Component

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT

583 NHTSA complaints about exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit issues across 33 makes and 155 models.

The exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 583 filings from 33 manufacturers and 155 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 13 crashes, 5 fires, 3 injuries, and 20 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 60 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.

583
Complaints
155
Models Affected
13
Crashes
5
Fires
20
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 CHEVROLET MALIBU 60
2 PONTIAC GRAND AM 54
3 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 32
4 CHEVROLET BLAZER 18
5 CHEVROLET IMPALA 13
6 VOLVO V70 10
7 DODGE NEON 10
8 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 9
9 FORD EXPLORER 9
10 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 9
11 CADILLAC DEVILLE 9
12 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 8
13 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 8
14 TOYOTA CAMRY 8
15 KIA SEPHIA 8
16 HYUNDAI SONATA 7
17 FORD RANGER 7
18 FORD F-150 7
19 FORD CONTOUR 7
20 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 7
21 PONTIAC SUNFIRE 6
22 PLYMOUTH NEON 6
23 HONDA ACCORD 6
24 FORD EXPEDITION 6
25 CHEVROLET CORSICA 6
26 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 6
27 SATURN ION 5
28 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 5
29 GMC ENVOY 5
30 FORD WINDSTAR 5

Recent Complaints

2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the left turn signal was activated, however, the left turn signal failed to function as intended.

2025 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA

The contact owns a 2025 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the turn indicator on the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated that whil

2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE

When this device is used to replace the Flasher Module (my had failed so I ordered this replacement from Amazon) I found that the brake light circuit to any trailer connected tot he vehicle would no l

2023 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

The contact's wife owns a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the right turn signal light illuminated and blinked intermittently. The contact's wife

2016 HYUNDAI TUCSON

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT SIGNAL FAILED TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHILE COMPLETING A LEFT TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY ADJUST

2012 SMART FORTWO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SMART FORTWO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOKEY MERC

2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH AND TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRE

2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE METAL LATCH PINCHED HER FINGER. THE REAR PASSENGER REAR WINDOW SQUEALED WHENEVER THE CONT

2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE

2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS ON THE SIDE MIRRORS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED T

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED AND COULD NOT BE ACTIVATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS

2000 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED UNLESS THE TURN SIGNALS ARE BEING USED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR AN OPERATOR TO KNOW WHEN THEY ARE OPERABLE. THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF

2008 HYUNDAI SONATA

2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER STATES DISCONTENT WITH DENIAL OF A ONLINE COUPON, UNRESOLVED THUMPING, VIBRATION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. IN ADDITION THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER/CLICKER IS

2004 HYUNDAI TIBURON

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE TURN SIGNAL. THE LIGHT REMAINED SOLID AND DID NOT FLASH. WHEN THE CONTACT ARRIVED TO HIS DE

2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM

SIGNAL INDICATOR KEEPS CLICKING AFTER CANCELING SIGNAL. *TR

2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA

NO PRIOR EVENT. TURN SIGNAL FLASHER CEASED TO FUNCTION FULL TIME. IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. HAZARD LIGHTS NOR TURN SIGNALS BLINK. BULBS COME ON AND STAY ON. NO FLASHER. *TR

2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT

I WAS DRIVING MY TRAILBLAZER TO MINNEAPOLIS AND THE TURN SIGNALS WERE WORKING FINE, I STOP AND WHEN I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN I WENT TO USE MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND THE FLASHERS WENT ON INSTEAD. IT CONTI

2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA

THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS NO LONGER BLINK WHEN TURNED ON. THE BULBS LIGHT UP BUT DO NOT BLINK ON AND OFF. *TR

2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

MY LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING JUST AS IS POPULAR ON THESE TYPES OF ENGINES. ALSO MY TURN SIGNAL IS WORKING OFF AND ON. I HAVE SENT LETTERS TO GM WITH NO RESPONSE OR SUCCESS. *TR

1999 MERCURY COUGAR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR AUTOMATIC V6. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. LIKE OTHER 1999 ' 2000 MERCURY COUGAR OWNE

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit issues?
The NHTSA has received 583 complaints about exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit problems across 155 vehicle models from 33 manufacturers.
How dangerous are exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit defects?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT issues have been linked to 13 crashes, 5 fires, 3 injuries, and 20 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit issues is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 60 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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