Component

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

1,146 NHTSA complaints about exterior lighting:headlights:switch issues across 38 makes and 221 models.

The exterior lighting:headlights:switch is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 1,146 filings from 38 manufacturers and 221 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 12 crashes, 59 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FORD TAURUS with 96 filings, followed by FORD THUNDERBIRD and FORD CONTOUR. 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.

1,146
Complaints
221
Models Affected
12
Crashes
59
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 FORD TAURUS 96
2 FORD THUNDERBIRD 65
3 FORD CONTOUR 59
4 MERCURY SABLE 50
5 DODGE RAM 46
6 DODGE RAM 3500 40
7 DODGE RAM 1500 28
8 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 27
9 HONDA CR-V 21
10 DODGE CARAVAN 21
11 DODGE DURANGO 20
12 MERCURY COUGAR 19
13 MERCURY MYSTIQUE 18
14 DODGE DAKOTA 18
15 DODGE RAM 2500 16
16 DODGE NEON 15
17 DODGE INTREPID 15
18 FORD EXCURSION 14
19 FORD CROWN VICTORIA 14
20 CHEVROLET IMPALA 14
21 FORD MUSTANG 13
22 FORD AEROSTAR 13
23 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 13
24 LINCOLN MARK VIII 12
25 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 12
26 FORD EXPLORER 11
27 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 11
28 VOLVO S70 10
29 FORD ESCORT 10
30 CHEVROLET S10 10

Recent Complaints

2020 KIA TELLURIDE

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received Kia Campaign Number: 296 for the "Halogen Headlamp High Beam". The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on one occasion while driv

2019 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights were dim and became inoperable. The driver was unable to see the roadway clearly. There was no warning light i

2021 FORD F53

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F53. The contact stated that the automatic headlight switch failed to turn on. The contact was unable to view the instrument cluster. The contact had to utilize the windsh

2018 KIA SORENTO

Headlights completely turn off on their own at random times at night. Has happened twice when entering into a curve at night. I have to frantically turn the knob off and then back on to make them func

2017 KIA SORENTO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTO LIGHT SWITCH FAILED TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTOFF. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWIC

2016 KIA SORENTO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLAMP SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE OR WAS VERY DIM. THE BULB WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER,

1997 DODGE RAM 3500 Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. CALLAWAY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (809 S WESTMI

2014 KIA FORTE Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS PERCEIVED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT THE ORIGIN OF THE ODOR

2007 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, JIGGLED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE HE

2017 LINCOLN MKZ

2017 LINCOLN MKZ. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO COMPUTER TOUCH SCREEN MALFUNCTION, HEADLIGHTS CONTROL SWITCH PROBLEMS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE

2007 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ALSO, WHIL

2010 DODGE CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH BEGAN TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REMEDIED. T

2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND LATER TURNED BACK ON. THE HEADLIGHTS ON/OFF SWITCH WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE C

2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE LOW AND HIGH BEAM HEAD LAMPS WERE ACTIVATED, BUT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICL

2005 BUICK CENTURY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE LOW BEAMS STOPPED WORKING AND HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT HAD TO H

1994 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, ALL THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WA

2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE AUTO LIGHT SWITCH FAILED HOWEVER, THE MANUAL SW

2006 BUICK LACROSSE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RELAY SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE RECU

2000 FORD EXCURSION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXCURSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH NEEDED T

2007 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THA

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve exterior lighting:headlights:switch issues?
The NHTSA has received 1,146 complaints about exterior lighting:headlights:switch problems across 221 vehicle models from 38 manufacturers.
How dangerous are exterior lighting:headlights:switch defects?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH issues have been linked to 12 crashes, 59 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most exterior lighting:headlights:switch problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for exterior lighting:headlights:switch issues is the FORD TAURUS with 96 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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