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Car research site iSeeCars has conducted a study using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to put together lists of cars with both the highest and lowest recall rates.
A recall shows not only a potential danger in driving your car, but it’s an added inconvenience of a trip to the dealer to have the vehicle checked. Here are the top ten cars with the highest recall rates with the average recall rate per year per 100,000 units sold. The overall average for all cars is 0.79.
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 5.77
- GMC Sierra – 3.25
- BMW 3/4 Series – 2.95
- Dodge Durango – 2.71
- Nissan Pathfinder – 2.00
- Ram Pickup – 1.99
- Toyota 4Runner – 1.98
- Dodge Charger – 1.74
- Chrysler 300 – 1.71
- Chevrolet Tahoe – 1.52
“Interestingly, [four] of the vehicles that were on the list with the highest recall rates were affected by the FCA recall announced [on 5/25]” said an iSeeCars representative in an email to The Drive. The FCA recall in question reaches 4.8 million vehicles. FCA is recommending not using cruise control if you drive a 2014 or newer Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat until you’ve had it looked at because you might not be able to turn it off.
Now, here are the top 10 least recalled vehicles according to the study using the same metrics.
- Hyundai Accent – 0.10
- Chevrolet Equinox – 0.11
- Toyota Corolla – 0.12
- Honda Civic – 0.14
- Honda CR-V – 0.14
- Honda Accord – 0.16
- Subaru Crosstrek – 0.18
- Toyota Camry – 0.23
- Hyundai Elantra – 0.23
- GMC Terrain – 0.26
“Recalls issued for models with less frequent recall rates and high reliability ratings should still be taken seriously,” said Phong Ly, iSeeCars.com CEO in the study. The Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota Corolla are both affected by the Takata airbag recalls for example.
The study shows that six out of 10 vehicles on the highest recall list come from domestic automakers. It’s a mix of trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars. And the lowest recall rates come mostly from Japanese brands and that list includes a mix of passenger cars and SUVs only.
