Total Recall: A Data-Driven Analysis of the Takata Airbag Recall

In the automotive industry, several hundred recalls are released every year, impacting tens of millions of vehicles and end consumers. In 2015, for example, United States vehicle recalls surpassed an all-time high for two years in a row, with 51.2 million vehicles affected over 868 separate recalls. Data analysis by iSeeCars indicates that the industry cumulative average from January 1985 to September 2016 is 1,115 vehicles recalled per 1,000 vehicles sold, with some vehicles recalled for multiple reasons. However, recalls by manufacturer vary, with eleven out of eighteen automakers having recall rates below that average.

This paper focuses specifically on informing readers about automotive recalls in the United States using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) automotive recall datasets. The recall process is illustrated by highlighting a particularly egregious recall, the Takata airbag inflator defect.