Component
WHEELS:MULTI PIECE
49 NHTSA complaints about wheels:multi piece issues across 16 makes and 40 models.
The wheels:multi piece is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 49 filings from 16 manufacturers and 40 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 2 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FORD F-150 with 5 filings, followed by FORD EXPLORER and FREIGHTLINER CONVENTIONAL. 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 F-150 | 5 |
| 2 | FORD EXPLORER | 3 |
| 3 | FREIGHTLINER CONVENTIONAL | 2 |
| 4 | FORD WINDSTAR | 2 |
| 5 | FORD CROWN VICTORIA | 2 |
| 6 | TOYOTA T100 | 1 |
| 7 | SUBARU OUTBACK | 1 |
| 8 | SUBARU LOYALE | 1 |
| 9 | SUBARU IMPREZA | 1 |
| 10 | PONTIAC LEMANS | 1 |
| 11 | PONTIAC GRAND AM | 1 |
| 12 | NISSAN ALTIMA | 1 |
| 13 | NISSAN 350Z | 1 |
| 14 | MITSUBISHI SPYDER | 1 |
| 15 | MITSUBISHI PRECIS | 1 |
| 16 | MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE | 1 |
| 17 | MERCEDES-BENZ SL320 | 1 |
| 18 | MAZDA 626 | 1 |
| 19 | JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE | 1 |
| 20 | ISUZU TROOPER | 1 |
| 21 | ISUZU RODEO | 1 |
| 22 | HONDA VTX1300 | 1 |
| 23 | HONDA ACCORD | 1 |
| 24 | FORD F-550 SD | 1 |
| 25 | FORD ESCAPE | 1 |
| 26 | FORD ECONOLINE | 1 |
| 27 | FORD BRONCO | 1 |
| 28 | FORD AEROSTAR | 1 |
| 29 | DODGE RAM QUAD CAB | 1 |
| 30 | DODGE RAM 3500 | 1 |
Recent Complaints
LOUD VIBRATING NOISE FROM TIRE...RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED IN JUNE OF 2007, REPLACED. FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING IS FAILING NOW, JANUARY 2008.
OWN A 2007 CHEVY COBALT, AND AFTER 9,000 MILES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING THE CAR WHEELS DENTED IN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUDDER LOUDLY. BROUGHT IT INTO THE CHEVY REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID I HAD HIT SOMETHIN
2003 FORD EXPLORER HAS HUMMING COMING FROM THE BACK WHEELS. THERE IS A SQUEEK AND GRINDING COMING FROM THE FRONT AXEL.
TIE RODS, WHEEL BEARINGS, BALL JOINTS, FAN CLUTCH, SHORTED ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS, FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY ALL GONE WRONG FROM TIME OF PURCHASE; JANUARY 2000/BRAND NEW TO SEPT. 2006...SOME PD. U
NOTED DIFFICULTY IN DISTANCE NEEDED TO STOP ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO. ALSO BRAKING JERKINESS. TOOK TO GM DEALER REPAIRS (NEW BRAKES) ABOUT 400.00 AFTER A FEW WEEKS PROBLEM RETURNED ANOTHER GM DEALER BILL OF
IN FEB OF 2006 WITH 65,995 MILES ON MY CAR I HEARD A WHIRRING/GRINDING NOISE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE DRIVING. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY MECHANIC FOR LATER IN THE WEEK (~4 DAYS) TO HAVE THE
CLOCK SPRING BROKE DURING FAST STOP AND A CRASH AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. I WAS INFORMED BALL JOINTS ARE ON RECALL LEFT SIDE JOINTS ARE GONE. CAR IS IBN COSTA RICA AND DODGE
RADIAL BALL BEARING FAILURE ON FINAL DRIVE HUB. FAILURE UNDER NORMAL WEAR ON 3 DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES, ALL FAILURES HAPPENED UNDER 5000 MILES AND EVEN REPLACEMENT PARTS NEW FROM OEM HAD FAILED BEARINGS
DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CHASSIS BROKE WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVE AT 3 MPH. THERE WAS NO STEERING, AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO STRIKE A FENCE. VEHICLE IS STILL NOT DRIVABLE, AND THE MANUFACTURER OFFE
WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT FRONT WHEELS WOULD NOT MOVE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THE RECIRCULATING BALL WAS REPAIRED.*AK
17" RIMS ON MY 2001 MITSUBISHI SPYDER ARE BENT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR OVER 18 MONTHS. I ASKED THE MITSUBISHI DEALERS IN MY AREA AND THEY SAID I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING TO C
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH VIBRATION CAME FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND TWO SPOKES OF RIGHT WHEEL BROKE . DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER THAT WARRANTY
NAR 02/28/2003 MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL. *CB
LEFT FRONT WHEEL LOCKED UP ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
REAR PASSENGER WHEEL CAME OFF OF 1995 FORD AEROSTAR EXT VAN. THE WHEEL INCLUDED THE REAR BRAKE DRUM AND BROKE THE AXLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH INTO THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN AT 60MPH.
THE ENTIRE FRONT WHEEL HUB ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 56,740 MILES, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THESE WERE EASY HIGHWAY MILES. IT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING, I WAS DRIVING WHEN I NOTICE
THE RIMS ON THE VEHICLE BENT UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS RESULTING IN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. RELATED INVESTIGATION EA 02 007. *MR *NLM
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE RIMS ON THE VEHICLE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO THE FIRS ONE BROKE WICH WAS THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND NOW THERE IS A SECOND ONE WAS THE BACK DRIVERS
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING APPROX 50MPH AND PROGRESSING AROUND A TURN, VEHICLE BEGAN VEERING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. CONSUMER THEN LOST CONTROL AND TRUCK WENT INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN AND VEERED OFF THE
CONSUMER STATES ALL 4 ALLOY RIMS ARE CORRODING EXCESSIVELY RESULTING IN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. TS
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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.