Automakers can claim the dubious achievement of recalling more vehicles in the United States this year than ever before, though analysts and other observers told the Associated Press (AP) the record is more a result of the increasing complexity of cars and trucks and greater vigilance than a lapse in quality.
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Led by General Motors, manufacturers have recalled about 25 million vehicles so far in 2004, topping the previous high of 24.6 million in 2000, AP said, citing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees recalls for the US government.
GM alone has recalled 10.5 million vehicles in North America – the vast majority in the United States – up from 7.8 million in 2003 and 5.7 million in 2002, the company reportedly said. Toyota Motor said it has recalled roughly 890,000 vehicles in the United States this year, four times as many as in 2003, AP noted.
The news agency said experts offer several reasons for the ballooning numbers: federal guidelines that require companies to report more defect data to the NHTSA; vehicles that rely more heavily on computers and electronics; the growing practice of sharing common parts among a larger number of models and more safeguards at litigation-sensitive automakers to catch flaws earlier.
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