Component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

2,373 NHTSA complaints about electrical system:ignition:module issues across 43 makes and 395 models.

The electrical system:ignition:module is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 2,373 filings from 43 manufacturers and 395 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 43 crashes, 57 fires, 36 injuries, and 3 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the SAAB 9-5 with 131 filings, followed by FORD FOCUS and FORD TAURUS. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

2,373
Complaints
395
Models Affected
43
Crashes
57
Fires
3
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 SAAB 9-5 131
2 FORD FOCUS 52
3 FORD TAURUS 46
4 PONTIAC GRAND AM 43
5 NISSAN MAXIMA 42
6 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 41
7 SAAB 9-3 41
8 GEO STORM 40
9 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 38
10 FORD WINDSTAR 38
11 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 35
12 FORD EXPLORER 32
13 NISSAN SENTRA 30
14 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 25
15 CHEVROLET LUMINA 25
16 FORD TEMPO 24
17 FORD ESCORT 23
18 SATURN LS 22
19 DODGE CARAVAN 22
20 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 22
21 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 21
22 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 21
23 HONDA ACCORD 21
24 DODGE NEON 21
25 CHEVROLET MALIBU 21
26 BUICK LESABRE 21
27 MERCURY SABLE 20
28 FORD ESCAPE 19
29 CHEVROLET S10 19
30 JEEP CHEROKEE 18

Recent Complaints

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be restarted

2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500

Mercedes has a design and installation flaw for the EIS Connector. Its location under the wheel by the metal wall allows for condensation to directly be absorbed into the connector causing corrosion.

2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JIM CLICK JEEP (701 W AUTO MALL DR, TUCSON, AZ 8570

2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH OR VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN, BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED

2012 DODGE RAM 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD INDEPENDENTLY TURN OFF ONCE THE VEHICLE STRUCK A BUMP OR A POTHOLE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE

2012 DODGE RAM 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO JACK POWELL CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (1625 AUTO PARK WAY, ESCONDIDO,

2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATO

2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING OVER UNLEVELED LAND, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOST OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORTHTOWN CHRYSLER DODGE

2013 HONDA ACCORD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA ACCORD. WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED BY TWIN CITY HONDA (10545 MEMORIAL BLVD, PORT ARTHUR, TX 77640, (

2009 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART

2008 CHRYSLER 300

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER 300. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE WIRELESS IGNITION NODE MODULE WAS STUCK BETWEEN THE RUN AND START POSITION. THE KEY DID NOT REMAIN IN THE RUN POSITION. THE

2015 FORD ESCAPE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HANDLE FOR THE HATCHBACK FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE FAI

2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THE WIRELESS IGNITION NOD

2007 DODGE CALIBER Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO START AND THE IGNITION ASSEMBLY BURNED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE R

2003 CADILLAC CTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE

2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHI

2006 BUICK LACROSSE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO IGNITE THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECH

2005 SATURN VUE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE KEY RELEASED OUT OF THE IGNITION AND FAILED TO GO BACK INTO THE IGNITION TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF.

2008 CHRYSLER 300

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION FAILED AND PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A

2008 DODGE CHARGER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve electrical system:ignition:module issues?
The NHTSA has received 2,373 complaints about electrical system:ignition:module problems across 395 vehicle models from 43 manufacturers.
How dangerous are electrical system:ignition:module defects?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE issues have been linked to 43 crashes, 57 fires, 36 injuries, and 3 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most electrical system:ignition:module problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for electrical system:ignition:module issues is the SAAB 9-5 with 131 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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