Does the automotive industry have a systemic recall problem?

In the middle of June, Stellantis expanded its recall for Citroen C3s and DS3s built between 2009 and 2019 into a full-scale “stop drive” order across Europe. The initial recall had been for “southern” France only, with 82,000 vehicles affected. At the heart of the problem are airbags made by former market leader Takata. Millions of cars with Takata airbags have been recalled in recent years, and the Japanese company, burdened by the massive costs and associated damages, no longer exists; its remnants were acquired in 2018 by Key Safety Systems, known now as Joyson Safety Systems. Significantly, that deal for around US$1.8bn excluded ongoing liabilities for the faulty airbags.