U.S. recalls of cars and trucks declined 40 percent in 2001, down from a record high a year earlier when Firestone tires were replaced, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Vehicles recalled slid to 14.5 million from 24 million, the lowest since 6 million in 1994, NHTSA said. The number of recall cases fell to 417 from a record 478 in 2000, according to the agency. The 2001 recalls included 10.7 million initiated by automakers, while 3.8 million had regulators involved in the decision, according to NHTSA. Automakers in the U.S. recalled 306 million cars and trucks from 1966 to 2001, the period covered by NHTSA data.