Does anybody remember the awesome pickup commercials of the 1990s and early-2000s that featured massive heavy-duty trucks pulling enormous payloads up steep ramps wreathed in flames? Once upon a time, car ads were all about power and reliability, while today's tend to focus on amenities and creature comforts like Bluetooth connectivity, panoramic sunroofs, and ventilated leather seats. Meanwhile, electrification and autonomous software have begun to remove the need for internal combustion engines and even drivers from cars. But as the pace of technology's advancement quickens, many skeptics can be forgiven for thinking cars are, if anything, getting worse. And now, research by Finance in Bold shows that there's a strong case to be made that automakers are getting worse at their job, with over 13 million cars recalled due to safety flaws during the 2020 calendar year already.
It's Only July, People
The year is barely more than halfway past, and yet automakers have issued massive recalls. Forget visions of the future where flying cars allow anyone to get anywhere with ease—humans these days might just want to avoid regular rolling automobiles altogether! A few companies stats stand out from the pack, notably Toyota, a brand that used to be synonymous with reliability and durability of products like the Tacoma and Corolla. Instead, in the first six months of 2020, Toyota has recalled a massive 3.952 million car already.
Sheer Volume Must Be A Factor
Meanwhile, Ford leads American automakers with 2.9 million vehicles recalled, while Volvo comes in at 2.8 million, a figure which isn't helped by the fact that the Swedish firm recalled its entire lineup back in March. Fiat-Chrysler, long known as a bastion of breakdowns, comes in at 1.74 million and Honda earns the dubious honor of fifth place with 1.4 million units recalled. Of course, sheer volume plays a factor in the figures—Toyota can be slightly forgiven just because of the number of cars it sells, having led the world in sales revenue in 2019. Volvo, on the other hand, isn't even in the top ten!
Source: Finbold