The 5 Largest
Recalls in History

The largest automotive safety recall in U.S. history, and it’s still open. A defective ammonium nitrate propellant in Takata’s airbag inflators degrades over time, particularly in heat and humidity, causing the inflator housing to rupture violently on deployment and send metal shrapnel into the vehicle cabin.

What began as a Honda recall in 2004 escalated into a global crisis by 2013 as the scope became undeniable. NHTSA ordered a nationwide recall in 2015. Takata filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 (the largest in the automotive supply industry) and agreed to a $1 billion criminal settlement with the U.S. DOJ. The recall touched 19+ automakers including virtually every major brand. Millions of vehicles remain unrepaired.

A faulty ignition switch could unexpectedly slip from “Run” to “Accessory”, cutting power to the airbags, power steering, and brakes with no warning, often triggered by a heavy keychain or a bump to the knee.

What made this recall scandalous was what GM knew and when. Internal documents showed engineers had identified the defect more than a decade before the recall was issued, yet the company took no action, reportedly because the fix cost less than a dollar per vehicle. Congressional hearings in 2014 exposed systematic safety failures inside GM. The recall began with 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions in February 2014 and expanded to encompass roughly 30 million vehicles worldwide within months. GM agreed to a $900 million criminal settlement with the DOJ and established a $594 million victim compensation fund.

Firestone Wilderness AT tires (most commonly installed on Ford Explorer SUVs) were prone to catastrophic tread separation at highway speeds, causing rollovers that killed hundreds of families across the country, particularly in hot-weather states.

Bridgestone/Firestone recalled 14.4 million tires across roughly 10 million vehicles in August 2000 after a joint Ford-Firestone investigation (itself triggered by lawsuits and reporting by a Miami TV station) could no longer be contained. The defect was traced to tires manufactured at Firestone’s Decatur, Illinois plant. Congressional hearings were held the same month. The recall permanently ended a 95-year business relationship between Ford and Firestone, led to the TREAD Act (the first major auto safety legislation since 1966), and fundamentally changed how manufacturers must report safety defects to NHTSA. Firestone agreed to approximately $240 million in settlements.

Gas pedals could become trapped beneath floor mats or stick due to a flawed accelerator design, causing sudden, uncontrollable acceleration that drivers could not override, even with the brakes fully applied.

A harrowing 911 call from a 2009 crash near San Diego (in which a family died when their loaner Lexus ES350 accelerated to over 120 mph) brought the issue into national focus. Toyota initially attributed the problem to improperly installed floor mats, then acknowledged a separate sticky accelerator defect. Congressional hearings in 2010 were contentious and widely televised. By the time the campaigns concluded, approximately 9.5 million vehicles had been recalled globally. In 2014, Toyota agreed to a $1.2 billion deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ for concealing the defect from regulators.

A faulty speed control deactivation switch could overheat and ignite a fire under the hood, even when the vehicle was parked and the engine was off. Fires started in driveways, parking lots, and garages across the country with no driver present.

Ford issued a series of recall campaigns between 2004 and 2007 covering approximately 5.8 million vehicles. The deactivation switch, which disengages cruise control when the brakes are applied, was prone to fluid leakage that could cause an electrical short and start a fire. Because the fires could occur without anyone in the vehicle, many owners had no warning before the blaze spread to surrounding property. The campaigns spanned some of Ford’s most popular nameplates, making it one of the largest single-brand recall programs in U.S. history at the time.