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Automakers recalled about 20 million vehicles in 2010, led by high-profile recalls by Toyota that prompted new scrutiny of the auto industry's safety record.
The number of recalls was the largest in the United States, for example, since 2004. The auto industry set a record with 30.8 million recalled vehicles that year.
Toyota recalled about 7.1 million vehicles in 2010 to fix faulty gas pedals, floor mats that could trap accelerators, defective braking and stalling engines.
The safety woes by the world's No. 1 automaker brought more attention to auto safety from government regulators and the public.
Safety recalls can cost car companies tens of millions of dollars or more. Toyota has vowed to take a more proactive approach to safety, creating engineering teams that can quickly examine cars that are the subject of consumer complaints.
Among other automakers, General Motors recalled about four million vehicles in 2010 while Japanese rivals Honda and Nissan both recalled more than two million cars and trucks.
Chrysler recalled about 1.5 million vehicles and Ford called back more than 500,000 vehicles.
Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents a dozen car companies, said automakers 'are doing a better job of identifying and pinpointing safety-related issues and taking faster action'.
He said safety advances in new vehicles helped traffic deaths decline last year to its lowest levels since 1950.
