National reference figures
U.S. product recall statistics
The national reference figures behind PlainRecalls - 104,423 recalls from the CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS and NHTSA, 1995–2026. Every number here is read live from the recall archive, not hand-entered.
Data as of · figures update as agencies publish new recalls. See the methodology for every derived number.
The U.S. federal recall archive holds 104,423 product recalls from 1995 to 2026, across the CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS and NHTSA.
PlainRecalls compiles 104,423 U.S. product recalls issued between 1995 and 2026 by 4 federal sources: CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS, and NHTSA. About 83% come from the FDA's food, drug and device programs. Medical Devices is the single most-recalled category, with 41,070 records. Each count is a distinct recall event read live from the data, not units affected or a measure of relative danger.
- 104,423 total recalls
- 1995–2026 years covered
- 83% from FDA programs
- 41,070 top category
The headline
The federal recall archive holds 104,423 product recalls from 1995 to 2026, about 83% of them from the FDA's food, drug and device programs, with medical devices the single most-recalled product category (41,070).
- 104,423
- total recalls on file
- 1995–2026
- years covered
- 83%
- from FDA programs
- 41,070
- top category (medical devices)
Counts are distinct recall events across federal agencies, not units affected, one recall covering millions of units counts the same as one covering a single batch.
Key Findings
8 registry counts from this archive, recomputed on each request. Download the category table as CSV (CC0).
- 1. 104,423 distinct recall events sit in this PlainRecalls archive from 1995 to 2026. This is an issuance count, not units affected and not a danger ranking.
- 2. 83% of the archive is the FDA food, drug and device family combined (87,010 events). That is a program-family share, not a claim that one FDA endpoint issued the most notices.
- 3. 41,070 events sit in Medical Devices, the highest-volume category in this extract. Volume reflects how much of a category is on the market and how heavily it is inspected, not relative risk.
- 4. 2016 is the peak issuance year in the 2010–2026 chart (8,349 events). Year-to-year swings track regulatory activity and detection methods, not only product safety.
- 5. 22% of the 88,244 FDA-classified notices are high-severity Class I (19,068). CPSC and NHTSA rows have no agency hazard class and are excluded from this split (16,179 unclassified).
- 6. 875 distinct events are listed for Zimmer Biomet, Inc., the most-listed firm in this extract of 14,151 manufacturers. More product lines and more scrutiny mean more notices, not a verdict that the firm is less safe.
- 7. 3,263 events per year is the archive mean across 1995–2026 (32 years). It is a long-window average, not this year's run rate.
- 8. 6 agency lines have a non-zero count in this extract (FDA Medical Devices 39,794; FDA Food Safety 29,317; FDA Drug Safety 17,899; CPSC 8,254; NHTSA 7,925; USDA FSIS 1,234). Each agency covers a different product domain.
Recalls issued per year
Recall issuance peaked in 2016 with 8,349 recalls. Across 1995–2026 the archive averages about 3,263 recalls per year. Year-to-year swings track regulatory activity and detection methods, not only product safety.
Recalls issued per year
Distinct recall events across the CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS and NHTSA, 2010–2026
Most-recalled product categories
Medical Devices leads with 41,070 recalls on record. The ten highest-volume categories below account for the bulk of the archive.
Most-recalled categories
Top 10 product categories by recall count on record
- Medical Devices
Medical Devices
41,070 recalls
- Food
Food
25,513 recalls
- Drugs & Medications 14,473
Drugs & Medications
14,473 recalls
- Vehicles 8,938
Vehicles
8,938 recalls
- Children & Baby Products 4,017
Children & Baby Products
4,017 recalls
- Household Products 3,574
Household Products
3,574 recalls
- Dietary Supplements 2,018
Dietary Supplements
2,018 recalls
- Meat & Poultry 1,672
Meat & Poultry
1,672 recalls
- Cosmetics & Personal Care 1,388
Cosmetics & Personal Care
1,388 recalls
- Electronics 694
Electronics
694 recalls
What this shows Higher counts reflect both how much of a category is on the market and how heavily it is inspected, not only relative risk.
Recalls by federal agency
FDA Medical Devices: 39,794 · FDA Food Safety: 29,317 · FDA Drug Safety: 17,899 · CPSC: 8,254 · NHTSA: 7,925 · USDA FSIS: 1,234. Each agency covers a different product domain, see the methodology for what is and isn't included.
Recalls by agency
Distinct recall events on record, by issuing federal agency
- FDA Devices (since 2012)
FDA Devices (since 2012)
39,794 recalls
- FDA Food (since 2012)
FDA Food (since 2012)
29,317 recalls
- FDA Drug (since 2012)
FDA Drug (since 2012)
17,899 recalls
- CPSC (since 2000) 8,254
CPSC (since 2000)
8,254 recalls
- NHTSA (since 1995) 7,925
NHTSA (since 1995)
7,925 recalls
- USDA FSIS (since 2014) 1,234
USDA FSIS (since 2014)
1,234 recalls
What this shows The CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS and NHTSA each regulate a distinct product domain; counts reflect the size of each domain in this archive.
Record windows differ, so these totals are not a like-for-like volume comparison: FDA Medical Devices begins 2012; FDA Food Safety begins 2012; FDA Drug Safety begins 2012; CPSC begins 2000; NHTSA begins 1995; USDA FSIS begins 2014. From 2015 onward, the window every agency covers: FDA Medical Devices 33,176; FDA Food Safety 23,030; FDA Drug Safety 14,526; NHTSA 4,652; CPSC 3,629; USDA FSIS 1,132.
Most-recalled companies
Zimmer Biomet, Inc. carries the most recalls on record (875 distinct events). Most-recalled firms tend to be the largest and most heavily inspected, more product lines and more scrutiny mean more notices, not necessarily worse safety.
| # | Company | Recalls on record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimmer Biomet, Inc. | 875 |
| 2 | Medline Industries, LP - Northfield | 822 |
| 3 | Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc | 796 |
| 4 | Ford | 782 |
| 5 | Customed, Inc | 682 |
| 6 | Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Inc. | 665 |
| 7 | Newly Weds Foods, Inc. | 657 |
| 8 | Icu Medical, Inc. | 657 |
| 9 | Garden Fresh Foods, Inc. | 634 |
| 10 | Boston Scientific Corporation | 632 |
Full ranking: all recall rankings.
Severity breakdown
Of the 88,244 recalls that carry an agency hazard classification, 22% are high-severity (19,068), 73% moderate (64,652), and 5% lower-severity (4,524). These are the FDA food, drug and device recalls, where the agency publishes its own Class I, II or III designation. A further 16,179 recalls are excluded from this split because no agency class exists for them: CPSC does not publish a hazard class, and NHTSA vehicle campaigns are not classified either, so grading them beside an FDA Class II would compare an agency's judgement with our own inference.
Using these figures
Every number on this page is read directly from the recall database at the data vintage shown above, nothing is estimated or hand-entered. Counts are distinct recall events, so a single recall covering millions of units counts the same as one covering a single batch; the figures measure issuance activity, not units affected or relative risk. A citation should include the as-of year. PlainRecalls is an independent reference and is not affiliated with the CPSC, FDA, USDA FSIS, or NHTSA.
Compiled counts are dedicated to the public domain (CC0). Underlying agency notices remain U.S. government works. Category CSV: plainrecalls-category-summary.csv.
Put these figures to use
- Check whether a specific product you own has been recalled. Recall checker
- Browse every recall in the most-recalled category, medical devices. Medical Devices recalls
- See the full company and year rankings. Recall rankings
Counts measure issuance frequency, not severity or units affected, always read the individual recall notice for the hazard and remedy.