Component

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:PADS

159 NHTSA complaints about service brakes, air:disc:pads issues across 29 makes and 92 models.

The service brakes, air:disc:pads is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 159 filings from 29 manufacturers and 92 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, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 9 filings, followed by FORD FOCUS and PONTIAC GRAND AM. 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.

159
Complaints
92
Models Affected
4
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 CHEVROLET MALIBU 9
2 FORD FOCUS 8
3 PONTIAC GRAND AM 5
4 HONDA ACCORD 5
5 GMC SIERRA 4
6 FORD EXPEDITION 4
7 NISSAN ARMADA 3
8 MITSUBISHI GALANT 3
9 KIA SEPHIA 3
10 FORD TAURUS 3
11 CHEVROLET LUMINA 3
12 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2
13 TOYOTA TUNDRA 2
14 TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2
15 TOYOTA CAMRY 2
16 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2
17 SUZUKI INTRUDER 2
18 SUZUKI AERIO 2
19 SATURN SL 2
20 SAAB 9-3 2
21 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 2
22 NISSAN CREW 2
23 MAZDA MAZDA6 2
24 JEEP LIBERTY 2
25 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2
26 JEEP CHEROKEE 2
27 INFINITI G35 2
28 FORD WINDSTAR 2
29 FORD RANGER 2
30 FORD F-150 2

Recent Complaints

2019 FORD RANGER

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed with an abnormal squealing sound. There were no warning lights illumin

2018 FORD TAURUS

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. Upon inspection of his vehicle, the contact was informed by a mechanic at the dealer that the passenger’s side rear brake pad had been severely worn and was clos

2007 LEXUS LS 460

The contact owns a 2007 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal tapping noise would emit from the brakes. As the failure persisted, the vehicle would drift up

2006 FORD TAURUS

2006 FORD TAURUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AFTERMARKET FRONT BRAKE PADS RECALL NOTICE. *SMD *JS

2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING A STATE INSPECTION PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE SHE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TA

2010 HONDA ACCORD

INVESTIGATED A SCRAPING SOUND COMING FROM RIGHT REAR WHEEL FOUND BRAKE PADS WORN DOWN TO BARE BACKING,EXAMINED FRONT PADS AND FOUND THEM TO BE STILL IN LIKE NEW CONDITION. *JS

2004 FORD FREESTAR

EXCESSIVE FRONT BRAKE NOISE. SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING NOISE. I CAN NOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW LOUD THIS IS. IT IS NOT EVEN NEAR THE LEVEL OF NORMAL BRAKE SQUEALING. DEALERSHIP REPORTS TH

2006 SUZUKI AERIO

I BOUGHT THIS CAR BACK IN FEB. 2006 WITH ONLY 1000 MILES ON IT. BY DECEMBER OF 2006, I BEGAN HEARING SQUEAKY NOISES AND THIS LOUD ANNOYING SOUND, WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT NE

1994 FORD AEROSTAR

FRONT COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED, HAD TO REPLACED WITH READING SPRING WORKS, THEY HAD TO SEND THE SPECKS TO CHICAGO. MY FORD AERO STAR 4 WHEEL DRIVE & 4.0 V6 IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM AFTER MARKET. THE ONLY OPT

2005 SAAB 9-3

THE REAR BRAKE PADS ON THE SAAB 9-3 SEDANS WEAR PREMATURELY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN REAR BREAK FAILURES WITH AS FEW AS 20-28K MILES ON THE CAR, WHILE THE FRONT BRAKES ARE COMPLETELY NORMAL.*CN

2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

REAR BRAKE PAD WEAR WORN OUT AT 19K. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND WANTS $272.72 FOR THE PAIR. *CN

2006 DODGE CHARGER

I OWN A 2006 DODGE CHARGER SRT8. MY BRAKES HAS BEEN SQUEAKING SINCE 7,500 MILES. THE BRAKES WERE WORE OUT BY THAT TIME. THE LIFE OF A BRAKE IS 12,000 MILES. THERE IS ONLY 21,500 MILES NOW. I CHAN

2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 2005 AWD CHEVY EQUINOX, INCLUDING THE HEAD GASKETS BLOWING, LOSING ACCELERATION ON THE 270/HIGHWAY, ONGOING ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, AND OTHER PROBLEMS WHICH STILL C

2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I RECENTLY HAD MY 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, 28000 MILES, SERVICED ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT MY FRONT BRAKES ARE 100% GONE, MY THROTTLE BODY IS PLUGGED UP, AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING FLUID. OF COURSE, AS

2005 SAAB 9-3

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF 2005 SAAB 9-3 WITH 23,000 MILES REVEALED "FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WORN BELOW LIMITS." *TR

2003 HONDA ACCORD Crash

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 2003 HONDA ACCORD UNDER SUNNY SKIES AND GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS. AS SHE SLOWED AND MADE A SLIGHT RIGHT HAND TURN TO ENTER AN EXIT RAMP OFF OF I-26 OUTSIDE OF CHARLESTON SC, T

2005 SUZUKI AERIO

I BOUGHT MY 2005 SUZUKI AERIO A YEAR AGO, BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 500 MILES ON IT. IN 9 MONTHS WITH ONLY 21,000 MILES ON IT, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 SETS OF BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE AND A WHOLE NEW SET OF TI

1996 FREIGHTLINER CONVENTIONAL

DT: CONTACT STATES THE BRAKE PADS ON A TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK HIS FORMER BOSS OWNS ARE RUBBED DOWN INTO THE RIVETS OF THE HUB. THE TIRES DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH RUBBER ON THEM AND THE MOTOR IS LEAKING OIL.

2003 FORD EXPEDITION

BRAKING SYSTEM DEGREDATION, ALL FOUR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 27K MILES. DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF DRIVING THE NEW VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM PERFORMED WORSE THAN TH

2003 HONDA HONDA

THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS REQUIRED RE-GROUNDING AFTER WARPING HAD OCCURRED WHICH CAUSED A PULSATING SENSATION WHEN BRAKING. THE ROTORS WERE RE-GROUND AT 34K, BUT THE PULSATING BEHAVIOR BEGAN SOMEWHERE AR

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve service brakes, air:disc:pads issues?
The NHTSA has received 159 complaints about service brakes, air:disc:pads problems across 92 vehicle models from 29 manufacturers.
How dangerous are service brakes, air:disc:pads defects?
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:PADS issues have been linked to 4 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most service brakes, air:disc:pads problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for service brakes, air:disc:pads issues is the CHEVROLET MALIBU with 9 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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