U.S. product recall activity remained elevated in the first quarter 2026, a new report shows.
Sedgwick’s latest U.S. recall report shows the volume of defective products recalled across five U.S. industries rose 27% quarter-over-quarter to 492 million units in the three months of the year.
That rise is despite the number of recall events falling 10.5% to 785 events in the first quarter from 877 events in the fourth quarter of 2025.
According to the authors of the report, the data indicate that while fewer recalls were announced overall, the scale and impact of individual events continued to intensify.
Sedgwick’s quarterly Product Safety and Recall Index report examines recall activity affecting the U.S. automotive, consumer products, food and drink, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.
According to the report, the consumer products sector was the only industry to record an increase in recall events, rising 14.5%. The sector also saw an 347% increase in recalled units quarter-over-quarter.
The automotive sector had its highest quarterly total in two years with about 12.2 million units recalled, while the pharmaceutical sector reached a four-year high with about 218.8 million units impacted, said Sedgwick.
In the food sector, recalls regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture accounted for 37.1 million pounds of product, the third-highest total in more than two decades, according to the report.
The report also takes critical analysis of what’s ahead for businesses, including new regulations, changing lawmaker priorities and global ongoings.
“In the first quarter of 2026, the conflict with Iran drove oil prices up, which had a ripple effect on the cost and availability of certain goods,” said Sedgwick. “Restrictions on shipping routes also impacted supply chains, including fertilizer for growing crops, which could have a long-term impact on food prices.”
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