Vehicle Recall

Recalls filed in 1988

Manufacturers filed 241 US vehicle safety recalls in 1988, covering 12,022,524 vehicles. 2021 remains the busiest year on record, with 1,094. Buick filed the most that year, with 15.

Campaigns
241
Vehicles covered
12,022,524
Largest recall
6,000,000
Rank by volume
#47 of 60

Makes that filed most in 1988

  1. Buick397,020 vehicles15 recalls
  2. Mack66,631 vehicles15 recalls
  3. Chevrolet725,230 vehicles13 recalls
  4. Ford391,691 vehicles12 recalls
  5. Freightliner35,744 vehicles7 recalls
  6. Dodge594,775 vehicles6 recalls
  7. Volkswagen127,530 vehicles6 recalls
  8. International Harvester14,079 vehicles5 recalls
  9. Lincoln90,241 vehicles5 recalls
  10. Honda708,290 vehicles4 recalls
  11. Kenworth1,776 vehicles4 recalls
  12. Neoplan4,676 vehicles4 recalls

Counted by the make named on each filing, so a manufacturer that sells several brands appears once per brand.

Parts recalled most in 1988

  1. Fuel System, Gasoline: Filler Pipe and Cap9 recalls
  2. Seat Belts9 recalls
  3. Tires7 recalls
  4. Engine and Engine Cooling: Engine6 recalls
  5. Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings6 recalls
  6. Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly6 recalls
  7. Seat Belts: Buckle Assembly6 recalls
  8. Vehicle Speed Control6 recalls
  9. Equipment: Labels5 recalls
  10. Tires: Tread/Belt5 recalls

Largest recalls of 1988

  1. Shell — Fuel System, Other: Fuel Injection System88E0270001 December 19886,000,000
  2. Dodge — Fuel System, Gasoline88V1050001 July 1988580,000
  3. Fisher Price — Child Seat88C02400018 October 1988390,000
  4. Chevrolet — Power Train: Column Shift88V0500004 April 1988370,831
  5. Honda — Visibility: Windshield Wiper/Washer88V18000018 November 1988360,198
  6. North Bend — Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit88E0140001 June 1988345,100
  7. Chevrolet — Latches/Locks/Linkages: Latch88V03900023 March 1988282,052
  8. Honda — Fuel System, Gasoline: Fuel Pump88V11700022 July 1988279,821
  9. Cosco — Child Seat88C00200022 January 1988252,985
  10. Renault — Visibility: Heater Core88V08700031 May 1988240,000
  11. Buick — Exterior Lighting: Switch88V0140008 January 1988179,390
  12. Cooper — Tires: Bead88T01000016 August 1988156,266
  13. Renault — Seats88V0600008 April 1988149,000
  14. Volkswagen — Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar88V1870001 December 1988104,000
  15. Victor — Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit88E02100029 August 1988100,000
  16. Ford — Vehicle Speed Control88V0240001 March 198891,000
  17. Ford — Seats88V1450002 September 198890,000
  18. Pontiac — Seat Belts: Buckle Assembly88V16300018 October 198885,063
  19. Jeep — Visibility: Linkages88V15500029 September 198875,000
  20. Mazda — Vehicle Speed Control: Accelerator Pedal88V02200022 February 198872,883
  21. Pontiac — Fuel System, Gasoline: Filler Pipe and Cap88V09400014 June 198872,616
  22. Saab — Electrical System: Interior/Under Dash88V1730001 November 198870,000
  23. Volvo — Power Train: Driveshaft88V16600018 October 198869,917
  24. Honda — Steering: Hose, Piping, and Connections88V0590006 April 198866,239
  25. Buick — Steering: Pump88V07800010 May 198865,136

The 25 largest of 241 filed in 1988. See every recall or the largest on record.

← 1987 (252)1989 (281) →

Every year on record, with the long-run trend.

About this figure

1988 here is the year the recall was filed with NHTSA, not the model year of the vehicles. A 1988 filing routinely covers vehicles built years earlier, and a car of model year 1988 appears in filings for years afterwards.

“Vehicles covered” sums the manufacturer’s own estimate for each campaign. A vehicle recalled twice in 1988 is counted twice, so the figure is not a count of distinct vehicles.

Do Not Drive and Park Outside flags entered NHTSA’s public record in May 2025. This page shows no advisory section for 1988 because the flag did not exist then \u2014 not because no 1988 recall was urgent.

Compiled from NHTSA’s published recall files, which are US government open data and rebuilt daily. Figures on this page reflect the record as of 18 September 2026. Read the methodology, or check a specific vehicle at nhtsa.gov.