Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
3,812 NHTSA complaints about electrical system:wiring:front underhood issues across 42 makes and 458 models.
The electrical system:wiring:front underhood is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 3,812 filings from 42 manufacturers and 458 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 78 crashes, 2,428 fires, 153 injuries, and 19 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FORD F-150 with 180 filings, followed by FORD CONTOUR 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.
Most Affected Vehicles
| # | Vehicle | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FORD F-150 | 180 |
| 2 | FORD CONTOUR | 114 |
| 3 | FORD TAURUS | 94 |
| 4 | LINCOLN TOWN CAR | 78 |
| 5 | FORD AEROSTAR | 78 |
| 6 | FORD EXPLORER | 66 |
| 7 | FORD WINDSTAR | 62 |
| 8 | FORD EXPEDITION | 59 |
| 9 | FORD ESCORT | 58 |
| 10 | NISSAN MAXIMA | 49 |
| 11 | PONTIAC GRAND PRIX | 47 |
| 12 | JEEP CHEROKEE | 47 |
| 13 | DODGE NEON | 47 |
| 14 | FORD RANGER | 46 |
| 15 | TOYOTA CAMRY | 44 |
| 16 | FORD FOCUS | 44 |
| 17 | DODGE INTREPID | 44 |
| 18 | CHEVROLET BLAZER | 39 |
| 19 | PONTIAC GRAND AM | 38 |
| 20 | MERCEDES-BENZ E320 | 38 |
| 21 | FORD MUSTANG | 37 |
| 22 | MERCURY SABLE | 36 |
| 23 | DODGE RAM | 36 |
| 24 | DODGE CARAVAN | 35 |
| 25 | CHEVROLET CAVALIER | 35 |
| 26 | MERCURY MYSTIQUE | 34 |
| 27 | MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS | 34 |
| 28 | FORD THUNDERBIRD | 34 |
| 29 | PLYMOUTH VOYAGER | 32 |
| 30 | DODGE STRATUS | 32 |
Recent Complaints
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE GOING TO TURN THE BATTERY OFF UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO THE DRIVER HAZARD LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATING, THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM TH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RODENTS ENTERED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ATE THE ELECTRICAL WIRING. THE WIRING ATTRACTED RODENTS AND OTHER ANIMALS. THE CONTACT HAD
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS450. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT CALLED STERLING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO REMEDY THE RECALL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT S
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GALPIN FORD (1000 SANDRETTO DR., PRESCOTT, AZ 86305) WHERE IT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTU
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STAT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V229000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 17V622000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT CALLED KANSAS CIT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK280. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE MARKER LIGHT BULB REPLACED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A F
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATIONS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT TH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000: (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO TH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED
WIRING HARNESS LOST CONNECTION TO GROUND FOR THE PCM. GROUND WOULD NOT ALLOW FUEL PUMP TO WORK PROPERLY WITHOUT MAJOR WORK TO THE WIRING HARNESS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD WERE EATEN BY RODENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES WERE SOY BA
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Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.