Share of Vehicle Recalls Citing Software (12-Month, %)

## What this measures

Of the vehicle recall campaigns NHTSA received over the latest 12 months, the percentage whose defect summary or remedy names software, firmware, a reprogramming or reflash, or an over-the-air update.

## Why it matters

Cars now run on code, and a growing share of defects are software faults, or are fixed by updating software, sometimes over the air without a dealer visit. This share tracks how far vehicle quality has become a software problem, and how cheaply recalls can be fixed.

## How to read it

Higher means a larger share of recalls involve software. It mixes defects caused by software with defects fixed by a software update.

## What it does not say

A campaign is dated by when NHTSA received the manufacturer’s defect report, not when owners were told or the repair was ready. Units are those the manufacturer estimates may be affected, not vehicles found defective. One defect can produce several campaigns (one per manufacturer or report). The match is on words in NHTSA’s summaries, which vary in detail.

## How it's built

Trailing 12 months of vehicle campaigns (report type V) ending with the month shown, by report receipt. A campaign counts when its defect or remedy text contains one of these words (set before any count was made): software, firmware, over-the-air, OTA update, reprogram, reflash, calibration update. Months with fewer than 200 campaigns in the window are left out. Palanor calculation.

## Source

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, recalls data (static.nhtsa.gov/odi/ffdd/rcl/FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip, layout RCL.txt), refreshed daily by NHTSA; U.S. government work. Refreshed daily by /api/cron/risk-events-sync?source=nhtsa.