Tesla replaced Ford as the brand with the most recalls in the United States in 2024.

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  • Tesla, Stellantis and Ford have the most recalls in the United States. But why is it important to you?
File photo of a Tesla car parked at a Tesla dealership in Corte Madera, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP Getty Images)

Tesla has replaced Ford, which has won the honor for three consecutive years, as the automaker that has recalled the most vehicles in the United States this year. As of December 20, the electric vehicle giant has issued 15 recalls involving 5,135,697 vehicles.

According to data collected by CarScoops from January 1 to December 20 this year, Tesla’s recall orders for competitors are relatively small, but the number of vehicles affected by each recall is mostly far more than that of competitors. For example, in second place is Stellantis, with a total of 67 recalls affecting 4,722,452 vehicles. Stellantis is the mothership of brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat. In third place is Ford, which received a total of 62 recall orders involving 4,370,701 vehicles.

Also read: Tesla recalls 700,000 vehicles in US

Honda finished fourth, which was a surprise. The Japanese car brand, known for its reliability, hasn’t even cracked the top 10 brands with the most recalls in the U.S. over the past few years. This year, the company (plus Acura) has issued 18 recalls covering 3,794,113 vehicles. Followed by General Motors (33 orders, 1,872,521 vehicles), BMW (36 orders, 1,832,968 vehicles), Toyota + Lexus (16 orders, 1,221,666 vehicles), Kia (19 orders, 1,211,778 vehicles), Hyundai Genesis + orders, 1,221,666 vehicles).

Now, as December comes to a close, those rankings may still change, as even a recall of thousands of units by any of these brands could cause the rankings to change. In the final week of the month (and year) ahead, automakers will have their fingers crossed.

But not issuing a recall in the U.S. comes with its own risks. In the past, car companies have been severely punished by the government agency NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) for failing to issue recalls to check and fix potential problems in one or more models. So while it’s tempting to save face and brand image by ignoring suspected defects, the threat of severe penalties means recalls are issued anyway.

Recall orders in a particular country may also affect production in another country. Take Tesla for example. The company has factories in China and Germany but also uses its base in the United States to export equipment to other countries including the Netherlands, Lithuania and Ukraine. Ford also exports heavily from the United States. The automaker said one in seven Ford vehicles assembled in the United States is sold in foreign markets such as Canada, Mexico, China, Puerto Rico and South Korea.

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First published date: December 23, 2024 09:35 AM IST

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