Latest in Recalls

About Recalls

A recall is the auto industry admitting that something went wrong, and promising to fix it. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversees the process, opening investigations into complaints and requiring manufacturers to notify owners and repair safety defects at no cost. Other countries have their own regulators, and a single defect can lead to recalls around the world. For owners the question is simple: is my car affected, and what do I need to do?

Recalls range from the trivial, such as a mislabeled tire placard, to the deadly. The defective Takata airbag inflators led to the largest series of automotive recalls in American history, affecting tens of millions of vehicles from many brands. Ignition switch failures, sudden acceleration claims, fire risks from batteries and wiring, and faulty seat belts have all made headlines. Increasingly, recalls are handled with over-the-air software updates, blurring the line between a defect fix and a routine upgrade.

This page follows recalls and safety investigations across the industry: new recall announcements, the number of vehicles affected, the nature of the defect and the remedy, plus regulatory investigations, fines and the occasional legal battle over whether a recall is warranted. Recall counts are also a rough barometer of quality, and brands with many campaigns tend to attract attention from regulators, analysts and buyers alike. Owners should always confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected using its VIN on the official lookup.