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Q1 vehicle recall count drops to 10-year low
Even as OTA updates handle a growing share of fixes, most defects still require in-person service, according to BizzyCar. (3 min. read)
Marcus Amick
April 07, 2025
Vehicle recalls in the first quarter of 2025 were the lowest number they’ve been in over a decade—with Ford having the highest tally of call-backs among major car brands.
The details: A report by BizzyCar reveals that only 3.46 million vehicles were recalled in Q1 2025—marking the smallest quarterly total in over 10 years, down from 6.58 million in Q4 2024.
Ford led all other major automakers for recalls in Q1 2025, with 1,057,229 vehicles recalled across 35 campaigns, accounting for 30% of all recalls.
Mazda had the lowest number of recalls in the first quarter of 2025, according to NHTSA figures, with 63 vehicles.
The most commonly recalled components in Q1 2025 included electrical systems, back-over prevention, and seat belts.
Worth noting: Roughly 28% of the 3.46 million vehicles affected by recalls in Q1 2024 can be repaired via Over-the-Air (OTA) updates.
Why it matters: This quarter’s drop in recall volume isn’t a clean win—it reflects a shift in how quality issues are being reported, repaired, and, in many cases, left unresolved. Even as OTA updates handle a growing share of fixes, most defects still require in-person service. That means fewer recalls are driving fewer dealership visits—while the number of unrepaired vehicles on the road keeps climbing.
Between the lines: The report indicates that major automakers continue to face a host of challenges with quality and safety issues—and in getting vehicle owners to dealerships to address the issues in a timely manner.
More than one out of four vehicles on the road have at least one open recall when accounting for unrepaired vehicles from previous years.
That amounts to roughly 75 million vehicles currently on the road with unresolved safety issues—based on the 291 million registered vehicles nationwide.
3.1 million vehicles (90.5% of total recalls) pose a risk of a crash and/or injury, according to BizzyCar.
Bottom line: Most recall fixes still require a physical repair, but more are being handled remotely through OTA updates—typically cutting dealers out of the process. But as the system leans more digital, the recalls that do require in-person service are becoming even more important for consumers and dealers to resolve.
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