After tide of recalls, auto industry does some soul-searching

DETROIT – Spurred by a decade-old ignition switch defect in millions of General Motors vehicles, the auto industry this year has issued more recalls involving old models — those made five or more years ago — than ever before, an analysis of federal recall records by the New York Times shows.

More than 60 million vehicles have been recalled in the United States, double the previous annual record in 2004. In all, there have been about 700 recall announcements — an average of two a day — affecting the equivalent of 1 in 5 vehicles on the road.

The eight largest automakers have each recalled more vehicles in the United States this year than they have on average since 1966, when data collection began, with GM, Honda and Chrysler each setting corporate records, the review found.

While automakers are cleaning up years of defects that previously went undetected or ignored, driving has become statistically safer, partly because of added technology in newer vehicles. Yet the lapses of the past cover a wide range of parts used in multiple models, driving up the number of recalls.

The GM ignition switch defect, affecting various models between 2003 and 2011, has been linked to at least 42 deaths.

"What you're seeing is the makeover of the entire industry," said Bob Carter, Toyota's senior sales executive in the United States.

The auto industry's intense focus on neglected safety issues has changed how it approaches even the most basic safety practices.

But in recent months, the automaker has taken the unusual measure of hiring outside companies to track down owners of vehicles equipped with defective air bags that can explode. The contractors have been instructed to make direct contact with the owners by telephone.

"Sending out letters just isn't enough anymore," Carter said. "We need to call the consumer and explain the importance of getting their cars repaired."

The attention to safety has also awakened car owners. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the nation's top auto regulator, is on pace this year to receive 80,000 complaints from consumers about possible defects — about double the average annual number.

David Friedman, who has served as the NHTSA's temporary chief this year, said in an interview that the agency, which has been criticized by lawmakers for being too lenient with automakers, had put the industry on notice that problematic vehicles needed to be identified and repaired more quickly — or automakers will risk maximum punishment.

GM has led the pack in cleaning up problems, issuing about 80 recalls covering more than 26 million vehicles, including 2.2 million small cars with the defective ignition switches.

Fiat Chrysler, which is recalling Jeeps with gas tanks that can catch fire in a high-speed collision, created a new department overseeing vehicle safety led by a senior executive.