Honda Motor Company led all automakers with 3.9 million vehicles recalled in 2011 – a majority of those involving defective airbags. According to a report in the Detroit News, in all, Honda recalled 2.53 million vehicles in the United States and 2.7 million worldwide over defective airbags. Honda initially disputed the National Highway Safety Administration’s tally, but later agreed that it had the highest number of recalled vehicles. Automakers in the United States recalled a total of 15.5 million vehicles in 2011 due to various auto defects. That number is down from the 20.1 million in 2010. The total number of recall campaigns in the United States also dropped from 648 in 2010 to 593 in 2011.

2011 Recalls from Major Automakers

Toyota was second on the list with 3.5 million vehicles recalled in 13 campaigns. That number was considerably down from 7 million in 2010, when the company recalled more than 10 million vehicles over sudden acceleration issues. Ford was third with 13 campaigns involving 3.3 million vehicles. That was up from nine campaigns and 581,000 vehicles in 2010. Ford’s recalls included one in April when the automaker, under pressure from NHTSA, recalled more than 1.2 million F-150 pickup trucks due to sudden airbag deployment.

Chrysler recalled 773,000 vehicles in eight campaigns while General Motors recalled 500,000 in 22 campaigns in 2011. Nissan’s numbers stood at 302,000 vehicles in eight campaigns, while Subaru had recalled 591,000 vehicles in four campaigns. Hyundai, the Korean automaker, recalled 503,000 vehicles in five campaigns last year.

Liability Issues

Almost all of these recalls involved serious safety issues including airbag defects, seatbelt defects, fire hazards and brake problems, to mention a few. Some of the auto makers, if not all, had to be pressurized and arm-twisted by the government to issue those recalls. NHTSA is still in the process of investigating several other complaints relating to vehicle safety issues. It is important for us, as consumers and road users, to understand that there are millions of defective vehicles still out on our roadways that have not yet been recalled. There is no guarantee that they will ever be recalled.

After a car accident it is critical to preserve the vehicle so it can be thoroughly examined by an expert for defects, malfunctions and other evidence. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective auto, please contact an auto products liability lawyer, who has the expertise and wherewithal to pursue auto defect cases against large auto manufacturers. Victims in such cases need a knowledgeable and resourceful team on their side that will fight aggressively for their rights and protect their best interests.