RepairPal: Top Cities Most (and Least) Impacted by Automotive Recalls

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2017 -- RepairPal.com, the nation's leading automotive repair web resource, released a study today compiling user activity data and recall information to see which major metro areas are the most, and least, impacted by recalls.

Despite the recent news about major automotive recalls throughout the country, Americans don't always think to check if their vehicle has been affected. Left unaddressed, a recalled issue on your car or truck could result in a major hassle, or in extreme cases, personal harm.

To keep recalls top of mind for consumers, RepairPal crunched the numbers to see which parts of the United States might be most affected. We analyzed website user activity by zip code and recall data from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) over the past five years to determine the major metro areas most and least impacted by recalls. Even if your city doesn't top the list, it serves as a reminder to check for any current recalls on your vehicle and sign up for alerts with RepairPal.

So where are some of the top places that residents are affected by a looming recall on their vehicle? Our number one spot was filled by Pittsburgh, PA, with data suggesting 60.85% of vehicle researchers in the Pittsburgh area seeing a recall. Pittsburgh's affinity for Chevys may be partially to blame for their high recall score. In particular, two of the vehicles RepairPal users in this city researched most frequently include the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and the 2006 Chevrolet Aveo — both of which were hit with relatively large recalls in the past 5 years.

Pittsburgh was followed by the New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY & NJ metropolitan area with a rate of 60.13%. In New York, RepairPal users more frequently research very common (and commonly recalled) cars, like the Honda Accord and CR-V, as well as the Toyota Corolla and Camry. In addition, the BMW 325i seems to have a surprising following in this region. The fact that it was part of a recall twice — in 2013 and in 2016 — didn't help New York's score here.

The third metro area most affected by recalls keeps us nearby in Edison, NJ with 59.90%, followed by Newark-Union, NJ & PA with 59.12%, and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA & NH with 59.06%.

Some of our lowest recall scores brought us westward, with Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA residents seeing the lowest recall rates at 42.62%, followed by Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR & WA with 42.68% and Las Vegas-Paradise, NV with 46.27%. Some other notably low recall rates were found in the Virginia area, with Richmond, VA and Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA & NC showing scores of 46.47% and 46.70%, respectively.