...the amount of recalls nowadays make you think why so many...
A few ideas spring immediately to mind.
Safety standards are much higher than they used to be, things that would not be seen as a problem 30 years ago will not pass muster today.
In recent years there have been highly publicised incidents where manufacturers have not recalled cars, where perhaps they should have done, the industry was criticised by the regulators for this, and perhaps manufacturers are erring even more on the side of caution.
With the culture of ambulance chasers, people are more likely to sue manufacturers.
With the internet we hear about issues a lot more than before, add the culture of ambulance chasers and you are much more likely to get a class action law suit, which no manufacturer wants hanging around their neck.