Airbag Problems Cause Automotive Recalls to Inflate to Highest Level in RAPEX History

Auto recalls continue on rising trajectory, while food and consumer product notifications drop according to Stericycle Q1 2017 Index


London, UK – 09 May 2017. Faulty airbags were a major contributory factor behind another climb in automotive recalls in Europe during the first quarter of this year, according to the Recall and Notification Index published by Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS, the global leader in automotive and product recall solutions.

Conversely, the number of recalls relating to consumer products dropped by a significant 25.4%, indicating that the high figures recorded at the end of last year were an anomaly when compared with quarter on quarter trends. However, the 364 recalls recorded were still at higher levels than in four of the last seven quarters.


Exploding auto recalls

Motor vehicle recalls show no sign of abating as the number for the quarter increased to 122 over 93 in Q4 2016. Airbags accounted for 41.4% of these incidents in passenger vehicles, compared to 18.3% in Q4, and were followed by steering and fuel related problems. However, the sector was also hit by a number of machinery related issues and marked the largest number in one quarter during the history of the RAPEX system.

In terms of the country of origin from which the recalls stemmed, Germany was again at the top of the list with 40 recalls, followed by France with 29 and the UK with 14. China registered 12 and the United States 8.

Farzad Henareh, European Vice President at Stericycle Expert Solutions, commented: “Looking at an average of auto recalls over the past year it is clear to see just how sharp the rise has been. It is no secret that motor manufacturers have had challenges to deal with which are clearly reflected in the number of recalls and notifications. As the number of connected and autonomous vehicles entering the market increases, these advancements will only add to the complexity.”


Toys will be toys

Toys were behind 38.2% of recalls and notifications in the consumer products category accounting for 139 incidents. Chemicals and choking hazards each caused 23.6% of recalls in Q1. Chemicals have been a leading category for the past five quarters.

Of the 364 recalls in the sector, China was the country of origin for 243 (66.8%) of them. No other country surpassed 11. The countries that most frequently notified a recall event were Spain, France, the Netherlands and Poland.


Risk through contamination

The number of recalls and notifications in the food and beverage sector remained stable at 775, a drop of 1.5%. Nuts, nut products and seeds; produce and fish and fish products have been the top food categories responsible for recalls on a consistent basis.

In Q1, bacterial contamination was the biggest single cause of food recalls at 23.8% followed by aflatoxins and unauthorised ingredients.

“Regulations are extremely stringent for both consumer products and food and beverages in Europe, but despite this, problems do arise,” said Henareh. “We should be cautious about reading too much into the drop in consumer product recalls because Q1’s figures more closely represent the annual average than the increases we saw in Q4 2016. In both of these categories, there is always the risk that a recall will be necessary and it is imperative that manufacturers are prepared for that eventuality with sound recall programmes and access to a third-party specialist.”

The Stericycle Index is based on data from the EU’s RAPEX and RASFF rapid alert systems.

For access to the full Q1 2017 Index, please download the report


About Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS™

Stericycle Inc. is a NASDAQ-listed global business-to-business services company which provides highly specialised solutions to healthcare and commercial businesses of all sizes. Founded in 1989, Stericycle Inc. has grown to become a leader across a range of complex and highly regulated market sectors and operates in 550 locations. Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS™ is the industry leader in managing automotive, consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertSOLUTIONS streamlines the entire product recall process and manages Notification & Response, Processing & Tracking, and Compliance & Reporting for leading global companies.

For more information visit: www.stericycleexpertsolutions.co.uk


Further information:

Julie Kirby / Rafal Kwiatkowski
07956 955625 / 07516 922397
stericycle@zaboura.com