These Car Brands Had the Most Recalls In 2025

Ford has the most recalls in 2025, but other automakers are not far behind.

Sometimes it’s difficult to gain a valuable, accurate understanding of a new vehicle’s long-term reliability and quality. But how often a certain manufacturer issues recalls is at least a good starting point.

A recall occurs when an automaker discovers a safety defect in a sold vehicle and instructs the owner to bring it back to the dealer for correction, usually free of charge. As 2025 comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to compile a list of the automakers with the most recalls throughout the year, based on official data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It should be noted that not all recalls are created equal. Catastrophic engine failure is not the same as loose interior trim. But we’ve done our best to highlight what issues the biggest recalls actually solved for each manufacturer to better understand the statistics. Spoiler alert: Mainly the backup camera malfunctions and the various ways the car catches fire.

Here are the 10 most recalled car brands in 2025, ranked by the total number of affected vehicles.

10. BMW: Recalling 508,338 vehicles

Compared to last year, 2025 is actually a big improvement for BMW in terms of recalls. The German automaker has issued 21 recalls and recalled 508,338 vehicles, ranking 10th on this list. For reference, more than 1.8 million Bimmers were recalled in 2024, covering 36 issues.

That’s not to minimize the flaws the brand will have to correct this year, though, especially if you own one of the 200,000 cars whose engine starters may corrode, overheat, or even catch fire. Could the dual nature of the kidney grille help with fire suppression? One would hope.

9. Volkswagen Group: Recalling 663,663 vehicles

The Volkswagen Group also issued significantly fewer recalls this year than last year, with a total of 663,663 vehicles affected across 25 events. For reference, the number of Volkswagen vehicles recalled in 2024 is just over 1 million. Two of the most common issues facing the German giant in 2025 are loose engine covers that “could melt and cause fires” and possible distortion of the rearview camera image.

The two events affect more than 170,000 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs produced in the 2024-2025 model years. It’s as if a brand primarily known for small cars isn’t great at making large cars.

8. Tesla: Recalling 745,075 vehicles

However, if we were to give out a Most Improved Award, it would probably go to Tesla. The U.S. electric carmaker was the recall king in 2024, with more than 5 million vehicles needing repairs, but that number shrunk to just 745,075 in 2025.

The electric car maker’s biggest event this year is related to power steering systems that may be losing power in 376,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The second biggest problem: 239,000 rearview cameras with computer circuit boards could short out and fail to transmit images. At least those things can “drive themselves”, right? Correct?

7. Kia: Recalling 982,346 vehicles

Kia’s recall rate improved in 2025, recording 982,346 cars requiring repairs, compared with 1.2 million last year. The company has issued 13 different issues this year, with a fairly even number of “affected cars,” but the largest issue involves 250,000 K5 sedans from the 2021 to 2024 model years.

The check valve apparently lets air into the tank, causing it to expand, melt, and create a fire risk. It’s no secret that Kia takes BMW as its benchmark with the K5, but maybe this is where Kia should stop copying.

6. General Motors: Recalling 998,260 vehicles

Sixth-ranked General Motors just managed to avoid joining the million-vehicle recall club in 2025, with 998,260 vehicles on its books. While other OEMs have issued recalls for various defects, much of GM’s pain this year stems from the infamous 6.2-liter L87 V-8 recall.

On this issue, nearly 600,000 Cadillac Escalades, Chevy Silverados, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierras, and Yukons are being recalled due to “connecting rods and/or crankshaft engine components” with manufacturing defects that can cause catastrophic engine failure, or, as I like to call them in this case, Grenaded Motors.

5. Hyundai Motor: Recalling 1 million vehicles

Hyundai Motor renewed its membership in the “Million RC” club this year and recalled 1,078,212 vehicles in 21 campaigns. (Last year, the company conducted 1.1 million surveys on 25 different issues.) More than half of those were 2020-2025 Palisade SUVs whose seat belt buckles “may not lock.”

Interestingly, until an official fix is ​​available, the remedy customers are told is to “quickly and directly insert the belt securely into the buckle.” So I guess it’s a bit like kicking in a door or poking a straw through plastic without making a mess: if you hesitate, it won’t work.

4. Honda: Recalling 1.5 million vehicles

Honda’s recall of 1,560,813 vehicles through 2025 may seem bad (and not great, either!), but it’s actually on a track for multi-year improvements. In 2024 this number will be 3.7 million and in 2023 it will be 6.3 million.

The Japanese company has recorded 21 different problems this year, but the issue affecting the most cars may also be the most cartoonish. Due to a “manufacturing error,” more than 400,000 Civics from 2016 to 2021 were equipped with 18-inch wheels that could fall off. Historically, the Honda Civic has been one of those cars that people habitually “drive until the wheels fall off.” But, you know, that’s not the case.

3. Stellantis: Recalling 2.7 million vehicles

Stellantis recalled 53 issues in 2025, recalling a total of 2,776,952 vehicles, becoming the automaker with the third highest number of recalls in 2025. By the way, if this list were ranked by number of events, it would be in second place. Believe it or not, that’s still an improvement over 2024, when the conglomerate that includes Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat and Alfa Romeo recalled a whopping 4.8 million vehicles for 72 different reasons.

This year, the number of affected cars exceeds six figures, with 10 different defects, but the most widespread flaw involves 320,000 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrids whose batteries could “fail and cause a fire.” It’s great that you can now buy electric Jeeps that burn less fuel, but I’m not sure one could claim any environmental advantages if they were on fire on the side of the highway.

2. Toyota: Recalling 3.2 million vehicles

Ranking second is Toyota Motor, which recalled more than 3.2 million vehicles with 15 defects. Judging by the numbers, this is a step back from 2024, when the Japanese giant recalled 1.2 million vehicles across 16 campaigns.

Don’t question Toyota’s reputation for reliability just yet, though, as the recalls that will contribute the most to its 2025 sales are relatively minor. More than a million backup cameras are being recalled because they may lose power, nearly 600,000 dash panels may malfunction, and 440,000 Tundra backup lights may not work due to moisture. No widespread fire risk, no unbuckled seat belts, no dislodged wheels. It’s just a bunch of really, really small things that add up.

1. Ford: Recalling 12.9 million vehicles

The biggest loser from the 2025 recalls, however, is Ford, which has recalled 12.9 million vehicles this year for 153 different problems. Ford’s best (worst?) Toyota’s runner-up car has more than four times as many, and Stellantis’ second-place car has almost three times as many.

To be fair, of the 12.9 million Ford vehicles recalled, roughly 4 million are related to potentially faulty backup cameras (that’s a kid that always has a problem, isn’t it?). But the most common problems affecting millions of vehicles below are low-pressure fuel pump failures, cracked injectors causing fires, ruptured rear brake hoses, and Explorer B-pillar door trim that can come off.

The official fix for this last problem is for a dealer technician to remove it and put it back together with adhesive. But considering that Ford is certainly going to spend a lot of resources on recalls this year, I expect the remedies listed by NHTSA will involve duct tape.

Car brands with the most recalls in 2025

1. Ford: Recalling 12.9 million vehicles

2. Toyota: Recalling 3.2 million vehicles

3. Stellantis: 2.7 million vehicles recalled

4. Honda: Recalling 1.5 million vehicles

5. Hyundai Motor: Recalling 1 million vehicles

6. General Motors: Recalling 998,260 vehicles

7. Kia: Recalling 982,346 vehicles

8. Tesla: Recalling 745,075 vehicles

9. Volkswagen Group: Recalls 663,663 vehicles

10. BMW: Recalling 508,338 vehicles

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