By Paul Davenport January 17, 2025
Vehicle recalls have long been a thorn in the side for businesses and consumers alike. But a laundry list of new factors emerged over the past few years that are changing the dynamics (and impacts) of manufacturer recalls on the driving public.
An increase in personal choice for driving employees, the rising popularity of new models and drivetrains, as well as unresolved repairs from past years’ recalls are introducing entirely new safety implications that individuals and organizations must learn to navigate.
In this blog, we’ll unpack the key takeaways from the past year of vehicle recalls and what drivers and employers can expect as the industry continues to shift in 2025.
The NHTSA reports that just over 27.7 million vehicles were recalled in 2024. This is down from 33.6 million in 2023 and 29.0 million in 2022, and by some measures the lowest total since 2013.
To that end, with the exception of a spike of almost 10 million vehicles recalled in Q1, each quarter of 2024 was actually lighter on manufacturer issuances compared to the same period over the past two years.
While a downward trend in safety issues is a positive development on its face, the NHTSA estimates that the surge in recalls from past years has had a long-tail impact on drivers in 2024. When factoring in the huge backlog of un-repaired vehicles from 2023 and 2022, it’s estimated that there are 72.7 million vehicles on the road today with an open recall.
Brass tax? One in four cars on the road in the United States today have an open recall.
For context, Consumer Affairs noted that the past decade has seen a huge jump in the total number of recalls compared to the previous status quo. Back in 2013 and 2012, for instance, total recalls barely scratched 20 million, before abruptly topping 50 million for a roughly three-year stretch between 2014 and 2016.
When you dig into the nature of the recalls—as well as how timelines align with the launch of new models and drivetrains—you’ll start to understand where the industry is heading, and how drivers and businesses should start to respond.
The NHTSA slots vehicle recalls into two categories based on severity. Do Not Drive recalls are the most critical (and self-explanatory), while Park Outside recalls dictate a “fire hazard to buildings,” but don’t necessarily pose an urgent risk to drivers.
From 2015 to 2017, the number of Do Not Drive recalls jumped from less than 30K to more than 2 million. This aligned with the introduction of a wealth of new plug-in hybrids and pureplay electric vehicles (EVs) in the second half of 2015.
That’s not to say that every recall was related to the auto industry’s shift away from traditional internal combustion models. It does, however, illustrate ‘growing pains’ within the sector that are continuing to play out in 2025.
Beginning in 2020, the number of Park Outside recalls jumped abruptly from less than 400K to more than 1.3 million, led in large part to electrical vehicle system issues in new models like the Tesla Model 3. While these system flaws were relatively minor, they continued to pile up year-over-year, surging to 4.8 million Park Outside recalls in 2023 alone.
Although 2024 saw the number of Park Outside orders drop significantly to just 732.2K, the same culprits from past year—namely, new Tesla models—led the charge: In total, 2.19 million Cybertruck, Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y units were recalled by Tesla for inadequate-size warning light labels.
Although Tesla leads the way in Park Outside issues—a trend that has continued into 2025 as more than 230K models were just recalled this month for faulty rearview cameras—almost all of the issues were fixable via Over-the-Air (OTA) updates that can be addressed without physical intervention.
Luxury brands Mercedes and Porshe saw some of the largest Do Not Drive recalls of the year, including a brake failure warning for 2006-2012 ML, GL and R-Class Mercedes models attributed to moisture buildup across more than 15,000 models.
Recalls for the 2024 Porsche Cayenne kicked off a bad year for the German brand, as almost 2.5K models were recalled for a “cracked control arm” that could result in complete loss of steering and wheel control.
The hits kept coming for Porsche in October, as the company issued a wide-ranging recall for a “fracturing wheel bolt” for the 2025 Panamera, 2024 718 Cayman GT4 RS, 718 Spyder RS, and 2021-2024 911 models.
In total, however, Stellantis/Chrysler (4.6 million), Tesla (4.44 million) Ford (4.36 million), and Honda (3.79 million) recalled the most vehicles last year, with Electrical Systems remaining the top-recalled component across the entire industry.
With next-generation electrical systems being introduced across virtually every vehicle line, drivers can expect new challenges and maintenance considerations to start emerging as well.
Folding these considerations into vehicle programs will be a key consideration for businesses that maintain a driving workforce into the future.
After all, more than 60 percent of respondents to Motus’s 2024 Driving Employee Report indicate they want choice in the cars they drive for both work and personal use. This will inevitably lead to businesses deploying more flexible vehicle programs going forward compared to the traditional company car systems of the past.
Depending on what vehicles drivers choose, businesses will need to be sure they’re deploying programs that accurately track driver safety in terms of both personal behavior and vehicle performance. This will help mitigate risks to the business, compliance with industry standards, and even more fair and accurate reimbursements for driving employees.
To design a vehicle program that fits the unique preferences of your driving workforce while satisfying the needs of your business, connect with a member of the Motus team today.
Important numbers from 2024:
The NHTSA classifies recalls into two categories:
Do Not Drive Recalls:
Park Outside Recalls:
Notable recalls included:
Key trends and changes:
Important considerations include:
Note: As vehicle technology continues to evolve, businesses must adapt their vehicle programs to address both traditional and emerging safety concerns.
With Motus, accurately capturing business mileage has never been faster or easier.
Contact us today or take a virtual tour of the Motus Platform.
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