Ford Is the Most Recalled Brand, Mercedes Is the Least Recalled

Highlights:

• Ford Motor Company is the most-recalled brand, with both the highest number of recalled vehicles and 12 vehicles among the 25 cars with the most projected lifetime recalls
• Mercedes-Benz is the least-recalled brand, holding nine of the top 10 spots for models with the fewest projected recalls
• The Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln Corsair, Ford Maverick and Ford Bronco make up four of the top 5 models with the most projected recalls
• While four Teslas (Models Y, 3, X and S) are among the 16 most recalled cars, all four drop out of the top 25 when excluding over-the-air (OTA) recalls
• Nissan had the largest increase in total units recalled over the past year
• Across the industry, the number of cars affected by recalls is more than three times higher so far in 2026 than in 2025

Vehicle safety recalls address important issues, but they can still mean inconvenient and unexpected trips to the dealership.

Over the past year from April 2025 through March 2026, Ford Motor Company recalled more vehicles than the rest of the auto industry combined. This company-wide trend is reflected in high lifetime recall projections for vehicles from Ford and its luxury brand, Lincoln.

The Lincoln Aviator has the highest projected recall rate of all models, followed by the Lincoln Corsair, Porsche Taycan, Ford Maverick, and Ford Bronco. These models are projected to have between 36 and 92 recalls over their lifetime, which is between 9.4 and 23.4 times the industry median of 3.9 lifetime recalls per model. Consumers looking to avoid the hassle of recalls and their related dealer visits should compare these models to other vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, many of which have extremely low recall rates.

With four models among the top five vehicles for predicted lifetime recalls, one might expect the total number of Ford’s recalled units to be high, and indeed they are. Ford Motor Company recalled nearly 20 million vehicles over the past year, far more than the second-highest brand, Toyota, with just over 4 million recalled vehicles. Ford and Toyota are among the highest-volume brands in the U.S., which contributes to both brands’ potential for recalls.

While Ford leads in the total number of recalled vehicles over the past year, Nissan has seen the largest increase in recalled vehicles so far in 2026. Nissan recalled just 1,629 vehicles in the first three months of 2025, but has already recalled 669,197 in the first three months of 2026. 

“Car owners universally dread recall notices and the process of addressing them,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Knowing a vehicle's potential recall rate before purchase can help buyers avoid the hassle.”

The Top 25 Cars With the Most Predicted Safety Recalls

Top 25 Cars With the Most Predicted Safety Recalls, Excluding Over-the-Air Recalls

“Recalls resolved through over-the-air (OTA) updates are still critical safety issues to address, but the process can be nearly invisible to vehicle owners,” said Brauer. “For buyers interested in electric and/or high-tech models, OTA technology can substantially improve the ownership experience.” 

Top 25 Cars With the Fewest Predicted Safety Recalls

Ford Leads the Industry in Recalled Vehicles – By a Wide Margin

“Ford’s recall numbers have been leading the industry for a few years, hurting the automaker’s image while reducing profit margin,” said Brauer.

Comparison of Total Recalls By Brand Over the Past Two Years

“Kudos to Tesla for dropping from over 3 million recalls between April 2024 and March 2025 to less than 100,000 in the past 12 months,” said Brauer. “Let’s hope it reflects a qualitative shift in build quality versus a fluke in timing for Tesla’s recall process.”

Comparison of Total Recalls By Brand in Q1 2026

“Tesla tells an interesting story based on recent timeframes,” said Brauer. “The company had a big drop in recalls last year, and so far in 2026 it has had zero recalls. Are we at the start of a major shift in Tesla’s recall rate? Maybe, though it will take more time to confidently predict a permanent shift in the EV maker’s long-term recall status.”

Another important point is that the total number of cars recalled is three times higher so far in 2026 than in 2025. “Is this a reflection in lower build quality or an increase in recall standards for NHTSA? Maybe a little of both,” said Brauer.

Methodology

iSeeCars analyzed vehicle safety recall campaigns as of April 2, 2026 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for cars from model years 2017-2025. The number of campaigns for each model was aggregated and projected for an expected 30-year lifespan, taking into account the overall behavior of the automaker and when each recall campaign was issued in the car’s lifetime. The resulting estimates were then used to rank models with the fewest and most expected safety recalls. Heavy-duty vehicles, low-volume models, and models discontinued prior to the 2020 model year were excluded from further analysis. In a second analysis, the number of units affected by vehicle recall campaigns from April 2025 - March 2026 and from Q1 2026 was aggregated by manufacturer and compared to the same metric from the same period a year prior. Manufacturers were ranked both by the number of units affected in the more recent period as well as the year-over-year change.

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