Ford recalled more vehicles in 2025 than any other automaker, and the numbers across the industry are hard to ignore. Whether you’re shopping for a used car right now or you already own one, knowing which car brands are racking up the most recall activity can help you make a smarter buying decision before you sign anything.
What’s Happening
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tracks every recall issued in the United States, and the 2025 numbers are now in. According to data compiled by autoinsurance.com and reported by outlets including Autoblog and Motor1, Ford led all car brands with a staggering 12.9 million vehicles recalled across 153 separate recall actions in 2025. That’s not a typo.
Toyota came in second with 3.2 million vehicles recalled, followed by Stellantis at 2.7 million. Honda, Hyundai, General Motors, Kia, Tesla, Volkswagen Group, and BMW round out the top ten. Together, these brands account for a massive share of all recall activity tracked by NHTSA between January and December 2025.
A recall doesn’t automatically mean a vehicle is unsafe to drive, but it does mean a defect was identified that met the threshold for a federally mandated fix. The defect can range from a minor software glitch to a serious safety risk, and the distinction matters when you’re deciding what to buy.
As these numbers feed into 2026 analysis, industry observers are already watching whether Ford’s pace of recalls this year continues or corrects. For used car buyers, the data gives you a real starting point for doing your homework.
Most Recalled Car Brands of 2025
Here’s how the full top ten breaks down, based on total vehicles recalled in calendar year 2025.
1. Ford: 12.9 Million Cars Recalled
Ford racked up the most recalls in 2025 by a wide margin. With 153 recall actions and nearly 13 million vehicles affected, no other automaker came close. The defects ranged across multiple model lines and model years, making this a brand you need to check thoroughly before buying used. Use a free VIN lookup on any Ford you’re considering.
2. Toyota: 3.2 Million Cars Recalled
Toyota is often considered one of the more reliable car brands, and that reputation still has merit. But 3.2 million recalled vehicles in 2025 is significant. One notable recall covered the 2025 and 2026 Camry and 2026 Corolla Cross Hybrid due to a fire risk from a loose bolt in the hybrid powertrain. Toyota tends to issue recalls for a wide range of defect severity levels, including relatively minor fixes, which partly explains the volume.
3. Stellantis: 2.7 Million Cars Recalled
Stellantis, which covers Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat, issued recalls affecting 2.7 million vehicles. Critics have pointed out that some Stellantis recalls involved more serious mechanical defects, including engine and pump failures, rather than software or minor component issues.
4. Honda: 1.5 Million Cars Recalled
Honda recalled 1.5 million vehicles in 2025. The brand has a strong long-term reliability track record, but the volume here is a reminder that no manufacturer is immune to defect issues at scale.
5. Hyundai: 1.0 Million Cars Recalled
Hyundai crossed the one million mark for recalled vehicles in 2025. The brand has faced scrutiny in recent years over engine defect issues, and while Hyundai has worked to address those problems, recall volume remains something to watch. If you’re shopping for a used Hyundai, a recall history check is non-negotiable.
6. General Motors: 998,260 Cars Recalled
GM came just under the one million mark with 998,260 recalled vehicles across its Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac brands. Like Stellantis, some GM recalls in recent years have involved more significant mechanical defects rather than minor technical corrections.
7. Kia: 982,346 Cars Recalled
Kia very nearly broke the one million threshold, issuing 13 separate recalls in 2025 covering 982,346 vehicles. Kia and its sister brand Hyundai have both dealt with ongoing scrutiny over engine and fire-related defects in recent model years. Always check a used Kia’s full recall and defect history before buying.
8. Tesla: 745,075 Cars Recalled
Tesla issued recalls covering more than 700,000 vehicles in 2025. The largest single Tesla recall affected 376,000 units of the Model 3 and Model Y for a power loss defect. A separate recall covered 239,000 vehicles with faulty rearview cameras that failed to display an image. Tesla typically handles many of its recalls through over-the-air software updates, which can make the process faster but also means some defects go unnoticed by owners who don’t check their accounts.
9. Volkswagen Group: 663,663 Cars Recalled
Volkswagen Group, covering VW, Audi, Porsche, and others, recalled 663,663 vehicles in 2025. The brand has faced various defect-related recall actions across its lineup, and with multiple premium models in its portfolio, repairs can be costly if you’re buying used outside of a warranty period.
10. BMW: 508,338 Cars Recalled
BMW rounds out the top ten with 508,338 recalled cars in 2025. As with VW Group, defect repairs on a used BMW can be expensive, so knowing the full recall history before you buy is especially important.
What This Means for Used Car Buyers
A high recall count doesn’t necessarily mean a brand makes bad cars. Ford sells an enormous number of vehicles every year, and a higher sales volume naturally produces more recall opportunities. Toyota’s reputation for reliability hasn’t disappeared just because the brand shows up near the top of a recall list in 2025.
What matters more than the raw number of recalls is whether the defect was addressed. When a manufacturer issues a recall, the fix is free at dealerships. The problem is that many recalled cars are sold used before the repair ever happens. In fact, millions of vehicles on the road right now have open, unrepaired recall actions against them.
If you’re buying from a private seller, there’s a real chance the recall was never completed. Some dealerships also sell used cars with open recalls, though rules around this vary by state and situation. You can’t assume the previous owner took care of it.
The other thing to keep in mind: a recall specifically means a defect was significant enough to trigger a federal response. That’s a higher bar than a typical service bulletin or manufacturer update. Recalls flagged by NHTSA carry legal weight, and ignoring an open recall is a real risk.
If you’re financing a purchase, factor potential repair costs into your budget. Our car loan calculator can help you build a realistic picture of total ownership cost, especially if you’re looking at a brand with a heavier defect history.
What You Should Do
Before you buy any used vehicle, run the VIN through our free VIN lookup tool. This pulls recall data directly from the NHTSA recalls database so you can see exactly which recalls apply to that specific car and whether they’ve been repaired.
Don’t rely on the seller to tell you. Most private sellers either don’t know or don’t volunteer the information. Get the VIN before you visit the car and check it yourself.
If the vehicle has an open recall, that’s not automatically a deal-breaker, but it does give you negotiating leverage. You can ask the seller to get the recall repaired before purchase, or factor the inconvenience into your offer price.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you trust. A recall tells you about known defects the manufacturer acknowledged. A mechanic can catch things a recall history check won’t show.
Looking at a specific make? Browse used cars by make on our site to pull up model-level history and see what other buyers have found. Going in informed is the best thing you can do before spending your money.
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