The latest Australian edition of Sedgwick’s product recall report shows recall actions rose 7% to 1288 last year. 

The report examines recalls across five sectors: automotive, consumer product, food and drink, medical device and pharmaceutical. 

Automotive recalls rose 23% last year to 285 and there were 1.12 million defective vehicles recalled in Australia – up from 638,300 in 2023. Electrical systems were the leading cause of automotive recalls, with 49 events. 

Automotive units impacted jumped to 888,469 in the second half, from 227,493 in the first half of the year. 

All five sectors tracked had more events in the second half of 2024 than in the first, sending Australian recall actions up to 686 in July-December, a 14% rise from January-June 

The consumer product sector posted a 15% increase, while recalls in the medical device sector grew 9%, the pharmaceutical sector 4% and food industries less than 3%.  

The automotive sector experienced the biggest second-half increase, with recalls rising 34% from the previous six months.   

For the full year there were more events compared to the previous 12 months in every industry except pharmaceutical, which had 96 safety actions in 2024 – eight fewer than in 2023.  

“While Australian businesses contend with an increasing number of product recalls, they must also adapt to an evolving regulatory landscape,” Sedgwick senior VP of brand protection Chris Harvey. 

“Strengthening existing risk management strategies with the support of expert partners and a focus on proactive planning can be pivotal in helping businesses protect their reputation and their operations.” 

The index is published twice a year and aggregates and tracks Australian recall data. 

See the index here.