At the start of 2024, we reveal our traditional look back at the vehicle recalls of the past 12 months. In 2023, 283 recalls for 249 models were reported by 46 carmakers to the European Safety Gate system (formerly Rapex).
This means that, in total, millions of cars of different ages were recalled in Europe again. Recalls for vehicles over ten years old are no exception.
More sources, more information
We’ve been tracking Rapex’s recalls regularly since 2017, compiling a ranking of the most recalled makes and models every year. This year, for the first time, we’ve added recalls announced by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and recalls announced by NHTSA in the USA to our lists. We have also been tracking UK recalls published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) since 2017. You can find them in each manufacturer’s overview page. However, we do not include these sources in the overall results. The ranking is based on EU Safety Gate data only.
- Tip: These 17 cars had five or more recalls in 2023
- Tip: 10 most read articles about the 2023 recalls
Our reports usually do not include recalls affecting a few cars produced within a few days. Safety Gate does not provide the numbers of potentially affected vehicles in its reports. Still, we always verify these numbers from other sources, and where available, you can find them in the recall details.
Not only the recalls
Please note that, in addition to recalls, automakers also announce so-called Technical Service Bulletin (TSB), which do not have to be reported to authorities such as Safety Gate and are not included in our overview. They are carried out quietly only on cars that arrive at an authorised workshop for servicing. These technical upgrades or updates prevent the potential for more extensive damage in the future. We describe the difference between a recall and a service campaign in more detail in this article.
Which carmakers had the most recalls in 2023?
As in the previous overview for 2022, the top two manufacturers are Mercedes-Benz (38 recalls) and Peugeot (27). BMW (21) moves up to third place from eighth last year. Rounding out the top five are Opel (21) and Citroën (20), which moved Toyota (16) and Ford (16) out of the Top 5. The eighth place belongs to DS Automobiles (14), and the top ten is rounded out by Volkswagen (11) and Land Rover (11). The rankings for the following places can be found in the continuation of the table at the link below.
In the table you will find the number of recalls by car manufacturer. The next columns show the recalls of the brand in the past years. The number in brackets next to the ranking is the position the carmaker held last year.
| # (2022) | Make | Recalls | Models | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Mercedes-Benz | 38 | 20 | 39/24 | 67/21 | 57/27 |
| 2 (2) | Peugeot | 27 | 13 | 15/10 | 16/15 | 28/11 |
| 3 (8) | BMW | 21 | 20 | 8/12 | 17/17 | 17/18 |
| 4 (5) | Opel | 21 | 11 | 12/10 | 19/11 | 14/7 |
| 5 (6) | Citroën | 20 | 12 | 11/10 | 21/18 | 18/13 |
| 6 (4) | Toyota | 16 | 16 | 14/10 | 12/13 | 22/14 |
| 7 (7) | Ford | 16 | 9 | 10/7 | 11/11 | 24/16 |
| 8 (9) | DS Automobiles | 14 | 4 | 8/3 | Citroën | Citroën |
| 9 (3) | Volkswagen | 11 | 12 | 14/12 | 25/15 | 24/12 |
| 10 (11) | Land Rover | 11 | 5 | 7/4 | 10/4 | 7/3 |
Share of brands in percentage
A look at the chart shows that more than two-thirds of the recalls were announced by the ten automakers that top the overall table. First-placed Mercedes-Benz claims 13.4%, while ninth-placed Volkswagen (note: only Volkswagen, excluding other VW Group brands) and tenth-placed Land Rover have an identical 3.9%. The Stellantis Group brands in the Top 10 (Citroën, DS, Opel and Peugeot) have an aggregate share of 28.9%, almost a third of all announced recalls.
What was the most common reason for the recall?
The manufacturer is obliged to issue a recall whenever the use of a product endangers health, safety or the environment. Safety Gate lists the most common risks as injury (213), fire (71) and environmental (15). We use an even more detailed classification in our database, and our records show that the most common defects are related to the engine (101), airbags (82), brakes (48), electronics and software (48), suspension (34), steering (31) and body components (25). The number in brackets is not the number of recalls with this risk because multiple models are usually involved in one recall.
Safety Gate does not yet have a particular category for electric vehicles. We used the EV/Hybrid tag in 74 cases in addition to the faults listed above.
Reporting of defects and Country of origin
In 2023, the Safety Gate rapid alert system enabled the exchange of information between 31 EU countries. Germany reported the highest number of recalls (162), regardless of the country of origin of the vehicle, followed by France (82), Portugal (17) and Poland (16). In terms of the countries of origin of the recalled cars, Germany again has the highest number of recalls (89), followed by France (56), USA (25), UK (24), South Korea (15), Italy (14), Spain (13), Japan (11) and Sweden (7).
Evolution of the number of recalls over the years
As can be seen from the graph, after the increase in the number of recalls in 2017 – 2019, there was a stabilisation in the following two years. After a dip in 2022, when some carmakers did not report a single recall despite having several in the past, 2023 returned to 2018 levels.
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Cui bono?
The purpose of this overview is not to provide exhaustive information on all recalls. Only those that have been reported to the European Safety Gate alert system or that we have drawn from other sources are listed. This summary should encourage second-hand owners of older cars to contact an authorised workshop and ask if any recall or service action has been announced for a particular car. In fact, one in four cars remains unrepaired after a recall. We advise how to do this here.
This overview summarises the 2023. See also the most recent recalls. Or subscribe to our newsletter.
Source: opendatasoft.com
The Safety Gate rapid information exchange system enables the quick exchange of information between the 31 countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area and the European Commission on dangerous non-food products that pose a risk to the health and safety of consumers.