Most recalled brands of 2024: Tesla leads, Ford tops list

The final recall statistics for 2024 are in, and spoiler alert: Ford can continue to celebrate its fall from the recall king’s throne. Last year, Tesla and Stellantis both led Ford in the total number of recalled vehicles, with Stellantis also leading in the sheer number of individual recalls. After years of holding the dubious title of “recall leader,” Ford’s reign is officially over. Or is there? Well… not really.

With the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now providing final data, including data for the final 11 days of 2024 that was not provided in our initial report, we have the opportunity to take a deeper look at the data. This time, in addition to the updated final tally, we also examined the number of recalls that required a visit to a dealer (what we call “physical recalls”) versus the number of recalls that were resolved through over-the-air (OTA) updates. The results were both illuminating and unexpected.

More: Tesla, Stellantis surpass Ford as most recalled brands in 2024

But before we get into a more granular breakdown, let’s address one small change in the overall recall rankings. While some automakers increased overall sales in the last two weeks of December, the only notable change in the top 10 was Kia leapfrogging Toyota into seventh place. This is a small, almost irrelevant shuffle, but worth mentioning for data nerds. Now, let’s get to the bigger story: the stark difference between a recall that requires a trip to the dealership and one that’s resolved remotely.

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Ford tops ‘physical recall’ rankings again

Ford, including its luxury Lincoln brand, may have lost its overall recall crown, but it hasn’t taken off its party hat just yet. When it comes to actual recalls (recalls that require owners to visit dealers), Ford still leads the way. Last year, 4.8 million Ford vehicles required in-person service. So while the automaker no longer leads the recall total, it remains the undisputed “least inconvenient recall” champion in the eyes of customers.

2024 US Recall: Dealer Visit Required

Meanwhile, Stellantis, whose brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Fiat, slipped to third place in the physical recall category. Through a single OTA update, the company managed to save more than 1 million recalled vehicles from stores, resulting in 3.77 million Stellantis vehicles requiring dealership repairs.

Honda (including its Acura brand) jumped into second place with 3.79 million vehicles requiring home repairs, narrowly beating out Stellantis.

Tesla’s OTA Advantages: From Worst to… Not Even in the Top 15?

Tesla’s recall story paints a very different picture. While the electric car giant is recalling a staggering 5.1 million vehicles in 2024, more than any other automaker, only 39,605 of them will need to go to a dealership. This has pushed Tesla all the way down to 16th place on the “physical recall” list, even behind Porsche. Most of its recalls stem from software-related issues that are resolved remotely, sparing customers the hassle of a service appointment.

To put this into perspective, Tesla successfully kept 99.2% of recalled vehicles out of dealers. In contrast, Ford and Honda rely almost entirely on physical repairs, making it more painful for both owners and dealers.

2024 US Recall: OTA Repairs Only

What recall data tells us

Through the end of 2024, recall data paints a complex picture of winners and laggards in the auto industry. Tesla’s use of OTA technology allows the company to manage large recall volumes while sparing customers the hassle of trips to dealerships.

That said, let’s not forget the fundamental issue here: a recall, no matter how fixed it is, means something went wrong in the first place. It’s great that Tesla can fix problems remotely, but when you’re recalling over 5 million cars in a year, there are deeper quality issues hidden behind the convenience. Wouldn’t it be better to have fewer problems?

More: Some Cybertrucks Bricked after Tesla’s Latest Software Update

Meanwhile, Ford continues to work to resolve hardware-related issues that require expensive and time-consuming physical repairs. While it’s no longer the leader in overall recalls, the number of repairs it relies on dealers for is still frustratingly high for its customers and service departments.

Then there’s Stellantis, which seems to be making headway by dabbling in OTA updates. But when you look closer, the numbers tell a less than rosy story. Of the 72 recalls, only one was resolved remotely. This is hardly a revolution at all.

U.S. 2024 Recalls: Overall