Recalls Fall 30% in 2008
According to early accounts, automotive recalls fell 30% in 2008 compared to 2007. In 2008, 10.2 million vehicles were recalled, while 14.5 million were recalled in ’07. This drop comes despite the number of recall notices going up to 642, versus 588 the year before (meaning fewer vehicles were recalled with each notice on average). That’s the fewest vehicles recalled since 1994.
Ford, Chrysler and Nissan saw drops in the number of vehicles recalled, while GM, Toyota and Honda all saw increases. Each manufacturer had reasons why their numbers were up or down, but experts say the overall drop is due to more advanced systems catching problems early, before recalls are ever initiated. They also point to increased quality in manufacturing overall.
Ford’s recalls dropped from a whopping 5.5 million in 2007 to 1.6 million in 2008, which is still a significant number. Toyota’s numbers jumped to 833,000 from 640,000. That means Ford recalled nearly twice as many vehicles as Toyota, even though Toyota outsells Ford by large numbers. We break down more recalls below and some of the reasons for the numbers.
- GM: 1.9 million in 2008, 538,000 in 2007
- Ford: 1.6 million in 2008, 5.5 million in 2007
- Toyota: 833,000 in 2008, 640,000 in 2007
- Honda: 797,000 in 2008, 550,000 in 2007
- Nissan: 581,000 in 2008, 1.3 million in 2007
- Chrysler: 360,000 in 2008, 2.2 million in 2007
GM’s downfall was a faulty system for heating windshield-washer fluid. That recall dinged it for 960,000 vehicles. The company is no longer offering the system as an option in new vehicles. Windshield-wiper problems also dinged Honda for the Accord and Acura TL to the tune of 754,000 vehicles. Toyota also recalled 196,000 Sienna minivans for liftgate problems, despite a dispute over whether the problem was a wear-and-tear issue or a faulty part. Toyota replaced the parts.
Vehicle recalls plunge (Detroit News)
