Which Car Makers Have the Worst Record for Recalls?

When a car turns out to be defective, consumers should be protected from loss due to problems with their new vehicle. Motorists whose cars have repeated issues can talk with a Sacramento lemon law firm to find out if they have any legal recourse. Motorists should also be informed about recalls if many cars from the same maker turn out to be defective. Usually, if a defect is discovered, the car manufacturer will recall all of the problem cars, and motorists will be able to get their vehicles fixed or potentially sell back the defective car.

Even if a car manufacturer recalls and repairs a vehicle, this does not fully solve the problem for consumers who have purchased an unsafe car. Some motorists are hurt or even killed in accidents before a car defect actually prompts a manufacturer to recall the car. It can also be a major hassle to take the vehicle for repairs as the vehicle is being fixed. 

Consumers should do their research into car recalls so they can reduce the chances of being hurt due to a defect and may consider shopping for cars with a low recall rate. Auto World News recently published data on 30 years of statistics related to recalled cars. The data shows which car makers are the best and worst when it comes to recalling vehicles.

So, Who Has the Worst Record?

According to Auto World News, Volkswagen had the highest recall rate over the course of three decades.  The recall rate was measured by calculating the number of new cars sold and comparing that to the number of recalls during the same time period. The average recall rate was 1,115 cars per 1,000 cars sold, with the recall rate coming in higher than total cars sold because some vehicles were recalled more than once for multiple problems. Volkswagen was well above this average, with 1,805 cars recalled per 1,000 cars sold.

Several other car makers were also above the average cars recalled. For example, Chrysler recalled 1,422 cars per 1,000 cars sold; Honda recalled 1,307 cars per 1,000 cars sold; Hyundai recalled 1,266 cars per 1,000 cars sold; BMW recalled 1,196 cars per 1,000 cars sold; Volvo recalled 1,156 cars per 1,000 cars sold; and Ford recalled 1,139 cars per 1,000 vehicles sold.

By contrast, the major car makers with the lowest number of recalls included Porsche with 531 recalls per 1,000 cars; Mercedes-Benz with 624 recalls per 1,000 cars sold; Kia with 786 recalls per 1,000 cars sold; Tesla with 936 recalls per 1,000 cars sold; and Mazda with 955 recalls per 1,000 cars sold. A low recall rate did not necessarily indicate the car company was making safer cars, as Tesla had the highest rate of “severe” recalls. 100 percent of Tesla's recalls were severe recalls, with severe recall defined as a recall prompted by a fear that a safety defect could cause serious injury or death.

Even if you buy a car that comes from a manufacturer with a historically low rate of recalls, this is not a guarantee that you won't experience issues. If you have problems with your car, you should talk with an attorney at The Bickel Law Firm to find out what recourse may be available to you.