Recall Visualizations

Visual breakdowns of 25,867 vehicle safety recalls from Transport Canada and NHTSA. The most common severity level is Critical (12,482 recalls).

Top manufacturers by volume: FORD, MERCEDES-BENZ, BMW, GMC, HONDA. Most-recalled systems: Airbags, Other, Electrical.

Major League Impact

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 Distribution

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 25,867 recalls in our database break down across those levels.

Recall severity distribution
Severity	Recalls	Share
Critical	12,482	48%
High	7,264	28%
Medium	4,151	16%
Low	1,866	7%
Informational	104	0%

Top 15 Makes by Recall Severity

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.

Top 15 manufacturers by recall count and severity
Make	Total	Critical	High	Medium	Low	Informational
FORD	2,931	1377	850	516	177	11
MERCEDES-BENZ	2,605	844	879	733	132	17
BMW	1,708	941	431	201	135	0
GMC	947	490	279	98	77	3
HONDA	943	536	264	94	48	1
DODGE	914	519	221	85	83	6
TOYOTA	882	375	244	126	132	5
VOLVO	832	388	264	135	42	3
AUDI	796	289	267	200	35	5
NISSAN	739	346	249	96	45	3
VOLKSWAGEN	716	338	172	105	87	14
CHEVROLET	653	309	235	59	50	0
HYUNDAI	647	319	195	94	37	2
JEEP	601	296	153	111	39	2
PORSCHE	561	258	158	92	52	1

Recalls by Vehicle System

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 Airbags, Other, Electrical among the most frequently recalled. Filter by severity to narrow the view, then click any tile to browse recalls for that system.

Recalls by vehicle system (normalized categories)
System	Recalls
Airbags	3,145
Other	3,034
Electrical	3,030
Brakes	2,394
Fuel System	2,086
Seat Belts	1,683
Engine	1,502
Body & Latches	1,481
Lighting	1,136
Steering	1,025
Visibility	1,001
Suspension	994
Powertrain	914
Tires & Wheels	634
Transmission	589
Seats	424
Software & Electronics	302
Speed Control	171
HV Battery & EV Systems	122
ADAS	87
HVAC	49
Towing	42
Cooling System	22

The Watchlist: Complaints vs. Recalls

Each point represents one vehicle. X axis: owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Y axis: recall campaigns. Bubble size reflects crash and fire complaints. The bottom-right quadrant — high complaints, few recalls — is what this chart is for. Click any pointto view that vehicle's full recall and complaint history.

Top vehicles by owner complaint volume relative to recall campaigns
Vehicle	Owner complaints (NHTSA)	Recall campaigns
FORD F-150	20,681	273
FORD FUSION	19,145	57
FORD ESCAPE	18,338	153
FORD EXPLORER	14,763	196
FORD FOCUS	12,877	69
HYUNDAI SONATA	12,200	117
RAM 1500	11,545	138
JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE	11,231	155
FORD EDGE	11,199	62
HONDA CR-V	10,586	85
JEEP CHEROKEE	9,752	114
JEEP WRANGLER	9,695	100
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500	9,519	51
HONDA ACCORD	9,300	112
KIA SORENTO	8,569	71
CHEVROLET MALIBU	7,525	36
SUBARU OUTBACK	7,511	73
NISSAN ALTIMA	7,101	67
CHEVROLET EQUINOX	6,667	31
HONDA CIVIC	6,372	106
KIA OPTIMA	6,341	34
NISSAN ROGUE	6,211	73
HONDA PILOT	6,112	66
GMC SIERRA 1500	5,854	48
HYUNDAI TUCSON	5,805	57
HYUNDAI ELANTRA	5,689	75
KIA SOUL	5,387	35
CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY	5,187	16
TOYOTA CAMRY	5,148	74
RAM 2500	5,070	86

Recalls are official actions: a manufacturer or regulator has confirmed a defect, issued a remedy, and notified owners. NHTSA complaints are owner-submitted reports that have not been independently verified. A high complaint count does not mean a recall is imminent, and a low recall count does not mean a vehicle is problem-free.

The gap is the interesting part. A model with many complaints and few recalls has not necessarily been cleared. The investigation may be ongoing, the complaint volume may not yet meet the threshold for a formal recall, or the issue may be addressed through dealer service bulletins rather than a manufacturer recall. Either way, seeing that disparity before you buy or service a vehicle is useful context.

Complaint data: NHTSA. Recall data: Transport Canada and NHTSA. Owner complaints are self-reported and have not been independently verified. This chart surfaces owner-reported patterns, not safety verdicts.