FEATURE BY SEAN REYES Why the Decrease in Federally-Mandated Recalls Give Us False Hope I n its fifth " State of Recalls " report, Recall Masters, the automotive industry's leading provider of recall solutions, revealed that more than 21.3 million affected vehicles were accounted for in recalls mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in calendar year 2021. Another estimated 137 " voluntary manufacturer notice " campaigns affected 10.5 million vehicles, with another 361 campaigns affecting an unknown number of vehicles. " VOLUNTARY MANUFACTURER NOTICE " CAMPAIGNS DO NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE To clarify, since these " voluntary campaigns " are not yet identified as formal NHTSA recalls, data points such as number of affected vehicles does not require public disclosure. While many vehicles have more than one defect present, the 2021 total of 31.8 million affected vehicle recalls adds to the growing recall crisis. Taking into account unrepaired vehicles from previous years, the tally translates to more than one in four vehicles on US roads 32