Vehicle recalls hit record
11-05-2004, 01:54 PM
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Vehicle recalls hit record
Friday, November 5, 2004
Vehicle recalls hit record
Numbers are higher because of a few big campaigns, a GM spokesman insists
By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - With a new round of safety problems, the auto industry has now recalled a record number of vehicles in 2004 despite marked quality gains in recent years.
Overall, automakers have recalled 24.8 million vehicles so far this year. The previous record, 24.6 million, was set in 2000, according to a table provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors Corp. this week recalled more than 1 million cars and SUVs for exterior lighting problems. GM alone has recalled more than 10.4 million vehicles this year in North America, up from 7.8 million last year.
GM spokesman Alan Adler said the numbers are higher this year because of a few big campaigns, such as the recall of close to 4 million pickups in March.
GM's increasing use of the same component in multiple vehicles also makes recalls bigger and more costly when they do occur, he said.
Adler said surveys from J.D. Power & Associates show GM is improving on both initial and long-term quality. "Overall, we're making good progress on the quality front," Adler said. "We think this is an anamoly."
The vehicles recalled this week included 871,473 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada SUVs for brake lights that can come loose. The company recalled 256,025 Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire cars because turn signals and rear lamps can fail.
GM further recalled 92, 863 Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Grand Am and Oldsmobile Alero cars for an accelerator pedal that can stick in hot weather. The company has received four complaints about the cars.
Earlier this year, GM recalled nearly 4 million Silverado and Sierra pickups to replace tailgate cables after numerous reports that the cables could rust and snap.
In recent years, even though independent analysts have proclaimed quality to be improving industrywide, the number of recalls has remained high by historical standards.
Between 1968 and 1994, the number of recalled vehicles exceeded 10 million only three times. Since 1995, the industry has recalled, on average, 18.1 million vehicles a year.
But the government warned that higher recall numbers do not necessarily mean safety or quality is getting worse.
The total tally of recalled vehicles can fluctuate wildly from year to year, especially if there are one or two large recalls, said Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"The good news is that the manufacturers seem much more inclined to step forward and quickly remedy problems," Tyson said.
"In an ideal world, we would have zero recalls, but that's never going to happen."
You can reach Jeff Plungisat (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@detnews.com.
Vehicle recalls hit record
Numbers are higher because of a few big campaigns, a GM spokesman insists
By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - With a new round of safety problems, the auto industry has now recalled a record number of vehicles in 2004 despite marked quality gains in recent years.
Overall, automakers have recalled 24.8 million vehicles so far this year. The previous record, 24.6 million, was set in 2000, according to a table provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors Corp. this week recalled more than 1 million cars and SUVs for exterior lighting problems. GM alone has recalled more than 10.4 million vehicles this year in North America, up from 7.8 million last year.
GM spokesman Alan Adler said the numbers are higher this year because of a few big campaigns, such as the recall of close to 4 million pickups in March.
GM's increasing use of the same component in multiple vehicles also makes recalls bigger and more costly when they do occur, he said.
Adler said surveys from J.D. Power & Associates show GM is improving on both initial and long-term quality. "Overall, we're making good progress on the quality front," Adler said. "We think this is an anamoly."
The vehicles recalled this week included 871,473 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada SUVs for brake lights that can come loose. The company recalled 256,025 Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire cars because turn signals and rear lamps can fail.
GM further recalled 92, 863 Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Grand Am and Oldsmobile Alero cars for an accelerator pedal that can stick in hot weather. The company has received four complaints about the cars.
Earlier this year, GM recalled nearly 4 million Silverado and Sierra pickups to replace tailgate cables after numerous reports that the cables could rust and snap.
In recent years, even though independent analysts have proclaimed quality to be improving industrywide, the number of recalls has remained high by historical standards.
Between 1968 and 1994, the number of recalled vehicles exceeded 10 million only three times. Since 1995, the industry has recalled, on average, 18.1 million vehicles a year.
But the government warned that higher recall numbers do not necessarily mean safety or quality is getting worse.
The total tally of recalled vehicles can fluctuate wildly from year to year, especially if there are one or two large recalls, said Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"The good news is that the manufacturers seem much more inclined to step forward and quickly remedy problems," Tyson said.
"In an ideal world, we would have zero recalls, but that's never going to happen."
You can reach Jeff Plungisat (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@detnews.com.
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