Component

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS

311 NHTSA complaints about exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights issues across 24 makes and 103 models.

The exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 311 filings from 24 manufacturers and 103 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 4 crashes, 4 fires, 6 injuries, and 1 fatality. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 56 filings, followed by PONTIAC GRAND AM and OLDSMOBILE ALERO. 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.

311
Complaints
103
Models Affected
4
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 CHEVROLET MALIBU 56
2 PONTIAC GRAND AM 49
3 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 33
4 CHEVROLET IMPALA 13
5 CHEVROLET BLAZER 12
6 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 6
7 GMC JIMMY 6
8 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 6
9 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 4
10 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 4
11 DODGE CARAVAN 4
12 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 4
13 KIA SPORTAGE 3
14 KIA SEPHIA 3
15 FORD EXPLORER 3
16 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER 3
17 CHEVROLET CORSICA 3
18 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 2
19 NISSAN SENTRA 2
20 GMC SONOMA 2
21 GMC SIERRA 2
22 FORD RANGER 2
23 FORD FOCUS 2
24 FORD CROWN VICTORIA 2
25 DODGE RAM 1500 2
26 DODGE DURANGO 2
27 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 2
28 CHRYSLER CONCORDE 2
29 CHEVROLET VENTURE 2
30 CHEVROLET S10 2

Recent Complaints

2013 LEXUS ES

The contact owns a 2013 Lexus ES 300H. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The service ABS, Brakes, and hazard warning lights were illuminated

2016 LEXUS RX

The contact owns a 2016 Lexus RX 350. While the contact was inside the building where she worked, the hazard lights were flashing unintendedly. When the contact arrived at the residence, the hazard li

2012 FORD EXPLORER

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact pressed the hazard warning light icon on the display screen to pull over, but the haza

2018 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while his daughter driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to stop at a traffic light, the vehicle lost automotive power. No warni

2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse howev

2014 TOYOTA COROLLA

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Corolla equipped with four Bridgestone Tires, Tires Line: Eldorado, Tire Size: 21545R17, and DOT Nuber: N/A. The contact stated that the tire pressure warning light was

2015 DODGE CHARGER

BOUGHT THE CAR IN. DECEMBER 2018. ON JANUARY 21, 2019 THE DASHBOARD LIT UP SAYING SERVIVE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ALONG WITH THE ABS WARNING LIGHT TOOK CHARGER TO GET FIXED IT WAS FIXED HAVENT H

2020 JEEP GLADIATOR Crash

I PURCHASED THE JEEP ON 12/30/2019. IT HAD 1,200 MILES WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN 4WD AND ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO INDICATE FAILURE. I HIT THE BRAKES AND NOTHING

2014 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE AIR BAGS AND SERVICE FRONT CAMERA WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CO

2002 FORD ESCAPE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING, AN ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE AND IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE

2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HAZARD LIGHTS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER

2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON IS PUSHED BACK WHERE HE WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVE MY HAZARD LIGHTS IF NEEDED. ALSO, THERE WERE SOME UNIDENTIFIED LIGHTS STUCK ON THE DASHBOARD. *MW

2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURN AND HAZARD SIGNALS MALFUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE V

2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE SIGNAL AND HAZARD LIGHTS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE W

2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN A HEAVY RAINSTORM, THE HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE

2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, HAZARD LIGHTS, AND HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE

2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HAZARD AND TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MA

2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARDS LIGHTS WOULD ONLY ACTIVATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPLACED. THE MANUFACTUR

2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN ACTIVATED. THE HAZARD WARNING SIGNALS ALSO FAILED TO IL

2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO OPERATE AT TIMES OR WOULD OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY DO TO A DEFECTIVE HAZARD SWITCH. THE CONTACT RE

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights issues?
The NHTSA has received 311 complaints about exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights problems across 103 vehicle models from 24 manufacturers.
How dangerous are exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights defects?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS issues have been linked to 4 crashes, 4 fires, 6 injuries, and 1 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights issues is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 56 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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