These Safety Components Break the Record for Being the Most Recalled in 2025
In order for a vehicle to become more than the sum of its parts, those same parts need to be carefully and precisely made to function properly. Manufacturers don’t always get it right, though, and in 2025, many vehicles had to be recalled due to issues with one part or another, which posed huge safety risks to drivers.
Fuel Gauges - 105,000+
Your vehicle’s fuel gauge is what helps you to determine whether to keep going or pull into the nearest gas station. Malfunctioning or faulty gauges can sometimes have you driving for much longer than you should, inevitably causing your vehicle to break down. This is the exact problem faced by over 105,000 Mazda models this year alone.
Windshield Defrosters - 61,000+
If nothing else, you need to be able to see where you’re going, which is difficult when your windshield is all fogged up. Defrosters are supposed to aid you in clearing them up, allowing you to drive safely once more, but over 61,000 Lexus and Toyota models were recalled for issues with their defrosters.
Instrument Panels - 591,000+
Driving is as much about information as it is about the mechanics of locomotion - in other words, you can’t drive if you can’t be sure of your vehicle’s condition at all times. That’s where instrument panels come in, screens that display things like speed, fuel level, and engine temperature so that you can make the right call at the right time. Needless to say, it’s an absolutely crucial car component, but just this year, over 591,000 Lexus and Toyota models were recalled for faulty panels.
Rearview Cameras - 1,400,000+
Rearview cameras enable you to check your rear with greater ease than ever, and while they’re not essential components, many drivers have come to rely on them. Someone at Ford and Lincoln apparently didn’t get the memo, though, resulting in over 1,400,000 of their vehicles being recalled.
Software Issues - 92,000+
In plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, software is a big deal, with many of these vehicles heavily relying on it to function properly. Unfortunately, over 92,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xes were recalled due to their software causing the drivetrain to lose power.
Exterior Lighting - 105,000+
Visibility is absolutely crucial while on the road, which is why lighting is so important, especially at night. Unfortunately, over 105,000 Ford Mustangs were recalled this year due to issues with the vehicles’ side markers and taillights, which can greatly increase the chances of an accident.
Airbags - 101,000+
Should the worst come to pass and you find yourself in a collision, good airbags will help to mitigate any damage to your person. Needless to say, they’re a crucial safety component in just about any vehicle, but almost 101,000 Ford Rangers were recalled this year due to an issue with their airbags.
Taillights - 213,000+
As mentioned, visibility is crucial; therefore, good lighting is essential. Taillights help those driving behind you keep aware of your vehicle, but over 213,000 Ford and Lincoln models were recalled this year due to issues with their own taillights.
Rear Brake Hoses - 499,000+
Brake hoses are an important component of your vehicle, essentially used to deliver braking force to your brake pads - they’re part of what allows you to stop when you need to, in other words. Unfortunately, over 499,000 Ford and Lincoln models were recalled for ruptured rear brake hoses, which pose an obvious safety issue.
Fuel Fillers - 23,600+
Fuel fillers aren’t necessarily a crucial safety component on their own, but at the very least, they should be properly made so as to mitigate fire hazards. Over 23,600 Corvettes were recalled this year for leaking fuel fillers, enabling excess fuel to leak to ignition sources and increasing the risk of fire.
Liftgates - 91,000+
Liftgates - the door that covers the rear side of your vehicle - are important for… well, keeping the things you want in, and the things you don’t want out. They’re pretty simple in function, but that didn’t stop around 91,000 different Mitsubishi models from being recalled due to issues with this otherwise basic component.
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems - 79,000+
Controlling your tires’ pressure is crucial for ensuring their longevity, which is why many cars nowadays feature built-in monitoring systems to aid you in this process. Of course, they don’t always work, which is why more than 79,000 Jeep Wranglers were recalled this year alone.
Suspension Arms - 121,500+
Suspension arms are crucial components of your vehicle’s suspension system, allowing for sustained stability and alignment as well as precise control over the vehicle’s movements. Sadly, around 121,500 Range Rover models were recalled due to issues with this very component.
Axle Bolts - 103,000+
Axle bolts perform a simple yet crucial function: securing your wheels and preventing them from being stolen. Unfortunately, around 103,000 Ford F-150 models were left vulnerable to wheel theft this year alone, causing them to be summarily recalled.
Molding Trims - 201,000+
In fairness, molding trims aren’t exactly crucial to your vehicle’s functionality, but they are integral to maintaining its aesthetic value. They’re used to hide edges and smooth out transitions, but over 201,000 Kia owners had to send their vehicles back to have their molding trims replaced.
Power Brake Assists - 312,000+
Power brake assist systems use brake boosters to mitigate the amount of effort required of the driver to bring their vehicle to a halt. These become dangerous when faulty, especially if a driver has already gotten used to them - unfortunately, around 312,000 Fords and Lincolns were recalled for this exact issue.
Window Trims - 100,000+
Vehicle window trims are what keep windows in place and sealed air-tight. They’re both practical and functional and provide aesthetic value. Unfortunately, around 100,000 Kia models were recalled due to faulty window trims this year.
Seat Belt Warning Systems - 56,000+
Seat belt warning systems are pretty self-explanatory. They produce an audible chime upon vehicle entry, reminding both the driver and their passengers to put on their seatbelts. Unfortunately, around 56,000 Ford owners may have been driving without seatbelts this year since these vehicles’ seat belt warnings wouldn’t work.
Head Restraints - 121,000+
Head restraints are what support your head while you’re driving, and are there to prevent you from experiencing severe whiplash in the event of a collision or close call. Around 121,000 heads went unsupported this year, however, at least in Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Fuel Injectors - 694,000+
Fuel injectors are part of what gives your engine the juice it needs to keep going, but they need to be precisely manufactured and calibrated not just to be effective, but also to mitigate the risk of fire. The folks over at Ford must not have gotten the memo, though, leading to around 694,000 Broncos being recalled this year.
Fuel Pumps - 850,000+
Like injectors, fuel pumps are another crucial part of the process of delivering fuel to your vehicle’s engine, but that didn’t stop Ford from royally messing these up, either, leading to around 850,000 recalls.
Backup Camera Software - 200,000+
Leave it to Ford to mess up your vehicle’s backup camera software. Around 200,000 Ford and Lincoln models were recalled this year due to software issues that prevented the backup camera feed from displaying properly.
Engine Cooling Systems - 443,000+
Engines generate plenty of heat when they’re in use, so they naturally require cooling systems to, well, keep them cool. Unfortunately, around 443,000 Nissan models were recalled due to issues with this very system, which could have led to total engine failure.
Drive Shafts - 65,000+
Drive shafts are responsible for delivering rotational force to the differential - in other words, they’re part of what makes your car move. It would be a shame if, say, 65,000 Honda models featured corrosive drive shafts…
Parking Brakes - 40,000+
Parking brakes - otherwise known as handbrakes, for the most part - are what allow your vehicle to remain totally stationary when parked. They’re crucial for preventing your car from running off without you down an incline, but around 40,000 Chevy models had issues with this very component this year.
Door Latches - 197,000+
Door latches are what keep your car doors shut, but is it possible for them to work too well? In Ford’s case, the answer is yes, since around 197,000 Mustang Mach-Es faced recalls for rear door latch issues that prevented occupants from exiting the vehicle.
Brake Pedals - 259,000+
The brake pedal and its derivative/associated components are usually the only thing standing between you and a catastrophic collision. We probably don’t need to spell out how important that is, unless you’re Honda, of course, which faced around 259,000 recalls this year due to brake pedal malfunctions.
Child Safety Locks - 27,000
Child safety locks are, well, pretty self-explanatory. They’re intended to keep your little ones safe and sound within the confines of your vehicle, so long as you’re not driving a Ford Bronco, whose child safety locks do… well, nothing.
Airbag Sensors - 171,000+
Airbag sensors are what prompt the airbags themselves to spring into action, but around 171,000 Mazda models featured faulty sensors that wouldn’t function due to battery issues, ultimately leading to the vehicles being recalled.
Steering Control Components - 29,500+
Proper steering allows you to perfectly control the trajectory of your vehicle, but around 29,500 Ford models faced issues with certain steering components this year, drastically decreasing their drivers’ control over the vehicles.
Crankshafts - 600,000+
Crankshafts are a crucial component of piston engines; they’re what rotate the pistons in order to power the vehicle’s wheels and other bits and bobs. Unfortunately, around 600,000 Cadillac models faced issues with their crankshafts, which could have led to total engine failure.
Child Safety Seats - 180,000+
Child safety seats are the bane of every disgruntled dad’s existence, being too damn finicky to get in place, but they’re important for keeping your child safe and secure while you drive. That is, unless you got yours from Dorel, whose head foam pads were improperly secured, posing a choking hazard to children.
Seat Belts - 105,000+
We’re not even going to explain what seatbelts are except to say that you should be using them at all times whenever you drive. Unfortunately, around 105,000 Ford models (always Ford) faced recalls due to an issue with the seatbelt pretensioner.
Door Locks - 40,000+
Door locks are those things that secure the latches in place and keep the doors from swinging open while you drive. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to do, but around 40,000 BMW models featured locks that simply wouldn’t, well, lock.
Grilles - 70,000+
The grille is what gives your car a real presence on the road, especially if you drive a big damn truck like the GMC Sierra. Unfortunately, around 70,000 of these models were recalled due to their grilles becoming detached and thus posing a substantial road hazard.
