Despite recent headlines concerning vehicle recalls, recalls were much more of a concern in decades past, reports an analysis by Edmunds.com, Santa Monica, Calif.
“Recall numbers have been remarkably high since the mid-’90s when car technology really began getting complicated, but this year they’ve been far more publicized,” said Edmunds.com’s senior analyst, Ray Zhou. “Thanks to recent headlines this year, drivers are more alert to any potential safety issues and more likely to report any potential flaws and perhaps even pay closer attention to recall news.”
Through early June, the industry More than 80 recalls have been issued this year through early June — in line with an average of 164 per year in recent times, Edmunds noted, with more than 10 million vehicles affected to date.
“The level of vehicle recall activity simply doesn’t suggest any greater reasons for concern by consumers,” said Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing at Edmunds.com. “In fact, automakers as a whole have become increasingly diligent not only about safety and reliability but also about reporting problems with their vehicles and, in many cases, recalling them more quickly than in the past.”