Automotive Recall Volume

1. Definition and Statistical Scope

Automotive recall volume refers to the aggregate statistical indicator of vehicles on the market recalled by car manufacturers within a specified period under the "Regulations on the Administration of Defective Automotive Product Recalls", addressing design or manufacturing defects that could compromise safety or environmental compliance. Regularly published by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), this figure serves as a vital benchmark for assessing vehicle product quality, safety standards, and regulatory oversight efficacy.

2. Full-Year 2025: Total Volume Eased, NEV Share Rose

In 2025, a total of 190 recall exercises were carried out nationwide involving 6.846 million vehicles, representing a year-on-year drop of 18.5% in recall instances and 39.1% in affected units. Despite the overall contraction, annual recall numbers remained substantial. By the end of 2025, China had cumulatively registered 3,265 vehicle recalls, covering a total of 121 million vehicles.

New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) accounted for 105 recall campaigns affecting 2.652 million units, representing 38.7% of the year's total recall volume. In comparison, 2024 saw 89 NEV recalls involving 4.491 million units, or 40.0% of that year's total. A total of 13 recalls were executed via Over-the-Air (OTA) updates throughout the year, affecting 1.756 million units and making up 25.7% of the total.

In terms of defect root causes, design flaws remained predominant—73 recalls involved 4.215 million units, or 61.6%; manufacturing defects accounted for 101 recalls covering 2.502 million units, or 36.5%. The steering system, powertrain, and instrument lighting & auxiliary equipment emerged as the top three affected systems, collectively accounting for 71.3% of the total recalled volume.

3. First Half of 2026: Low-Volume Trend, Spike in Domestic Makes

In the first half of 2026 (1H 2026), SAMR issued 50 vehicle recall notices across 26 marques, with total recalled units standing at approximately 1.65 million vehicles—a sharp drop of around 68.8% compared to the same period in 2025, hitting a decade low for the first half.

Breakdown by country of origin revealed notable shifts. Japanese marques led the tally with 688,146 units (FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota mounted a single recall of 560,160 units due to seat adjuster defects). Recalls among domestic Chinese marques surged 681.2% year-on-year to 308,431 units, taking up nearly 20% of the total—NIO recalled 246,229 units of the ES8, ES6, and EC6 over software glitches, marking the largest single recall by a domestic brand in 1H 2026.

NEV recalls made up roughly one-quarter of the total, largely matching the figure from 1H 2025, though recall frequency picked up. Software and design-related defects were the leading causes, with traction battery issues triggering noticeably more recall exercises than in 1H 2025.

On a monthly basis, domestic passenger vehicle recalls in April 2026 plunged 99.3% month-on-month to just 6,755 units. Among these, German marques (Audi, Mercedes-Benz) contributed 2,986 units (44.2%), Korean makes accounted for 1,691 units, and Sweden's Polestar took up 1,473 units, with no domestic Chinese brands involved in recalls that month.