According to a report on defective products recalled in 2015, there were 226 recalls by 76 companies as of Dec. 18, 2015. Of all the recalls, the total number of recalled vehicles was 5,548,500.

That number shows a growth rate of 17 percent from last year, and a 29 percent rise in the number of all recalled products, which is a record high. Among the 226 total recalls, 81 recalls were put into effect by car companies after they had been investigated by the State Quality Inspection Administration (SQIA). That number increased 170 percent from last year. The number of defective vehicles in 2015 was 3,522,300, up by 18 percent.

Why were car recall rates especially high this year?

Officials at the State Quality Inspection Administration speculate that many vehicle producers voluntarily recalled problematic cars to avoid potential risks, especially given the public’s advanced understanding of recall policies after the implementation of the defective vehicle recall plan in 2004.

In the meantime, customers are able to give more accurate feedback, and regulators can collect more useful information, which they analyze using the defect information platform. Additionally, several thorough investigations launched by the SQIA on a certain car component are another cause of increased recalls.

Based on statistics, in the 11 years since the implementation of the defective vehicle recall plan in 2004, China has performed 1,079 recalls on 25,338,500 vehicles. Among all the recalled vehicles, engine problems were the leading cause for recalls; potentially faulty engines led 8,098,000 vehicles to be recalled. Air bag and safety belt issues ranked second among reasons for recalls, with 134 recalls on a total of 4,410,800 cars.