Automakers fear safety recalls, even the small ones, but when the nightly news reports a major safety recall, Auto executives shiver. Those types of recalls cause widespread fear and do damage to the brand. Once your brand name hits the late night comedy shows… it’s a big deal.

We wanted to know what were the largest safety recalls this century and how it affected the automotive manufacturer involved. Without further ado, here are the top five largest recalls from 2000 through 2012.

#1. Ford (2001) Tire Troubles.

Ford recalled 6.5 million tires in 2000 and was forced into recalling another 13 million tires in 2001. Covering several models, including the Explorer SUVs which were often referred to as “exploders” because of several incidents where the popular vehicle rolled over and caught on fire after a tire failure.

Ford internal documents show the company engineers recommended changes to the vehicle design after it rolled over in company tests prior to introduction, but other than a few minor changes, the suspension and track width were not changed. Instead, Ford, which sets the specifications for the manufacture of its tires, decided to remove air from the tires, lowering the recommended pressure to 26 psi. The maximum pressure stamped into the sidewall of the tire was 35 psi.

The failures all involved tread separation. When the tires separated and the vehicle was running at speed, there was a high likelihood of the vehicle leaving the road and rolling over. Many rollovers cause serious injury or death. An estimated result from these failures of over 250 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries resulted. 

The Chairman & CEO of Firestone announced in a 2001 letter to Ford Motor Company’s Chief Executive that Bridgestone/Firestone would no longer enter into new contracts with Ford Motor Company, effectively ending a 100-year supply relationship.

#2. Ford (2005) Cruise Control (part 1)

Ford called back a total of 4.5 million pickups, SUVs (including Explorers) and vans from as far back as 1994 when it found that a leak in a Texas Instruments cruise control switch could cause a fire.

NHTSA documents show that its inquiry was focused on a cruise-control deactivation switch that overheated during use. The switch was linked to engine fires on Ford F-150 pickups and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs.

#3. Ford (2009) Cruise Control (part 2)

The same faulty Texas Instruments cruise control switch caused seven more recalls up through 2009, in which Ford called back all models with that switch. Combined, the recall actions involving the TI switch covered 16 million vehicles.

Photo from Associated Press via wikipedia.

#4 Toyota (2009) Unintended Acceleration

The butt of most late night show hosts, Toyota’s hybrid, compact and economy cars would suddenly accelerate without the operators input. The company’s official cause for the recall was listed as the gas pedal getting stuck beneath the floor mat. The recall covered 10 models from the 2004 model year through the 2010 model year and involved 4.4 million vehicles.

#5 GM (2004) Tailgate Trouble

GM pickups from the early 2000s were called back because their tailgate cables broke when people sat or stood on them. This recall covered 3.7 million vehicles. According to the company, “the galvanized steel tailgate support cables may corrode, weaken, and eventually break.” 

The recall involved 2000 Chevrolet CK trucks, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, 2002-2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT, and 2002-2004 Chevrolet Avalanche trucks. All trucks were required to have the cables with stainless steel versions. 

From a hardcore Chevy fans opinion, if the worst thing that happens involves tailgate cables breaking compared to some of the other major incidents to other automotive manufacturer’s vehicles – we can live with that.