The Biggest Pickup Truck Recalls In US History

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We all know pickup trucks are the backbone of the American industry thanks to names like Ford, GM, Dodge, and many more. There isn't another type of vehicle better known for taking abuse and still kicking, with plenty of owners putting hundreds of thousands of miles on their workhorses thanks to attentive ownership. While there are many problems you can prepare for and protect against, there are also many you can't, and the largest of these are factory defects.

Here's what you need to know about the biggest automotive recall ever.

Sometimes things just don't come out the way they should from the factory, and other times flaws in the design arise after plenty of vehicles are already in production. Usually, these are small batch issues, but occasionally, when they affect enough cars they lead to a recall, and over the years there have been some pretty big ones. We wanted to take a look at the biggest truck recalls in history to give you some fuel for the next time you're giving your friend a hard time for their pickup choice.

Given the sheer amount of recalls and the way they're reported, specific numbers aren't always available for the different vehicle types affected by them. A prime example is the Takata airbag recall, which has grown to affect tens of millions of cars, with many pickup trucks included. Given the difficulty of differentiating just how many pickups are affected in these cases, we've mainly focused on truck-specific recalls, and approximations based on reputable sources like the NHTSA, automaker websites, and GoodCarBadCar are used in other instances.

In May 2017, FCA recalled over 1 million Ram trucks due to a fault with the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC). Under certain conditions, such as off-road driving or when something strikes the vehicle, the roll rate sensor could trigger a fault that disables the rollover side curtain airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. This failure could lead to further injury in a crash. To fix this, FCA offered a free software update for the ORC. The last thing anyone wants is a safety device intended to protect them from causing more injury.

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In 2017, Ford faced a massive recall involving over 1 million of its trucks due to faulty door latches. These latches could fail while driving, causing the doors to open unexpectedly, and leading to a dangerous situation where your F-150 suddenly does its best impression of a door-less Bronco. Dealers were instructed to check the latches and fix the linkages if damage was found while adding a water shield.

This next one is very concerning if you're hauling anything. In 2022, FCA issued a recall for over 1.2 million Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500s due to a defect in the tailgate latch mechanism. Misaligned tailgate strikers could cause the tailgate to open unexpectedly while driving, meaning all that mulch you're hauling home could end up on someone's windshield. To resolve the issue, dealers were instructed to inspect the tailgate striker alignment and adjust it if necessary, so your next Home Depot run doesn't take an unexpected turn.

Just last week, Stellantis issued a major recall affecting a few years of the Ram 1500 worldwide. A software bug in the ABS control module could deactivate the truck’s ESC system, which could lead to loss of control in many different driving situations. The fix was simply a software update, but it's shocking to think that just a little code can wreak so much havoc.

Now this one is scary. In February 2019, Ford recalled over 1.2 million F-150 trucks due to an issue with the 6-speed automatic transmission. At any time, the transmission could unexpectedly downshift into first gear. This could happen while just driving around town or when you're hauling your boat up a steep grade on the highway. Not fun. Ford offered a free reprogramming of the powertrain control module to fix this, but this is one of those recalls probably parked quite a few trucks until it was fixed.

A total of 552,188 MY2014 Ford F-150s are at risk of unexpectedly shifting into first gear due to a problem with a transmission sensor.

Ah, the infamous Toyota floor mat recall. In 2009, Toyota initiated a recall of over 4.4 million vehicles of all kinds because floor mats could potentially move over the accelerator pedal, trapping it, and causing unintended acceleration. The remedy involved modifying the accelerator pedal, reshaping the floor surface, replacing floor mats, and even adding software updates to ensure the brake overrides the accelerator in certain models. This is one of those things you would think consumers could figure out themselves, but we've proven we can't handle nice things. Still, at least it's a recall because of a floor mat, and not because the quality of your products has taken a bit of a dive.

In 2017, FCA issued a recall for over 1.4 million Ram trucks due to an issue with the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin. The pin could stick in the open position when the brake pedal was pressed for an extended period with the vehicle in park. This defect allowed the vehicle to be shifted out of park at any time whether the vehicle is on or off, making it a huge rollaway risk. FCA offered a free software update or to replace the part if necessary. We all hate FCA products that can unexpectedly roll away.

If you haven't noticed, Ford has had a lot of recalls. In August 2018, Ford recalled over 1.6 million F-150 trucks due to a potential fire hazard associated with the seat belt pre-tensioners, which is something we didn't even know could be a fire hazard. When deployed during a crash, sparks from the pre-tensioners could ignite materials like carpeting or insulation in the B-pillar area, potentially leading to a vehicle fire. The fix was just tape, as Ford removed some of the B-pillar insulation and wiring harness tape, replacing them with heat-resistant tape. Not exactly confidence inspiring, we must say.

It's still going to take a long time before we see the benefits of Ford's quality push.

In 2018, FCA (Chrysler) initiated a massive recall affecting nearly 4.8 million vehicles, including a couple million Ram truck models, due to a defect in the cruise control system. The vehicle's wiring could short circuit, preventing drivers from disengaging the cruise control, either by pressing the brake pedal or manually turning off the system. Insane. To fix it, FCA provided a free software flash to update the engine or powertrain control module, but this is a terrifying issue that's definitely nightmare fuel.

GM’s largest recall came in 2014 as part of the infamous ignition switch scandal. The defective switches could cause the engine to shut off while driving, disabling essential safety systems, which led to many accidents and quite a few fatalities. The issue was fixed by replacing the faulty ignition switches with new, redesigned ones that maintained proper contact and prevented accidental movement out of the "run" position. GM also instructed dealers to ensure that keys used in the affected vehicles were free of unnecessary attachments to reduce the risk of switch movement. This is one of the biggest black marks in US auto history and goes to show any automaker can have serious issues.

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Glad to see my Ford Ranger didn't make the list.

Sounds like chevy won again not surprised

Figures, Dodge and Ford leading the list. I thought that Toyota had some issues with one of their motors. I read that dealers were refusing certain Toyota trucks as trade in's because of bad motors. Think I will stick with my very reliable and fast C6 Corvette.

Surprised to hear bad motor and toyota in the same sentence. Ive always thought of my list as

Honda/Toyota, subaru, ford/chevy/vw/nissan then dodge. Wouldnt want something off that list.. or a dodge w high miles. While I do prefer toyota their dealerships could be better. I guess they all have their downsides. C6 is awesome but id hate visiting the pump.

Well at least my pick up, Nissan Frontier, is not on the list. 😆

Oh so you are the guy that bought one.🤣

They are not going by percentage just number of vehicles affected

2019 through 2024 Chevrolet ZR2 should have been recalled for a full engine seizure on the 6.2 as they have been aware and acknowledge the issue yet only replace motors rather than warn customers or fix the problem. It is not uncommon for the engine seizing by 10k miles.

Sounds pretty similair to how they handled the bad rod and main bearing problems from about 16'-23' on the V8s. Within 20k mi. the faulty bearings would fail (some think it was a QC fail). To their credit, GM quietly warrantied every effected motor, although the vehicles were out of action for 2-6 weeks.

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