but three have to do with the engine. Kia has three powertrain recalls and two engine recalls. For Kia, it’s mainly the now sadly defunct K900 and Stinger, and the current Telluride.
Things To Remember About Recalls
Any defect can trigger a recall, so the numbers shouldn’t necessarily affect buying choices. For example, from our list of most embarrassing recalls, in 2013, Honda recalled the Odyssey minivan because cars left the factory with the rear badge on the wrong side of the tailgate. On the flip side, the cluster of muck ups that form the still-ongoing Takata airbag recall involved “do not drive” notices, deaths, and even more injuries. It affected many brands that used Takata as a supplier, and over 67 million airbags have been recalled and, as of April this year, the NHTSA reports that 88 percent have been repaired/replaced.
