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Top Ten Car Recalls

Well, recently we have been hearing a lot about car recalls. In many instances the cause for a car recall is minor, but there are times when a recall is due to a dangerous condition that can impose severe personal injury, and in worse case scenarios it may also lead to death.

Car manufacturers take all possible measures to make their cars safe and reliable but slip-ups do happen and carmakers losing customers and, sometimes, facing lawsuits. And in such cases, car companies resort to recalls in an attempt to keep their customers and business safe.

Here is a list of the top ten recalls in the automotive history. The ranks have been assigned based on the number of vehicles recalled. When we look at the car recall history, Toyota's recent recall fiasco (2.3 million) would seem like a rather small affair.

1984 General Motors (3.1 million vehicles)

The year was 1984 when General Motors recalled 3.1 million vehicles, including the Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Century, Cutlass, Monte Carlo, and many others. Apparently, all the 3.1 million vehicles had the risk of having defective axle assemblies. The problem could lead the wheels on the vehicles to just fall off any time. Thankfully, the defect in the cars did not cause any casualty. GM quickly fixed the problem and avoided being in any kind of thick soup.

2004 General Motors (3.6 million vehicles)

In 2004, General Motors was in spotlight again, and for no good reason. GM recalled 3.6 million trucks including Sierras, Silverados, Escalades, and Avalanches. These vehicles had serious problems with the tailgate cables that keep the tailgate attached to the truck itself. These cables were prone for quick corrosion and would cause them to break easily.

More than 134 accidents were reported but most were accounted to the owner or victim faults. GM had forewarned all customers to avoid standing or sitting on the tailpipe, and those who reported the accidents were doing just that.

1987 Ford Motor Company (3.6 million vehicles)

The clean reputation of Ford Motor Co took a severe blow when there were reports of fuel leakages in a number of Ford vehicles. Consequently, Ford had to recall 3.6 million vehicles including F15-350 trucks, Mercury models, Lincoln models, vans, and practically every other Ford model. The problem was with a faulty fuel-line that led to the connectors, which could cause compartment fires. Ford did fix the problem but people must have taken a lot of time forgetting an incident like that.

1972 Volkswagen of America (3.7 million vehicles)

Whether you realise it or not, windshield wipers are a very important safety feature in a car. You need a fully functional pair of windshield wipers when it is raining or snowing or when there is a bug stuck dead on your car windshield. In 1972, Volkswagen recalled 3.7 million vehicles because of windshields that were almost useless. The arms of the wipers from cars built in 1949 up to 1969 would become loose, which would cause them to not work properly, and eventually they would fall off. A simple replacement rescued the car maker without much loss.

1995 Honda Motor Company (3.7 million vehicles)

Seatbelts, considered to be the blessing of modern day safety technology, can also conspire against you. Some of the Honda models including the Accord, Civic, and Prelude had flaws in the release button of the seatbelts. This obvious fault caused Honda to recall 3.7 million units of the affected models and replaced the seatbelt release buttons.

1973 General Motors (3.7 million vehicles)

In 1973, General Motors recalled about 3.7 million units of Centurion, Electra, Kingswood, Belair, Bonneville, and a few other models due to a problem in shields that are installed underneath many engines to keep rocks and other solid pieces of rubble from getting into the engine. As is obvious, this posed a serious threat to the safety of the car and the passengers. The shield was not doing its job and a recall was indispensable. If a piece of rock was to get inside the engine, it would disable the engine and that could be a costly affair.

1972 Ford Motor Company (4.1 million vehicles)

Nowadays, not wearing a seatbelt is considered a serious traffic offence. In 972, Ford recalled 4.1 million vehicles, including Mercury, Lincoln and Ranchero, in which the seatbelts were less than perfect protection. The seatbelt harnesses were susceptible to fraying and would come loose from the metal that was used to attach it to the frame.

1981 General Motors (5.8 million vehicles)

Oops, General Motors did it again. In 1981, GM recalled 5.8 million units including El Camino, Malibu, Monte Carlo, Century, Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, and a few other cars, which had problems in the steering wheel. According to statement from GM, the suspension bolts could come loose in these models. In a case where the bolt would come loose, there would be no way for the driver to steer. GM recalled the affected vehicles and replaced the suspension bolt.

1971 General Motors (6.7 million vehicles)

In 1971, General Motors recalled 6.7 million vehicles including the Chevrolet's Camaro, Chevy II, Impala, Nova, Belair, and a few other models. These cars manufactured during 1965-1969 suffered from a problem of unintended acceleration. Somehow, an engine mount within the car separated due to a deterioration of the rubber placed between them, which then lifted and pushed down on the throttle. This caused the vehicles to reach some really high speeds.

1996 Ford Motor Company (8.6 million vehicles)

In 1996, some of the Ford models were badly affected by an ignition problem which caused the car manufacturer to recall a massive 8.6 million vehicles. The vehicles suffering from this problem were 1988-93 Tempo, Thunderbird, Cougar, Escort, Mustang, Lincoln Town Cars, Bronco, F-series trucks and Crown Victoria. Seemingly, the cars would catch fire while parked caused by a faulty ignition. Unfortunately many of the cars which caught fire were parked in the garage and, hence, the fire not only killed the car but sometimes an entire house itself.