Component

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC

195 NHTSA complaints about service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic issues across 31 makes and 113 models.

The service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 195 filings from 31 manufacturers and 113 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 14 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the DODGE CARAVAN with 9 filings, followed by FORD EXPLORER and FORD RANGER. 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.

195
Complaints
113
Models Affected
14
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 DODGE CARAVAN 9
2 FORD EXPLORER 8
3 FORD RANGER 7
4 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 6
5 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 5
6 LEXUS RX330 4
7 JEEP CHEROKEE 4
8 FORD TAURUS 4
9 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4
10 CHEVROLET ASTRO 4
11 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3
12 MAZDA B-SERIES TRUCK 3
13 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 3
14 HONDA CIVIC 3
15 HONDA ACCORD 3
16 DODGE RAM 2500 3
17 DODGE INTREPID 3
18 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 3
19 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3
20 CHEVROLET S10 3
21 TOYOTA CAMRY 2
22 SATURN SKY 2
23 SAAB 9-3 2
24 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2
25 OLDSMOBILE 88 2
26 NISSAN ARMADA 2
27 MITSUBISHI MONTERO 2
28 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2
29 GMC SIERRA 2500 2
30 GMC SIERRA 2

Recent Complaints

2012 KIA SORENTO

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated when he entered the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition the contact stated that the vehicle battery would drain qu

2013 FORD EDGE

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and made an abnormal hissing sound, and felt soft. The contact also stated the brake pedal h

2010 FORD EDGE

My brakes suddenly became hard to press, and my car became almost impossible to stop on the freeway, and there is a hissing noise coming from under the brake pedal. My car has less than 90,000 miles,

2015 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE TIRES, THE PARK ASSIST BRAKES DID NOT WORK TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN PLACE. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR I

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER STATES THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FAILED *TGW UPDATED 6/13/13 *CN UPDATED 06/17/2013 *JS UPDATED 7/1/13 UPDATED 7/1/2013*JS

2001 DODGE RAM 3500

2001 DODGE RAM 3500 DIESEL. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES *TGW THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT EACH TIME HE TRIED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD FLUCTUATE AND THEN LOCK UP. AFTER

2007 SAAB 9-3

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2007 SAAB 9-3. HE HAS TO REPEATEDLY APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP. THE POWER ASSIST UNIT WAS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE POWER

2008 CHEVROLET HHR

HHR SS HAS A HARD PEDAL AND DOES NOT STOP EASILY ON IN A NORMAL DISTANCE. THIS HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES AFTER SITTING IN COLD WEATHER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. IT TAKES ABOUT A MINUTE OF WARM-UP TO HAVE THE

2004 GMC YUKON

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT NOTICED A LEAK UNDER THE HOOD OF HIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE HYDRO BOOST FAIL

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA

AFTER READING A NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN 2005 -07 TACOMA PICKUPS, I WAS REMINDED OF AN INCIDENT I HAD A FEW MONTHS BACK. INDEED MY TACOMA SURGED WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE. WHEN THIS

2008 SATURN SKY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN SKY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRES EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT IN ORDER TO STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURS AFTER A COLD START AND TYPICALLY AT RELATIVELY L

2006 FORD F-150

TRUCK BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT PRESS AND THE TRUCK HAD VERY LITTLE BRAKES, THIS OCCURRED DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING, TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD A VACUUM HOSE WAS FAULTY SUPPOSED

1991 DODGE DYNASTY

ABS ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AT TIMES, THEN OFF OTHER TIMES. FOLLOWED BY ABS ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM FUNCTIONS TO FAIL TOTALLY REDUCED BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE BY 95% USED PARKING BRAKE TO ACHI

2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

BRAKE FAILURE 2004 SILVERADO 2500HD DURAMAX. HYDRO BOOST EXPLODED WHICH RENDERS LIMITED STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS KNOWN PROBLEM 05V043000, 04V045000, FOR THESE TRUCKS NOT ONLY IS A BAD DESIGN BUT IT I

2006 SAAB 9-3

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST ON COLD START, GIVING VERY HARD PEDAL. RECOVERS WITH SEVERAL PUMPS OF BRAKE PEDAL, OR SEVERAL SECONDS OF IDLE TIME. BEGAN ABOUT MID-JUNE, 2007, AND WAS REPORTE

2006 GMC SIERRA 2500

SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKES AND STEERING. STARTED VEHICLE, PLACED IN REVERSE, UNABLE TO STOP OR STEER. NO EMERGENCY ASSIST FROM ACCUMULATOR, MANUAL BRAKES ONLY. VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL

2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

VEHICLE SAT AT THE AIRPORT FOR 72HRS. WHEN I LEFT THE AIRPORT, THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY, BUT WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ON THE FREEWAY AS I WAS BRAKING, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO FEEL MORE SPONGY, REQUIRI

2008 SATURN SKY

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE FROM A DOWN PERIOD AS SHORT AS 6 HOURS, THE BRAKES ARE EXTREMELY INEFFECTIVE AND BARELY ABLE TO STOP MY VEHICLE WHEN BACKING FROM A PARKING SPACE. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS RUN

2000 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA

AT 60000 MILES HAVE HAD TO HAVE TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED ABS COMPUTER , BRAKE POWER BOOSTER , MASTER CYLINDER,A BRAKE LINE . ALSO MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE HAS BEEN BOUND-UP FOR 9 MONTHS MY VE

2001 MERCURY MARQUIS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE LOWER HYDRAULIC UNIT F

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic issues?
The NHTSA has received 195 complaints about service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic problems across 113 vehicle models from 31 manufacturers.
How dangerous are service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic defects?
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC issues have been linked to 14 crashes, 1 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic issues is the DODGE CARAVAN 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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