Visual breakdowns of 17,656 vehicle safety recalls from Transport Canada and NHTSA. The most common severity level is Critical (8,644 recalls).
Top manufacturers by volume: FORD, MERCEDES-BENZ, BMW, DODGE, GMC. Most-recalled systems: BRAKES, FUEL SYSTEM, SEATS AND RESTRAINTS.
Some recalls affect thousands of vehicles. Others affect millions. This chart plots the highest-volume safety events across Canada and the US, sized by the number of vehicles affected, so you can see the outliers that dwarf everything else.
Severity is estimated from each recall's language and scope. Critical and High recalls typically involve crash, fire, or injury risk. Informational recalls are largely administrative. This chart shows how the 17,656 recalls in our database break down across those levels.
A manufacturer with a high recall count isn't necessarily the most dangerous one. The mix of severity levels matters. This chart shows the top 15 manufacturers by total recall volume, led by FORD, MERCEDES-BENZ, BMW, with each bar broken down by severity. Hover a segment to see the exact numbers.
Recalls are grouped by the vehicle system at fault. Brakes, airbags, fuel systems, and electrical components tend to top the list. The top 25 systems are shown here, with BRAKES, FUEL SYSTEM, SEATS AND RESTRAINTS among the most frequently recalled. Filter by severity to narrow the view, then click any tile to browse recalls for that system.
