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Market Pulse newsletter + recall-centric edition = perfect landing spot for a shameless plug for CDG’s Recall Tracker.
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Welcome to the Market Pulse—your cheatsheet to auto retail, built to help dealers price right, stock smart, and stay ahead.
8.8 million: Vehicles affected by recalls in Q3 alone this year.
32.1 million: Vehicles affected by recalls so far in 2026.
33.6 million: The most vehicles ever recalled in a year, set in 2023, a record BizzyCar expects 2026 to break.
(Source: BizzyCar Quarterly Recall Report)
Recalled vehicles are piling up toward a five-year high in 2026.
Total vehicles recalled surpassed 8.8 million in the third quarter, per BizzyCar.
The good news: That’s a slower recall pace than in the first two quarters of this year.
The bad news: 8.8 million vehicles recalled is still more than any third-quarter amount logged in recent years (see below).
Data source: BizzyCar
Year to date: BizzyCar reports that approximately 32.1 million vehicles have been recalled so far this year.
Data source: BizzyCar
That 32.1 million total is just shy of the 2023 record (33.6 million), confirming BizzyCar’s projection that 2026 will be a record year for total recall volumes.
NOTE TO DEALERS:
BizzyCar’s new Chief Revenue Officer, Simon Smith, said the steady recall volume will continue.
“The jump tracks with the technology in today’s vehicles […] Vehicles carry more software and electronics than ever, which gives manufacturers more to monitor and more to fix,” he said. “Dealers should expect elevated recall volume for the next couple of years and build their outreach to handle it.”
Chrysler is dethroning Ford as the OEM with the most recalled vehicles.
BizzyCar tracks which auto manufacturers issued the most recalls, but also which campaigns affected the most vehicles, since those can differ.
Get this: Chrysler vehicles (about 3.4 million) were most affected by recalls in Q3. (Yes, Chrysler. Not Ford.)
But Ford issued the most recall campaigns, at 19 for the quarter, four more than Chrysler.
Data source: BizzyCar
Ford and Chrysler accounted for 34 of the 85 campaigns issued in the third quarter, or 40% of the total.
Toyota (7 campaigns), GM (6), and Jaguar (6) rounded out the top five.
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Given the incredibly fast pace of recalls dealers face, I asked Smith (with BizzyCar) about which recall strategies make the most sense for operators right now.
Here are his dos and don’ts tied to recall work:
Do: Get to the customer before the OEM does.
Smith told CDG that OEMs are legally required to send recall notices, so dealers shouldn’t expect that outreach to stop. However, he said dealers should try to reach out first to set the tone.
“The customer who received the recall notice in the mail, and thinks, ‘Darn, now I have to call the dealership,’ will have a very different experience compared to the customer who received a text, booked their appointment right from their messaging app in seconds, and got the recall fixed before the notice even hit their mailbox.”
Simon Smith
“The difference in experience is a matter of warm outreach, timing, and service,” he added.
Do: Use mobile service for the recalls drivers keep putting off.
As it stands, Smith said the biggest mobile opportunity is the small “nuisance” recalls.
“The data on the effectiveness of Mobile Service on retention is overwhelming,” he said, adding that “92% of lapsed customers, when surveyed, accepted a Mobile Service appointment.”
By the numbers: “Nearly 5 million vehicles this quarter alone fell under back-over prevention, electrical, or seat belts. These are the recalls drivers are most likely to put off, and Mobile Service gives dealers a reason to reach them that doesn’t ask the customer to give up a day. The dealers that do the outreach and use Mobile Service as the hook will earn an incredible amount of new recurring business.”
Do: Keep the outreach short, specific, and easy to book.
Smith’s messaging advice is to lead with what’s in it for the customer.
Think: “Your car will be safer, it is free, and it is fast.” Beyond that…
Lead with value;
Reach out proactively;
Keep outreach specific, personalized, and concise;
And schedule them quickly.
“If you can be the face that proactively reaches these customers, makes the fix easy, and offers a truly great experience, there is no reason your dealership can’t win back multiple customers.”
Don’t: Treat the “low-value” recall as an in-and-out.
“It is very tempting as a dealer when you see an easy, low-warranty-pay recall, to get the car in and out, but that is not how you should see them,” Smith said. “That ‘low-value’ recall is thousands in yearly revenue in the form of a loyal customer.”
His take: “Customers don’t become loyal just because you fixed their recall; they become loyal when they receive excellent service they can’t get elsewhere. This doesn’t mean be slow; it means taking the time to look at their car and explain what you’re doing. Dealers that take that extra step crush any quick lube chain.”
Don’t: Track the repair order itself harder than the customer.
The biggest revenue opportunities right now are in the large mechanical and replacement recalls, Smith said.
For example: Q3 included engine fire risks and seat motors, each affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles. For recalls like these, the warranty check is nice, but Smith said the real value should be in the customer you win back.
“Recalls like these have the sense of urgency that dealers need to capitalize on, and earn the opportunity to wow that customer. Revenue should be measured in the defection rate more so than the value of a singular repair,” he said.
I’ll be honest. I’m the first person to ignore a message that feels too long, too fluffy, or too much like a sales pitch.
That’s why I’m big on talking to people like they’re people. And making it clear what they stand to gain by responding when I’m the one reaching out.
Smith’s advice on recalls is similar:
Figure out what matters most to the store, whether that’s winning back lost customers, filling the mobile service schedule, or convincing new customers the shop is worth their time.
After that, do what’s needed to make it the easiest “Yes” a customer has ever given a dealership.
And then back it up with a process that makes sure the customer never regrets saying yes, start to finish.
