As 2025 closed out, the recall leaderboard gave car buyers and owners a new way to think about reliability. While not all recalls are equal, the numbers still reveal how often brands had to fix issues after cars hit the road. Ford was the clear standout with a staggering 12.9 million vehicles recalled across 153 separate issues. That included everything from fuel injector cracks to brake hose ruptures and failing backup cameras. Toyota followed with over 3.2 million cars recalled, mostly for minor electrical issues like blank backup camera screens and faulty instrument panels. Stellantis ranked third, recalling 2.7 million vehicles, including hybrid Jeeps at risk of battery fires.
Tesla made a sharp turnaround from being recall leader in 2024 to eighth place in 2025, recalling just 745,075 cars. Its main issues were failing power steering systems and malfunctioning rearview cameras. General Motors landed just under the million mark, calling back 998,260 cars, with most problems traced to engine defects in popular trucks and SUVs. Hyundai, meanwhile, crossed 1 million recalls again, driven by defective seat belt buckles in Palisade SUVs. Honda continued its recovery, recalling 1.5 million cars, including Civics with wheels that could fall off due to production errors. These numbers show that both EV makers and traditional brands are still ironing out serious bugs, especially as electronics and complex systems dominate newer models.
Kia reported 982,346 recalled vehicles with issues spread fairly evenly across models, but the most serious was a fuel tank issue in the K5. The Volkswagen Group recalled 663,663 vehicles due to melting engine covers and faulty cameras in Atlas SUVs, while BMW showed progress with a much-improved 508,338 cars recalled compared to 1.8 million the year before. While some of these issues might sound minor, like distorted camera images or trim pieces falling off, others involved potential fire risks and complete engine failure. For Gulf-region drivers and car buyers, these stats offer a valuable lens into which brands might deserve a second look before making that next big purchase. Keep checking motor283 for more updates on car safety and real world reliability.
Started my career in Automotive Journalism in 2015. Even though I'm a pharmacist, hanging around cars all the time has created a passion for the automotive industry since day 1.
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