What is a recall? An excellent question, we're glad you asked! In simple terms, it is when something in your car goes wrong and needs repair. However, not from wear and tear; rather from mistakes and faults during the manufacturing process. Basically, it's a defect.
It can be something as small as a radio dial. However, it can also be something very serious that requires an immediate fix. Unfortunately, serious recalls are more common than you might think.
Car manufacturers must follow Federal Safety Standards in order to be able to sell their vehicles. These standards are pretty strict and if something happens, the car company is responsible for replacing and repairing those parts. At no cost to the car's owner, of course.
When a recall happens, an owner is notified and presented with solutions. Here are 15 largest recalls of all time with a brief explanation of why it happened.
15 General Motors Ignition Switch Defect
Everything went wrong for General Motors in 2005. The company knew about the faulty ignition switch in some cars and still decided to leave it as is. However, sometimes the switch would kill the engine. The piece that costs 60 cents caused deaths of at least 13 people. Millions of cars have been recalled.
14 Ford Motor Company Unbolted Steering Wheel
In 2019 Ford announced a recall of a million vehicles due to a steering wheel that could come loose while driving. The affected models were mostly the Ford Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ. The problem kept growing bigger and bigger until the company recognized it was a bolt issue.
13 Chrysler Cars Shut Off While Driving
In 2015 Chrysler had to buy back millions of vehicles as a part of the settlement with the Federal Government. Engines in some cars stalled without any warning signals. Just if that wasn't enough, the brake assist and power steering also shut off. Some drivers could restart the car; others said the vehicle ignored them completely.
12 General Motors Rear Suspension Bolt Problem
In 1982 General Motors had to recall 6.4 million cars and trucks due to a rear suspension bolt issue. The bolt could fall out and send the car out of control. There were 8 model lines involved from the years 1978 to 1981. At least 27 accidents were linked to this problem.
11 Ford F100 Run Away
In 1980 Ford had to recall 21 million vehicles and there were multiple model lines involved. The cars would just shift out of parking mode and run away. As records show, this was linked to 6 000 accidents and 100 deaths. As a result, drivers had to put a warning sticker on the dashboard.
10 General Motors Brake Recall
In 2019 GM had to recall 3.5 million Cadillac, GMC, and Chevy trucks and SUVs over huge brake problems. There was an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found that for no reason a vacuum pump in brakes would stop working effectively. The case has been linked to 100 accidents.
9 Volkswagen Jetta Software Issue
In 2015 millions of Volkswagen Jetta were recalled and stored just waiting to be fixed. The problem was with the software installed in these cars. It gave wrong information about emissions, which is against European laws. The biggest pressure came from German regulators. The company had to pay over £12 billion to make everything right.
8 Tesla Parking Brake Recall
In 2017 Tesla had one of its largest recalls. 53 000 luxury vehicles were recalled due to the electric parking brakes issue. It's important to note that it was a voluntary recall that was made to prevent possible problems. This might be the reason why there were no serious accidents due to the issue.
7 Ford Pinto Cheap Fuel Tank
In the automotive world, the word "Pinto" is synonymous with corporate mismanagement. The car was released in 1970 as a fuel-efficient sedan. However, the brand didn't say that the car would explode during the collision. The problem was with a cheap fuel tank that made Pinto a bomb on wheels.
6 Toyota Acceleration Problems
Toyota had a big problem in 2009. Their cars took off on their own up to 100 mph. The company tried to blame driver errors and sticky pedals. Still, it didn't help them to avoid to pay $1.2 billion for manufacturing errors. At least 16 deaths are connected to the problem.
5 Mazda Power Steering Issue
In 2015 Mazda recalled almost 200 000 CX-9 SUVs due to a steering loss. The problem happened when salty water got into the ball joints. No, you didn't need to drive the ocean or cry for hours in your vehicle. It was salt on ice-covered roads that caused the issue.
4 BMW Oil Pump Issue
In 2012 BMW had to stop M5 and M6 deliveries due to an oil pump problem. The pump driveshaft could separate from the rotor. When it happened, the oil pressure went down so dramatically that it caused serious damage to the engine. BMW even advised car owners to constantly monitor oil pressure.
3 Kia Optima Fuel Leak
In 2013 Kia recalled over 550 000 vehicles (Optima, Sportage, Sorento, and some others) due to the broken fuel pipe. The pipe connected to the fuel pump outlet could be misaligned, damaged or torqued in the wrong way. This could result in a fuel leak and drastically increase the risk of fire.
2 Honda Airbag Replacement
In 2015, Honda recalled over 6.3 million vehicles due to faulty airbags. When these airbags were deployed, some parts created excessive internal pressure. As a result, metal fragments would jump out of the bag into the vehicle at high speed. The problem has been linked to 11 deaths and dozens of injuries.
1 Mercedes-Benz Detached Sunroofs
2019 didn't end well for Mercedes-Benz as it had to recall almost 800,000 cars due to the faulty glass roof attachment. The roof could suddenly detach while driving. If it happens while the car is moving, it can create a serious health hazard. It is an ongoing case; the number of injuries is unknown.