Component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY

112 NHTSA complaints about electrical system:starter assembly:relay issues across 25 makes and 86 models.

The electrical system:starter assembly:relay is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 112 filings from 25 manufacturers and 86 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 0 crashes, 12 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the HONDA ACCORD with 5 filings, followed by PONTIAC GRAND AM and FORD ESCAPE. 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.

112
Complaints
86
Models Affected
0
Crashes
12
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 HONDA ACCORD 5
2 PONTIAC GRAND AM 4
3 FORD ESCAPE 4
4 MERCURY MYSTIQUE 3
5 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2
6 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2
7 NISSAN D21 2
8 NISSAN ALTIMA 2
9 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 2
10 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 2
11 JEEP CHEROKEE 2
12 FORD FOCUS 2
13 FORD F-150 2
14 FORD CONTOUR 2
15 DODGE STRATUS 2
16 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER 2
17 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 2
18 BUICK LUCERNE 2
19 VOLVO 850 1
20 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1
21 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN 1
22 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 1
23 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1
24 SATURN SW 1
25 SAAB 9000 1
26 PONTIAC SUNFIRE 1
27 PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1
28 PLYMOUTH NEON 1
29 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1
30 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME 1

Recent Complaints

2023 FORD BRONCO SPORT

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact was informed by his wife that when the start button was depressed, there was a loud boom coming from the vehicle. There was an odor of smoke comi

2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle and the veh

2014 NISSAN ROGUE

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from underneath the driver's side of the vehicle. The battery was

2012 CHRYSLER 300

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 300. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted and stalled. The contact shifted the vehicle into park(P) and res

2017 CHEVROLET VOLT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET VOLT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PEARL MOTOR COMPANY (3100 S CLAR

2009 BUICK LUCERNE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN UNKNOWN SOURCE SH

2012 AUDI A6

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A6. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER WAITING MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE

2006 BUICK LACROSSE Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT PREMATURELY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. ALSO, THE FOG LIGHTS FAILED AND CAUSED THE RELAY SWITCH

2008 HONDA CIVIC

TWO YEARS AGO WE WENT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP IN COCOA FLORIDA BECAUSE OUR AIR CONDITIONER WAS CUTTING OUT AND THEN COMING BACK ON, AND THEN CUTTING OUT. WE PURCHASED A $5 RELAY SWITCH AND PROBLEM ST

2008 BUICK LUCERNE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. A PRIVATE MECHANIC REPLACED THE STARTER RELAY SWITCH; HOWEVER

2008 LAND ROVER LR2

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LAND ROVER LR2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HDC AND TRANSMISSION FAIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE RELAY FUSE WOULD NEED TO BE

2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR. AFTER TAKING THE DOOR PANEL OFF, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CONTROL PANEL HAD MELTED.

2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING AND ATTEMPTED TO LOCK THE DOORS, THE POWER LOCKS ON ALL DOORS FAILED TO WORK. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCK AND UN

2006 FORD MUSTANG GT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD MUSTANG GT. THE CONTACT TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE START POSITION. IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE BATTERY POWER FAILED; THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS RELEASED IN A D

2001 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 30 AN 40 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED IN TRAFFIC. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ,BY MYSELF, WERE FOR NAUGHT. A NEARBY GARAGE INITIALLY THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS A

2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

CAR WILL JERK AND CUT OFF SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING, WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION AND WHEN SITTING STILL IDLING. MAKES DRIVING VERY HAZARDOUS. FOUND OUT A RECALL ON THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR SO CALLED LOCAL

2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 320

VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICAL, HEATING AND COOLING, SUSPENSION, POWER STEERING, LIGHTING, AND PURGE VALVE SYSTEMS. SPENT 7K IN LAST 3 YEARS ALONE. HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM WAS REMOVED AND REINS

2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Fire

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, NOISE CAME FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, VEHICLE SIGNIFICANTLY LOST POWER. DRIVER COULD NOT SHUT OFF ENGINE....STARTER WAS TRYING TO CRANK ENG

2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

SECURITY ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO START THE ENGINE. SECURITY ERROR WILL FLASH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START UP THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER TO ALL SYSTEMS. THE ONLY FIX APPEARED TO BE TO WAI

2004 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

1. 2004 BUICK RENDEZVOUS STALLS DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS. WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL IT SITS AWHILE. 2. STARTER STAYS ENGAGED AND WHINES AFTER ENGINE STARTS FOR APROX. 3 TO 4 SECONDS. 3. THE GAS TANK I

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve electrical system:starter assembly:relay issues?
The NHTSA has received 112 complaints about electrical system:starter assembly:relay problems across 86 vehicle models from 25 manufacturers.
How dangerous are electrical system:starter assembly:relay defects?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY issues have been linked to 0 crashes, 12 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most electrical system:starter assembly:relay problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for electrical system:starter assembly:relay issues is the HONDA ACCORD with 5 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.

Verify with FDA →