2010 Recalls Are the Highest in Half a Decade

Until something surpasses it, I will always remember 2010 as the year of recalls. According to official NHTSA numbers, recalled vehicles for 2010 were well short of the record-breaking year of 2004, but were the 3rd most since the agency began tracking them. 20.3 million vehicles were affected by 2010′s well-publicized recalls, led by Toyota’s 7.1 million. This is roughly 2/3 of the 30.8 million recalls experienced in 2004.

Of course, 2010′s recall scene went well beyond vehicle numbers. Toyota got a record-setting $16-million fine not once, not twice, but three separate times, racking up a total of $48.8 million in fines for the NHTSA’s findings that it did not responsibly report safety issues relating to sticking pedals and steering problems. That plus the numerous news headlines of runaway vehicles and the Congressional hearings helped to set 2010 apart. [via Detroit News]