On April 19th, according to the latest research from the automotive data analysis website iSeeCars, Tesla vehicles have a much higher recall rate than other brands within the expected 30-year lifespan. This research is based on the ten-year recall data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, which was proportionally calculated to 30 years to determine the recall probability of each model.
Tesla’s five car models occupy the top five positions, with the Model Y ranking first with 62.4 recalls, which is 15.6 times the average level. Next is Porsche Panamera, with 61.8 recalls, which is 15.45 times the average level. The third place is Tesla Model 3, with 56.8 recalls, which is 14.2 times the average level. Fourth and fifth places are Tesla Model X and Model S, with 27.3 and 26.4 recalls, respectively, which are 6.83 and 6.6 times the average level.
According to iSeeCars, there are two reasons why Tesla vehicles have a high recall rate. Firstly, Tesla vehicles can fix some issues through OTA updates, which NHTSA still considers a recall. Secondly, Tesla vehicles constantly introduce new problems and recalls as they update their software over time. Generally, the older the vehicle, the fewer recalls per year, but Tesla vehicles do not quite follow this pattern.
In addition to Tesla and Porsche, other brands that performed poorly in iSeeCars’ study include BMW, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln, Dodge, and Volkswagen, all of which have two or more models in the top 25 most recalled list.
On the contrary, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Toyota dominate the list of car models with the least number of recalls within their expected 30-year lifespan. Most of their models have an average recall rate of less than one, with the MINI Cooper convertible having the lowest rate at only 0.2 recalls.
