10 Car Brands With the Most Recalls in 2025

What NHTSA Data Shows

The numbers are in for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2025 recall list. While the data highlights which automakers recalled the most vehicles last year, it doesn’t always tell the full story. In many cases, safety campaigns stem from supplier-related issues rather than defects unique to a specific model or brand. Even so, recall data can still serve as a useful reference for consumers seeking to avoid vehicles that may be subject to frequent corrective actions.

Tenth on the list is Volkswagen, which recalled 663,663 vehicles. Two of its largest safety campaigns involved a loose engine cover that could melt on the Atlas, as well as a distorted rearview camera issue that violated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111.

Next is Tesla, with a total recall population of 745,075 units. Despite landing on the list, the EV maker showed improvement compared to 2024, when it recalled more than five million vehicles. Its biggest safety campaign last year affected over 370,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, though the fix was delivered over the air (OTA), sparing owners a visit to the dealer.

Middle of the Rankings

Eighth place goes to Nissan, which recalled 874,265 vehicles. The most serious issue involved more than 440,000 Rogue and Altima models, along with Infiniti QX50 and QX55 vehicles, that were at risk of engine failure due to manufacturing defects. Kia followed in seventh, recalling 982,346 vehicles; its largest single 2025 campaign included about 250,000 K5 sedans (2021–2024) for a fuel tank fire risk.

Just shy of the one-million mark is General Motors, with 998,260 recalled vehicles. One of its most notable defects involved the L87 V8 engine, which was also linked to multiple lawsuits. According to recall documents, affected models – including the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe; Cadillac Escalade; and GMC Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL – may have been built with defective connecting rod and/or crankshaft components.

The first automaker to exceed one million recalled vehicles is Hyundai, with 1,078,212 units. Roughly half came from 2020–2025 Palisade SUVs equipped with seat belt buckles that may fail to latch. Honda followed with 1,560,813 recalled vehicles. One major contributor was an accessory-related issue involving 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels sold for the 2016–2021 Civic that could detach from the vehicle.

The Heavy Hitters of the List

Among the top three, Stellantis ranked third after recalling 2,776,952 vehicles. The 4xe plug-in hybrid system was flagged several times, including a safety campaign affecting Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe models over a potential high-voltage battery fire risk.

Second place belongs to Toyota, which recalled 3,223,256 vehicles. Notably, the Japanese marque issued just 15 safety campaigns – far fewer than many rivals – meaning each recall covered a larger population. Its biggest campaign affected more than one million vehicles due to a rearview camera defect.

Topping the list is Ford, which breached the 10-million mark with 12,930,696 recalled vehicles. The Blue Oval and its Lincoln luxury brand also issued a record 153 safety campaigns – the most it has ever released in a single year. CEO Jim Farley has explained that the company added more inspectors and engineers to identify quality issues earlier, even if that leads to more recalls, to protect customers from potentially larger problems down the road.

This underscores that a high recall count doesn’t automatically mean an automaker is unreliable. Recall data reflects how issues are identified, reported, and addressed – not just how often they occur. For long-term dependability, consumers may be better served by reliability studies from organizations such as Consumer Reports, which evaluate real-world ownership experiences over time.

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