Component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:SPRINGS
38 NHTSA complaints about vehicle speed control:springs issues across 19 makes and 30 models.
The vehicle speed control:springs is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 38 filings from 19 manufacturers and 30 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 5 crashes, 1 fire, 7 injuries, and 1 fatality. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FORD EXPLORER with 4 filings, followed by MAZDA PROTEGE and DODGE RAM. 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.
Most Affected Vehicles
| # | Vehicle | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FORD EXPLORER | 4 |
| 2 | MAZDA PROTEGE | 2 |
| 3 | DODGE RAM | 2 |
| 4 | CHRYSLER NEW YORKER | 2 |
| 5 | BUICK ROADMASTER | 2 |
| 6 | BUICK REGAL | 2 |
| 7 | TOYOTA MR2 | 1 |
| 8 | SUBARU OUTBACK | 1 |
| 9 | SATURN VUE | 1 |
| 10 | PLYMOUTH VOYAGER | 1 |
| 11 | MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE | 1 |
| 12 | MERCURY COUGAR | 1 |
| 13 | MAZDA B-SERIES TRUCK | 1 |
| 14 | KIA SPORTAGE | 1 |
| 15 | KIA SEDONA | 1 |
| 16 | JEEP LIBERTY | 1 |
| 17 | HYUNDAI SONATA | 1 |
| 18 | HONDA CR-V | 1 |
| 19 | GMC SIERRA | 1 |
| 20 | FORD WINDSTAR | 1 |
| 21 | FORD AEROSTAR | 1 |
| 22 | DODGE RAM 3500 | 1 |
| 23 | CHEVROLET TAHOE | 1 |
| 24 | CHEVROLET MALIBU | 1 |
| 25 | CHEVROLET CAPRICE | 1 |
| 26 | CHEVROLET BLAZER | 1 |
| 27 | CADILLAC FLEETWOOD | 1 |
| 28 | BUICK SKYLARK | 1 |
| 29 | BUICK PARK AVENUE | 1 |
| 30 | ACURA LEGEND | 1 |
Recent Complaints
Throttle body spring broke caused car to keep accelerating. Car would not stop.
2002 JEEP LIBERTY SPONTANEOUSLY ENGAGED IN FULL ACCELERATION. VEHICLE REACHED 100 MPH WITH NO ACCELERATOR PEDAL INFLUENCE OR ABILITY OF BRAKES TO DECELERATE. PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, RPMS REACHED 700
SPEED CONTROL SWITCH, ALSO KNOWN AS BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH ON THE 1996 FORD EXPLORER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE THIN MEMBRANE OF THE SWITCH WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE FLUID. AS THE SWITCH WAS POWERED AL
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ONE OF THE TWO THROTTLE BODY SPRINGS FRACTURED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE TO 80 MPH. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES SO THE VEHICLE COUL
ACCELERATOR ON VEHICLE STUCK ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. TRIED TO PUT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL HOWEVER RPM'S SPUN TO 7000. HAD TO EVENTUALLY TURN CAR OFF IN DRIVE AFTER RIDING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WITH BOTH
VEHICLE IS A 2002 FORD EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN WILL CHANGING LANES TO PASS A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE, OUR VEHICLE BEGAN TO UNCONTROLLIBLY EXCELLERATE AND CONTINUE TO
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ACCELERATOR STICKS AND AUTO ACTS AS IF BOTH PEDALS ARE BEING PRESSED AT SAME TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 20 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE AUTO ON 5/31/03. ON 2/12/05 I C
SPEED CONTROL ISSUE: THE VEHICLE IDLE IS ROUGH & IRREGULAR, STALLS WITHOUT WARNING, $$$..EXPENSIVE REPAIRS-SAME PROBLEMS. THE STALLINGS ACCOUNTS FOR SEVERAL NEAR REAR-END COLLISIONS. FINALLY,ON NOV.8,
APRIL 5, 2003 IT WAS ABOUT 9:00 PM. I HAD JUST PAID MY TOLL ON THE NEW JERSEY SIDE OF THE RIVER. I WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE BEN FRANKLIN BRIDGE TOWARDS PHILADELPHIA. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT
I OWN A 2002 SATURN VUE AND BEFORE I HAD IT 1 MONTH A SQEAL WAS HEARD. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH FUEL PUMPS. A FEW MONTHS AGO THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS A FULE EVAP ISSUE. IT CAME ON A
I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A THROTTLE PROBLEM. THEY SPRAYED SOMETHING ON IT (ALUMINUM TYPE SPRAY) AND SENT US ON OUR WAY UNTIL THEY ORDERED A NEW PART. IT WAS THE WRONG PART AND
THE CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH PARKED VEHICLES. RELATED RECALL 95V082000. *AK *SCC *JB
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL LAYER. ALSO STATED THAT IS LEAKING AT O-RINGS IN TOP OF THE ENGINE.DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT AS FAR AS THEY KNOW THERE WERE NO RE
96 V 082 000/THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL RETURN SPRING: VEHICLE TAKEN TO GOODYEAR INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND INFORMED OF THIS RECALL. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THA
RETURN SPRINGS RUSTED AND BROKE CAUSING POOR BRAKING AND NOISE. *AK
WHEN DRIVING ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH AND UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO COME TO A GRADUAL STOP, ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER H
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND SMASHED INTO A WALL, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAR DEPLOYED. DRIVERS RIGHT FOOT NEVER LEFT THE BRAKES
AT 60 MPH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AT THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT NOT SET. IT SET ITSELF AS INDICATED BY THE "CRUISE" LIGHT ON THE DASH AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF, BUT KEPT ACCELERATING AS INDICATED BY THE G
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION DUE TO FAILURE OF A BROKEN THROTTLE RETURN SPRING. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER). MJS
STARTING THE CAR UP, DRIVER PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, AND IT TOOK OFF AND THE ENGINE RAISED UP AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. THE VAN DID $ 3,000 DAMAGE. *AK
Related Vehicle Components
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Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.