Recall campaign counts vary by manufacturer and year—your VIN is what matters most.
If you only glance at headlines, it can look as though one automaker is having a uniquely bad run.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall database tells a more nuanced story. Some manufacturers file many small campaigns in a single year. Others file fewer campaigns that each cover huge numbers of vehicles. And the legal name on the recall report—the name NHTSA publishes—is not always the brand name on the badge.
This article looks at vehicle recall campaigns filed from 2016 through 2025, grouped by the manufacturer name on each NHTSA report. For the big-picture national trend, see our companion piece on how common vehicle recalls are.
Ford’s recent jump stands out
The largest swing among major light-vehicle manufacturers in this period belongs to Ford Motor Company.
NHTSA’s public recall files show Ford filing 35 distinct vehicle recall campaigns in 2016 and 147 in 2025—more than four times as many campaigns in a single calendar year.[1]
That does not automatically mean Ford-built vehicles are four times less safe. It means Ford filed more separate recall reports that year. Some campaigns cover a handful of vehicles; others cover millions.
Which manufacturers filed the most campaigns?
The table below counts distinct vehicle recall campaigns (NHTSA recall type “V”) by calendar year of the Report Received Date and by the manufacturer name on the recall report.[1]
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Manufacturer (NHTSA report name)
2016
2020
2024
2025
2016–2025
Ford Motor Company
35
44
62
147
605
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
48
26
61
44
411
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
23
38
28
21
335
General Motors, LLC
39
35
33
30
313
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
25
30
18
26
289
BMW of North America, LLC
17
35
32
23
277
Toyota Motor Corporation
25
17
19
18
194
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
17
17
19
25
179
Hyundai Motor America
17
15
25
20
169
Nissan North America, Inc.
19
12
18
11
159
Kia America, Inc.
11
12
20
13
139
Ford leads this list on total campaigns over the decade. Stellantis/FCA filings appear under Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) in NHTSA’s data—one legal entity, not every Jeep or Ram campaign listed separately here.[1]
Why recall counts are not a “worst brand” ranking
Three limitations matter before you treat any table like a reliability scoreboard.
Campaign count is not vehicles affected. One recall can cover 500 cars or five million. NHTSA’s annual summaries track both metrics separately.[2]
Manufacturer names on reports are legal entities, not showroom brands. “Ford Motor Company,” “General Motors, LLC,” and “Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)” do not line up one-to-one with every nameplate Americans shop by. Comparing brands requires knowing exactly which NHTSA filing name you are counting.[1]
Fleet size matters. A company that sells more vehicles will tend to have more exposure—and often more campaigns—than a smaller competitor, even when both build reliable products. A fair comparison would normalize by vehicles on the road. Raw counts alone do not.[2]
What this means if you own a car
National manufacturer rankings are useful context. They are not a substitute for checking your vehicle.
NHTSA recommends checking for open recalls at least twice a year, using your VIN or license plate.[3] The more useful question is not “Which brand had the most recalls last year?” but Does my car have an open recall right now—and is the fix available?
Car Czar is being built to keep that kind of question close to the rest of your vehicle history: maintenance, repairs, reminders and records in one place.
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Sources
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA Recall Flat File Database (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010). Vehicle recall campaigns (recall type V) counted by manufacturer name on the report and calendar year of Report Received Date, 2016–2025. Downloaded October 14, 2026. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA 2025 Annual Report: Safety Recalls. Published March 2026. https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2026-03/2025-annual-recalls-report.pdf
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Check for Recalls: Vehicle, Car Seat, Tire, Equipment. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
