When it comes to automotive recalls, 2024 had its fair share of surprising twists. Headlines may have crowned Tesla as the automaker with the most recalls last year, but a closer look reveals a different story. While Tesla indeed had the highest total number of recalled vehicles, nearly all were resolved remotely via over-the-air (OTA) updates – leaving only a small fraction requiring a trip to the service center. So, which automakers truly topped the charts for recalls requiring the inconvenience of a dealership visit? Let’s dive in.
Stellantis Takes the Crown for Total Recalls

In 2024, Stellantis unseated Ford as the automaker with the highest number of recalls, issuing 71 in total. Whether it’s a dubious honor or an unflattering superlative, Stellantis has earned its new title: “The Recall King of 2024.”
But when it comes to recalls requiring physical service, Ford still reigns supreme. A whopping 4.8 million Ford vehicles needed in-person repairs last year, cementing its position as the champion of “most inconvenient recalls.” Here’s how the top automakers stacked up for dealership-required recalls:
- Stellantis: 71 recalls
- Ford: 67 recalls
- BMW: 36 recalls
- General Motors: 32 recalls
- Mercedes-Benz: 28 recalls
The Automakers with the Fewest Recalls in 2024

Not all brands were plagued by recalls last year. Some automakers managed to keep their records (and their customers) squeaky clean. Among mainstream brands, Subaru had the fewest recalls, issuing just one in 2024. Here are the automakers with the fewest dealership-required recalls:
- Subaru: 1 recall
- Volvo: 3 recalls
- Mazda: 8 recalls
- Tesla: 8 recalls
Notably, boutique automakers like Rivian, Lucid, Maserati, and Polestar also had minimal recalls, but their significantly lower sales volumes make direct comparisons with major brands difficult.
Most Vehicles Recalled in 2024: Ford Tops the List

When looking at the sheer number of vehicles recalled requiring dealership visits, Ford led the way, with nearly 5 million vehicles affected. Honda and Stellantis were close behind. Here are the leaders in total dealership-required recalls by vehicle count:
- Ford: 4.8 million vehicles
- Honda: 3.8 million vehicles
- Stellantis: 3.8 million vehicles
- BMW: 1.8 million vehicles
- General Motors: 1.4 million vehicles
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Volvo had the fewest vehicles recalled, with just 304 vehicles needing repairs. Tesla, Porsche, and a few other premium brands also kept recall numbers low.
Here’s a look at the automakers with the most recalls in 2024. All data is sourced from the NHTSA:
Automaker | Recalls Requiring Service Visits | Vehicles Recalled |
---|---|---|
Stellantis | 71 | 3,770,854 |
Ford | 66 | 4,776,770 |
BMW | 36 | 1,832,968 |
General Motors | 32 | 1,401,427 |
Mercedes-Benz | 28 | 409,752 |
Hyundai | 23 | 1,053,441 |
Jaguar Land Rover | 21 | 123,176 |
Kia | 19 | 1,220,498 |
Honda | 18 | 3,790,106 |
Volkswagen | 17 | 1,003,975 |
Nissan | 17 | 141,748 |
Toyota | 16 | 1,221,666 |
Porsche | 13 | 78,593 |
Mazda | 8 | 297,941 |
Tesla | 8 | 39,605 |
Rivian | 5 | 4,883 |
Lucid | 3 | 4,031 |
Volvo | 3 | 304 |
Polestar | 3 | 19 |
Subaru | 1 | 118,173 |
Which Automaker Has the Most Recalls in 2025 So Far?

Just one month into 2025, Tesla has already issued a major recall affecting 240,000 vehicles due to a faulty rearview camera. However, Tesla continues to leverage its OTA update capabilities, with most fixes expected to be completed remotely. For the few vehicles requiring hardware replacement, Tesla will address the issue at service centers.
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I think it would be best served to show the % of vehicles produced for a given model year(s) that were recalled rather than just total vehicles recalled. That would make a few of those companies look way worse (say Jaguar LR), and a few way better (Toyota).
In that table above, to give a little bit more context to the table, can you add a third column that is “average number of vehicles sold per year for the last 5 years”. That way we can see the relative percentage of vehicles in the fleet that needed recalls (roughly speaking). I know that often times recalls span multiple years so it’s not exactly a perfect comparison, but at least it will give an order of magnitude comparison.