You May Want to Avoid These Top 10 Most Recalled Cars and Trucks [Top 10]

Top 10 Most Recalled Cars
2018 Chrysler 300S. [Photo: Chrysler]

These are the top 10 most recalled cars, according to an iSeeCars report.

Our friends over at iSeeCars released a report outlining cars and trucks with the highest recall rates, and you may be surprised at what made the list. Please note that recall rates and reliability don’t always go hand in hand, but the report does draw a correlation. To arrive at their conclusion, iSeeCars gathered data from distinct recall campaigns conducted through May 1st, 2018. These recalls affect cars and trucks from model years 2013-2017. They calculated the number of recall campaigns per 100,000 cars sold to come up with the recall rate:

 Make/Model Recall Rate (Campaigns/year Per 100K vehicles sold) Compared to Average Rate
Mercedes-Benz C-Class 5.77 7.3x
GMC Sierra  3.25 4.1x
BMW 3/4 Series 2.95 3.7x
Dodge Durango  2.71 3.4x
Nissan Pathfinder  2.00 2.5x
Ram Pickup  1.99 2.5x
Toyota 4Runner  1.98 2.5x
Dodge Charger 1.74 2.2x
Chrysler 300  1.71 2.2x
Chevrolet Tahoe 1.52 1.9x
Overall average (all cars) 0.79

[Data: iSeeCars.com]

2018 Mercedes C350e. [Photo: Mercedes-Benz]

Mercedes C-Class takes top spot

The report mentions, “[The Mercedes-Benz C-Class] has been recalled for a host of safety issues, from several different recall campaigns…” Issues included airbags and steering column failures, among other issues. “Among the list of recalls is a campaign to fix the sunroof because it could have been improperly bonded to the car frame and stands the risk of falling on passengers.” As luxury cars get more feature-laden, they also generate more points for failure, the report contends.

Another model high up on the list was the GMC Sierra. It also had a fairly large number of recalls relative to how many Sierras were sold. Faulty seat belts, power steering issues and brake pedal failure were among the major issues, according to the iSeeCars report.

Top 10 Most Recalled Cars and Trucks
The GMC Sierra had the second highest recall rate. [Photo: GMC]
Other cars and trucks in the list included domestic brands, like Dodge and Chevy, as well as BMW, Nissan and Toyota. One surprise on the list was the Toyota 4Runner, which scores high reliability ratings. “Although there are many recall campaigns for the 4Runner, most are for relatively less severe issues such as improperly tightened roof racks, loose accessories…and incorrect weight labels and spare tire air pressure.”

Cars with the lowest recall rates

On the flip side, cars with the lowest recall rates include names you’d probably expect. The Hyundai Accent, Toyota Corolla, as well as the Honda Civic, CR-V and Accord all appeared on the list. In fact, the top ten cars with the lowest recall rates were only recalled a third as often as the average vehicle.