The 10 Largest Product Recalls of the Last Decade
For 50 years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been working to decrease preventable injuries and deaths related to consumer products. The agency does this by enforcing product standards, assessing possible dangers, and providing oversight for product recalls. Recalls may involve product repairs, replacements, or refunds for products taken off the market.
Estey & Bomberger, LLP compiled a list of the largest product recalls since 2007. These recalls are ranked based on the number of product units recalled in the U.S., using data provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
These efforts have contributed to significant declines in injuries and deaths over the last few decades. According to a February 2022 speech given by Commission Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric, crib deaths and incidents of child poisoning both decreased approximately 80% since the early 1970s. Moreover, there have been significant declines in injuries related to in-ground swimming pools and bicycles during that same time. Yet, despite this progress injuries and deaths caused by consumer products still cost the U.S. economy an estimated $1 trillion each year.
Product recalls on a mass scale present a burden both to business enterprises and the consuming public alike—not just in terms of the market value of the products themselves, but the time-dollar value of staging a recall and the erosion in public confidence that usually results from them.
Continue reading to learn more about the top 10 recalls of the last 15 years.