WASHINGTON — For the second consecutive yr, Ford Motor Co. has reported probably the most U.S. automobile recollects of any automaker, partial NHTSA information exhibits.

By means of Dec. 19, Ford had issued 65 recollects affecting greater than 8.6 million autos in 2022. In 2021, the automaker issued 53 recollects overlaying practically 5.4 million autos.

The U.S. recall information comes as Ford continues to work on bettering manufacturing operations and combating high quality points, significantly on its high-profile autos.

In November, Ford recalled practically 634,000 Bronco Sport and Escape crossovers globally for hearth dangers. Months earlier than, the automaker had issued a stop-sale to sellers as a part of its recall of practically 50,000 Mustang Mach-E crossovers for potential energy loss. Federal investigators additionally launched an investigation final yr into “catastrophic engine failures” within the common 2021 Bronco SUV.

“Whereas we do not ever need clients inconvenienced by issues with our merchandise, when it’s a necessity, we will use recollects to name consideration to them,” Ford spokesperson Maria Buczkowski advised Automotive Information.

She added that, as Ford CEO Jim Farley has mentioned, “we’re bettering our launch and preliminary high quality, however our total high quality is not pretty much as good because it ought to and might be. That is why we’re deploying a complete end-to-end course of to lift high quality and preserve it excessive — in design, manufacturing, supply and after-sale service and assist.”

Ford’s overarching aim is to forestall high quality points from taking place within the first place, Buczkowski mentioned, however “when that does not occur, we’re utilizing know-how to detect and resolve them earlier than they grow to be a much bigger deal for extra clients.”

The recall numbers might imply Ford is taking a extra conservative method to addressing potential defects, mentioned Ray Roth III, who leads the automotive recall apply at funding financial institution and advisory agency Stout.

“NHTSA cannot have a look at each single defect and provoke the recollects,” he mentioned. “To a big extent, it is self-reporting.”

Roth additionally mentioned recall totals would wish to think about manufacturing quantity to make comparisons amongst automakers.

“Ford is a really massive producer, so that they’re producing a number of autos,” he mentioned.

Extra new fashions can also imply extra issues once they first enter the market, mentioned Chris Sutton, vice chairman of automotive retail at J.D. Energy.

“When you have a number of new fashions out out there, it is extra doubtless that you will see high quality points floor within the first yr after which these will easy out over the next years,” Sutton mentioned.

The affect of recollects on a buyer’s chance to return for service or to repurchase a automobile from the model is “fairly minor,” he mentioned.

“Most customer support work, relying on the kind of work that was, 35 % of the purchasers mentioned they’re going to undoubtedly come again and repurchase that model,” mentioned Sutton, citing a 2022 J.D. Energy Buyer Service Index research. “If a buyer is available in on a recall, that goes right down to 32 % of the purchasers [who] mentioned they undoubtedly will repurchase the model.”

As autos are outfitted with extra high-tech options, the variety of callbacks associated to electrical methods and rearview digital camera defects additionally seem like rising, recall consultants mentioned.

“Any time you add new tech, it does include new dangers that OEMs have to pay attention to,” mentioned Chris Harvey, senior vice chairman of shopper companies at Sedgwick, which helps companies throughout industries, together with automotive, handle product recall and remediation challenges. “I feel we’ll proceed to see a few of these points when the know-how within the auto business will increase, identical to we have seen with different industries.”

Michael Brooks, govt director of the Heart for Auto Security, mentioned he tracked 34 recollects associated to rearview cameras which might be used to forestall back-over accidents via mid-December.

“There have been 19 the yr earlier than, 16 in 2020, 13 in 2019,” Brooks mentioned. “In 2018, they have been simply mandated.”

Brooks additionally expressed concern in regards to the longevity {of electrical} parts as autos age.

“We’re nonetheless undecided that the producers have discovered an effective way to guarantee that a few of these bells and whistles they’re placing on vehicles are going to have the ability to final for the typical life span of the automobile,” he mentioned. “So we’re a bit anxious that into the longer term — 10 years from now, perhaps much less — that a few of these parts are going to begin to fail early.”