- Ford led in physical recalls in 2024, forcing 4.8 million customers to visit dealerships.
- Tesla resolved 99.2% of its recalls with OTA updates, avoiding dealership visits entirely.
- Stellantis executed 72 recalls last year but relied on over-the-air software fixes just once.
The final recall tallies for 2024 are in, and spoiler alert: Ford can keep celebrating its fall from the top spot as the reigning king of recalls. This past year, Tesla and Stellantis both raced ahead of Ford in total vehicles recalled, with Stellantis also leading in the sheer number of individual recall actions. After years of holding the dubious title of “recall leader,” Ford’s reign has officially come to an end. Or has it? Well… not entirely.
With the final data now in from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the last 11 days of 2024 that weren’t available in our initial report, we’ve had a chance to take a deeper dive into the numbers. This time, beyond just the updated final tallies, we also examined how many recalls required a dealership visit (let’s call them “physical recalls”) versus those resolved through over-the-air (OTA) updates. The results were both revealing and unexpected.
More: Tesla And Stellantis Overtake Ford As 2024’s Most Recalled Brands
But before we get into the more nuanced breakdown, let’s address a minor shake-up in the overall recall rankings. While some automakers added to their totals during the last two weeks of December, the only notable change in the top 10 was Kia overtaking Toyota for seventh place. It’s a small, mostly irrelevant shuffle, but worth mentioning for the data nerds out there. Now, onto the bigger story: the stark difference between recalls that necessitate a trip to the dealership and those resolved remotely.
Ford Tops the “Physical Recall” Charts (Again)
Ford, including its luxury Lincoln division, may have lost the overall recall crown, but don’t break out the party hats just yet. When it comes to physical recalls – those requiring owners to visit a dealership – Ford remains unchallenged at the top. Last year, 4.8 million Ford vehicles needed in-person repairs. So while the automaker no longer leads in total recalls, it’s still the undisputed champion of “most inconvenient recalls” in the eyes of its customers.
US Recalls 2024: Required A Dealer Visit
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Meanwhile, Stellantis, whose brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Fiat, slid into third place in the physical recall category. The company managed to spare over 1 million recalled vehicles from the shop thanks to a single OTA update, leaving 3.77 million Stellantis vehicles in need of dealership repairs.
Honda, including its Acura brand, snuck into second place, with 3.79 million vehicles needing a trip to the shop, barely edging out Stellantis.
Tesla’s OTA Advantage: From Worst to… Not Even Top 15?
Tesla’s recall story paints a very different picture. While the EV giant recalled a staggering 5.1 million vehicles in 2024, more than any other automaker, only 39,605 of those required a dealership visit. That puts Tesla all the way down in 16th place on the “physical recall” list, even behind Porsche. Most of its recalls stemmed from software-related issues that were resolved remotely, sparing customers the hassle of service appointments.
To put this into perspective, Tesla managed to keep 99.2% of its recalled vehicles out of dealerships. By comparison, Ford and Honda relied almost entirely on physical repairs, making their numbers far more painful for both owners and dealerships.
US Recalls 2024: OTA Repair Only
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What the Recall Data Tells Us
By the end of 2024, the recall data painted a complex picture of the automotive industry’s winners and stragglers. Tesla’s use of OTA technology has allowed the company to manage massive recall totals while sparing its customers the headache of dealership visits.
That said, let’s not forget the fundamental issue here: recalls, no matter how they’re fixed, mean something went wrong in the first place. It’s great that Tesla can remotely address its problems, but when you’re recalling over 5 million cars in a year, there’s a deeper quality issue lurking beneath the convenience. Wouldn’t fewer problems be even better?
More: Some Cybertrucks Getting Bricked After Tesla’s Latest Software Updates
Meanwhile, Ford continues to grapple with hardware-related issues that require costly, time-consuming physical repairs. While it’s no longer the overall recall leader, its numbers for dealership-dependent fixes remain frustratingly high, for both its customers and its service departments.
And then there’s Stellantis, which may appear to be making progress by dabbling in OTA updates. But when you take a closer look, the numbers tell a less flattering story. Out of 72 total recalls, only one was resolved remotely. That’s hardly a revolution.
US RECALLS 2024: OVERALL
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