VW’s Recall Rates Were High Even Before Their Emission Issues

Car defects can be a major hassle for motorists.  Those who own cars that have defects can find themselves facing a safety risk and having to cope with getting their cars repaired. Because recalls can be such a problem for consumers, it is important for everyone who is buying a car to do research into the reliability of individual makes and models.

Green Car Reports recently published a report on which car makers have had the most vehicle recalls. Volkswagen topped the list. And this was before the diesel emissions scandal in which Volkswagen was caught rigging its cars to perform better on emissions tests than their actual real-world emissions.

Volkswagen Recall Rates Are Some of the Highest

According to Green Car Reports, Volkswagen and its Audi brand have “had the highest rate of recalls of any automaker over the past three decades.”  The data that resulted in VW and Audi earning this dubious honor came from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which maintains decades of information on vehicle recalls.

Researchers who reviewed the NHTSA obtained information on defects and recalls that occurred between 1985 and 2016.  There were three metrics reviewed in order to determine which car maker recalled more of its cars than other manufacturers.

The metrics included the frequency with which a car manufacturer produced a vehicle in need of a recall, the timeliness of recalls conducted by the manufacturer, and the frequency with which a manufacturer's recalls were initiated due to the manufacturer's own investigation instead of based on the NHTSA stepping in and taking action.

The data showed that Volkswagen had the highest recall rate by a big margin. Volkswagen's recall rate was 1,800 recalls per 1,000 cars it sold. It actually had a higher recall rate than the number of cars sold because there were many situations where individual vehicle models had to be recalled multiple times for different issues.  

The positive spin on this is Volkswagen may be more aggressive than other car makers in identifying problems and more proactive in addressing defects; meanwhile, other manufacturers may drag their feet or deny problems.  Unfortunately, even if true, VW has released a lot of cars that have had major issues prompting recalls.

If your car causes you trouble on a regular basis, you should talk with an Orange County attorney about whether the lemon law might provide you with legal options. The Bickel Law Firm, Inc. can help consumers with problem cars take action in appropriate cases, so give us a call today to find out how we can help.