The number of car recalls globally increased by 76% last year, with manufacturers having to address 415 separate issues, according to new data.
Figures from recall-planning company Stericycle Expert Solutions showed this number is the highest on record since a worldwide recall alert system was launched in 2004.
The company put the increasing number of recalls down to car sales in Europe reaching a nine-year high.
Germany accounted for the lion’s share of recalls in 2016, with 26 issued, followed by France (19), USA (10), UK (9) and China (9).
“The good news is that where auto recalls are concerned, we seem to have reached a peak in the second quarter, and since then notifications have been decreasing” said Farzad Henareh, vice president of commercial operations for marketing and business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia at Stericycle Expert Solutions. “What we hope to see now is a consistent reduction as auto makers continue to make improvements in the manufacturing processes.”