Millions of cars have already been recalled this year. In February, Ford recalled more than 4 million vehicles over a software issue that could cause an attached trailer’s tail lights, turn signals, and brake lights to stop working. Toyota also recently recalled more than half a million Highlanders due to faulty back-row seats.
But high recall counts and thousands of fatal crashes are not enough to deter Americans from buying some of the country’s most popular cars, a new analysis found.
Brown & Crouppen, a law firm that focuses on road accident cases, examined which vehicles have the worst track records for recalls and deadly incidents yet continue to sell in large numbers. Ford’s Ranger and F-150 pickup trucks, along with the Nissan Altima, took the top three spots.
Using U.S. data on vehicles from 2020 to 2025, the firm analyzed the number of recalls, fatal crash involvement, and safety ratings, as well as total sales and how often people searched them online using terms like “buy” or “for sale.”
Those metrics were then combined into a weighted score, with the most emphasis placed on recalls per 100,000 vehicles sold, followed by fatal crashes per 100,000 cars sold. Safety ratings and total sales were given less weight.
The combined figure produced what the firm calls a “vehicle risk-adjusted demand score,” meant to distill the relationship between the cars’ safety track records and consumer demand.
The Ford Ranger ranked the highest with 42 recalls, ranging from engine fires to brake failures, and nearly 2,000 vehicles involved in fatal crashes. Yet, it still managed to sell more than 400,000 units over the past five years.
The Ford F-150 came in second with 94 recalls, the most of any model, and about 8,200 vehicles involved in deadly crashes. But with roughly 4.6 million sold, its overall score was tempered when adjusted for sales.
The Nissan Altima rounded out the top three, landing 10 recalls and more than 4,000 fatal crashes. With over 716,000 units sold since 2020, it ranks among the deadliest cars in the analysis relative to sales.
Other popular vehicles that made the analysis’s top 10 include the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Porsche Taycan, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Camry, and Honda CR-V.
Legal experts at Brown & Crouppen said the findings suggest recalls often do little to damage a vehicle’s reputation, in part because many drivers aren’t aware of them.
“Most people never even hear about safety callbacks unless it makes national news,” they wrote. “Manufacturers send a letter in the mail, but half the time it ends up in the trash with the junk mail. Then that car with a known defect stays on the road for years.”
Ford and Nissan did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
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