With all of the millions of vehicles that had major issues last year, which car brand had the most recalls of 2025?
There were hundreds of car recalls in 2025, but some brands had far more recalls than others. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its recall data, allowing viewers to see which car companies had the most recalls as well as what types of recalls they issued.
With the top 12 companies having a combined 445 recalls affecting tens of millions of vehicles, the breakdown can serve as a bit of a guide if you’re looking to purchase a car soon. It’s always worth knowing what the brands you’re looking into have had problems with in the past.
Who Had the Most Car Recalls in 2025?
The NHTSA table lists out all of the car recalls reported between January 1 and December 31 of 2025, and the pie chart above it breaks down the 12 automotive manufacturers with the most recalls.
Of the top 12, Ford comes in with far more recalls that anyone else, more than the next four automotive manufacturers combined. They had 153 recalls in 2025, making up 34% of the top 12. All in all, they recalled almost 13 million vehicles in 2025. The other 292 recalls from the top 12 companies are distributed much more evenly. Listed in order from most to least recalls, the top 12 are:
- Ford with 153
- Chrysler with 53
- Forest River, Inc with 36
- General motors with 28
- Volkswagen with 26
- International Motors with 26
- Honda with 24
- BMW with 23
- Hyundai with 21
- Mercedes-Benz with 21
- Altec Industries, Inc with 17
- Mack Trucks with 17
What Were All The Ford Recalls For?
The NHTSA report also breaks down each company’s recalls by type. Ford’s 153 recalls spanned 12 different categories. Electrical issues took the number one slot, with 27 of the 153 recalls, and equipment recalls were the least common with only four for the year. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 27 due to electrical issues
- 20 listed as “no value”
- 19 due to back over prevention problems
- 16 involving power train issues
- 11 regarding “service brakes, hydraulic”
- 10 due to visibility problems
- 8 due to structure problems
- 7 issues with exterior lighting
- 5 pertaining to seat belts
- 5 involving air bags
- 5 due to suspension issues
- 4 listed as “equipment”
Other Statistics
While some recalls are about smaller issues, the really serious ones often come with extra warnings. In 2025, there were 19 recalls that came with a “Do Not Drive” warning and 16 recalls with a “Park Outside” advisory. Usually, these recalls pertained to the risk of fires or other such incapacitating issues. Fortunately, they represent a small fraction of the car recalls in 2025.
Source
NHTSA Recalls by Manufacturer, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.
