These cars have the lowest recall rates

 

Faulty seat belts. Inoperative brake pedals. Overflowing fuel tanks. Even a sunroof that might fall on you.

Whatever the issue might be, receiving a recall notice can be a headache for any driver.

Not only does it raise the concern you or a member of your family are vulnerable to potential safety issues, there’s the inconvenience of trying to find the time in a busy schedule to have the issue fixed. Perhaps even several times, depending on the vehicle.

But research from iSeeCars.com, which put together the top 10 cars with the lowest recall rates, may save you that worry on your next vehicle purchase.

Mining data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it calculated average recall rates for vehicles of model years 2013 – 2017. In a list dominated by mainstream sedans and SUVs, least problematic of all is the Hyundai Accent with a score of just 0.10 recall campaigns/year per 100,000 units sold. The average across all models is 0.79.

 

Cars with the lowest recall rates

1 Hyundai Accent – 0.10

2 Chevrolet Equinox – 0.11

3 Toyota Corolla – 0.12

T4 Honda Civic – 0.14

T4 Honda CR-V – 0.14

6 Honda Accord – 0.16

7 Subaru Crosstrek – 0.18

T8 Toyota Camry – 0.23

T8 Hyundai Elantra – 0.23

10 – GMC Terrain – 0.26

Overall average (all vehicles) – 0.79

 

iSeeCars.com also found a link between recall rates and overall vehicle quality, making recalls another useful indictor for consumers shopping for their next car. Comparing its findings to Consumer Reports’ used car reliability ratings showed that lower levels of recalls correspond to higher reliability ratings.

 

How to check for recalls

Visit the NHTSA website for more information about vehicle recalls. By entering a vehicle identification number (VIN), it enables you to see whether a specific car, truck or SUV needs to be repaired through an open recall. You can also check vehicle safety issues by entering year, make and model.

 

Written by: Rob Looker on May 31, 2018