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Auto Recalls Save Lives

November 6, 2013

Most auto owners remember the recalls that are covered by the press even though it’s not the brand of car they drive. Look at Toyota and the sudden acceleration case where Toyota recalled more than 10 million vehicles for problems related to unintended acceleration in 2009 and 2010.

Toyota is by no means clear of any wrong-doing in the acceleration recalls. As of late October, Toyota had won three sudden-acceleration claims that reached jury verdicts since the recalls. Bloomberg reported, “The defense verdicts include injury cases in New York in 2011 and in Philadelphia in June. A Los Angeles jury in October cleared Toyota of fault for the death of a 66-year-old woman.”

Toyota settled a lawsuit that brought a $3 million jury verdict over a claim that a defect in a Camry resulted in sudden acceleration and resulted in injuries for the driver and killing the passenger. The owner’s car, a 2005 Camry, wasn’t included in the recalls.

This month Toyota is facing a fifth trial in federal court in Santa Ana, CA. There are about 200 death and injury cases pending in California. Michigan has a trial scheduled in February.

Tirebusiness.com said:

In recent years, the number of cars and light trucks recalled routinely has exceeded the number of new vehicles sold. Last year’s tally: 154 recalls, affecting as many as 14.2 million vehicles and spanning 15 model years. That trend has continued in 2013. Through September, auto makers issued more than 140 recalls, covering as many as 18.5 million cars and light trucks.

Manufacturers with the most U.S. recalls, 1990 through September 2013*:

  1. General Motors – 638
  2. Chrysler Group – 451
  3. Ford Motor – 441
  4. Nissan – 189
  5. Honda – 169
  6. Toyota – 154
  7. Volkswagen – 141
  8. BMW – 130
  9. Mazda – 103
  10. Volvo – 88

Manufacturer-initiated recalls: 2,566

Regulator-initiated recalls: 737

* Source: Automotive News analysis of NHTSA data

Manufacturers with the most vehicles potentially affected by U.S. recalls, 1990 through September 2013*:

  1. Ford Motor – 106.1 million
  2. General Motors – 88.3 million
  3. Chrysler Group – 65 million
  4. Toyota – 30.3 million
  5. Honda – 28.4 million
  6. Nissan – 19.3 million
  7. Hyundai – 8.9 million
  8. Volkswagen – 8.9 million
  9. BMW – 4.39 million
  10. Mazda – 4.19 million

* Source: Automotive News analysis of NHTSA data