Component

SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT

1,006 NHTSA complaints about suspension:front:macpherson strut issues across 35 makes and 195 models.

The suspension:front:macpherson strut is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 1,006 filings from 35 manufacturers and 195 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, 2 fires, 19 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the PONTIAC GTO with 156 filings, followed by DODGE CARAVAN and DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. 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.

1,006
Complaints
195
Models Affected
14
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 PONTIAC GTO 156
2 DODGE CARAVAN 52
3 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 51
4 FORD TAURUS 46
5 TOYOTA CAMRY 45
6 HONDA CIVIC 41
7 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 34
8 NISSAN MAXIMA 30
9 FORD WINDSTAR 21
10 CHEVROLET MALIBU 20
11 TOYOTA AVALON 18
12 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 17
13 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 17
14 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER 16
15 PONTIAC GRAND AM 14
16 NISSAN PATHFINDER 14
17 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 14
18 HONDA ACCORD 13
19 FORD FOCUS 12
20 CADILLAC DEVILLE 12
21 MERCURY SABLE 10
22 DODGE INTREPID 9
23 FORD CONTOUR 8
24 CHEVROLET LUMINA 8
25 TOYOTA COROLLA 6
26 SUZUKI SIDEKICK 6
27 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 6
28 MERCURY MYSTIQUE 6
29 KIA SEDONA 6
30 CHRYSLER LHS 6

Recent Complaints

2008 FORD EXPEDITION

Right Rear Rancho Strut failed. Available till I return it. Could have lost control of vehicle. Confirmed by mechanic. Inspected by mechanic. No warnings at all. Discovered issue Feb 2026. Installed J

2018 TOYOTA CAMRY

Front right (passenger side) shock absorber assembly rusted out and separated from shock strut mounting bracket.Shock strut retaining nut is stick attached , but entire upper mounting bracket is separ

2017 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

I was driving and would hear a squeaking sound when turning right. Then I started to hear rattling I pulled in my driveway that has a curb and noticed an object sticking out that looks like it should

2015 DODGE DART

2015 DODGE DART. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON PURCHASE THERE WAS ONLY ONE KEY FOB PROVIDED, PROBLEMS WITH THE WIPER MOTOR, AND FRONT STRUTS WENT OUT AFTER 2 WEEKS OF PURCHASE.

2019 FORD EXPEDITION

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that he had noticed oil leaks on his garage floor. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that all four of the strut

2022 LINCOLN AVIATOR PHEV

I ran over a pothole in NYC at approx 10 mph. The air suspension light came on and a warning message for service and to not driver over 35MPH. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and was told they

2014 KIA SOUL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANI

2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. WITHIN WEEKS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE STRUT MOUNTED SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD ON BOTH SIDES OF

2003 INFINITI QX4

2003 INFINITI QX4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FRONT STRUT TOWER SEVERE RUSTS AND CRACKS RECALL ISSUES. *SMD *TR

2015 DODGE CHARGER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 DODGE CHARGER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED DURING

2003 FORD FOCUS

THE SUB FRAME BROKE WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. ENTIRE SUB FRAME HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. STRUTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. CALIPER AND ROTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONTROL ARM HAD TO BE REPLAC

2009 DODGE CALIBER

MY 2009 DODGE CALIBER STARTED EMITTING SOME TERRIBLE SOUNDS WHILE BEING DRIVEN IN THE CITY YESTERDAY (10/20/2016). THIS OCCURRED WHEN TURNING AND DRIVING OVER ANYTHING BUT SMOOTH ROAD. STEERING AND

2007 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS ABNORMALLY CLOSER TO THE GROUND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE COMPRESS

2002 NISSAN PATHFINDER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH OVER A BUMPY ROAD, THE VEHICLE RODE ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE STRUTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT

2007 CHEVROLET HHR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STRUT ASSEMBLIES FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. DURING THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HEARD AN INTERMITTENT LOUD NOISE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE V

2006 DODGE CHARGER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WOULD RATTLE WHEN DRIVING OVER ANY TYPE OF ROAD BUMP. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WO

2002 PONTIAC AZTEK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC AZTEC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE NOTICED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ST

2001 FORD TAURUS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE FRONT DRIVER'S COIL SPRING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND TH

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STRUTS REPAIRS *TGW WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR A REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK-UP, HE WAS INFORMED THE STRUTS WERE LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE

2004 HONDA ACCORD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO LUNGE FORWARD WHEN

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve suspension:front:macpherson strut issues?
The NHTSA has received 1,006 complaints about suspension:front:macpherson strut problems across 195 vehicle models from 35 manufacturers.
How dangerous are suspension:front:macpherson strut defects?
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT issues have been linked to 14 crashes, 2 fires, 19 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most suspension:front:macpherson strut problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for suspension:front:macpherson strut issues is the PONTIAC GTO with 156 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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