Major Product Recalls around the World, yearwise

A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence (which can cause costly legal penalties) and to improve or avoid damage to publicity. Recalls are costly to a company because they often entail replacing the recalled product or paying for damages caused in use, albeit possibly less costly than indirect cost following damages to brand name and reduced trust in the manufacturer.

A country's consumer protection laws will have specific requirements in regard to product recalls. Such regulations may include how much of the cost the maker will have to bear, situations in which a recall is compulsory (usually because the risk is big enough), or penalties for failure to recall. The firm may also initiate a recall voluntarily, perhaps subject to the same regulations as if the recall were compulsory. In the case of a compulsory recall, consumers who fail to dispose of it or return it to the manufacturer for replacement or refund could be fined for as much as $5000.

Contents [hide] 1 General steps to a product recall 2 Highlights of major product recalls (1959-2009) 2.1 1959 2.2 1982 2.3 1998 2.4 2000 2.5 2003 2.6 2005 2.7 2006 2.8 2007 2.9 2008 2.10 2009 3 Product recall agency by country 4 See also 5 References 6 External links