High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
Complete electrical issues, starting with no start up, after jumping power steering went out. Was in shop for 2 months and had an electrical fire internally, while not running.
Complete electrical issues, starting with no start up, after jumping power steering went out. Was in shop for 2 months and had an electrical fire internally, while not running.
Dear NHTSA Safety Defects Division, I am writing to report a safety issue I have identified that affects several modern vehicles, particularly from manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Dodge (Hornet model specifically). This issue relates to the overactivation of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system and related sensors, including wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, and forward-facing cameras. Over the past two years, I’ve conducted extensive personal testing and analysis across multiple vehicles and brands. My findings indicate that many vehicles using modern ESC systems—likely built on common software frameworks from Tier 1 suppliers (Bosch, Continental, ZF, WABCO, Autoliv, etc.)—are exhibiting the following unsafe behaviors: •Overcorrection of minor road imperfections, such as slight pavement grooves or drainage lines. •Harsh braking or acceleration of individual wheels at highway speeds, triggered by incorrect interpretations of road angle or yaw. •Resulting symptoms include vibration, wobble, instability, and “bouncy” rides, which compromise vehicle control and driver confidence. •In some cases, fuel economy is also impacted, due to unnecessary braking and acceleration by the system. When I disconnected the four wheel speed sensors and the front-facing camera in a 2023 vehicle, the vehicle’s ride quality and directional stability improved significantly. This suggests that the ESC software is misinterpreting normal driving conditions as loss-of-control events and is applying interventions that reduce safety rather than improve it. I believe this is a systemic safety defect, potentially affecting millions of vehicles using similar ESC software logic. If left unaddressed, this could result in increased accident risk—especially at freeway speeds—and consumer mistrust in vehicle safety systems. I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider whether a defect investigation or broader inquiry into ESC behav
Dear NHTSA Safety Defects Division, I am writing to report a safety issue I have identified that affects several modern vehicles, particularly from manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Dodge (Hornet model specifically). This issue relates to the overactivation of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system and related sensors, including wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, and forward-facing cameras. Over the past two years, I’ve conducted extensive personal testing and analysis across multiple vehicles and brands. My findings indicate that many vehicles using modern ESC systems—likely built on common software frameworks from Tier 1 suppliers (Bosch, Continental, ZF, WABCO, Autoliv, etc.)—are exhibiting the following unsafe behaviors: •Overcorrection of minor road imperfections, such as slight pavement grooves or drainage lines. •Harsh braking or acceleration of individual wheels at highway speeds, triggered by incorrect interpretations of road angle or yaw. •Resulting symptoms include vibration, wobble, instability, and “bouncy” rides, which compromise vehicle control and driver confidence. •In some cases, fuel economy is also impacted, due to unnecessary braking and acceleration by the system. When I disconnected the four wheel speed sensors and the front-facing camera in a 2023 vehicle, the vehicle’s ride quality and directional stability improved significantly. This suggests that the ESC software is misinterpreting normal driving conditions as loss-of-control events and is applying interventions that reduce safety rather than improve it. I believe this is a systemic safety defect, potentially affecting millions of vehicles using similar ESC software logic. If left unaddressed, this could result in increased accident risk—especially at freeway speeds—and consumer mistrust in vehicle safety systems. I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider whether a defect investigation or broader inquiry into ESC behav
The vehicle was leased as a new vehicle with 665 miles on the odometer. Immediately upon driving home, I tried activating the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) feature on the highway and received a "Highway Assist Unavailable Service Required" error message. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership to be looked at and repaired. Waited for the vehicle for about 3 hours till they repaired and tested the vehicle. The vehicle passed the test and was repaired and delivered back to me. When driving home and exiting the highway, a Forward Collision Warning message was displayed disabling the system. I pulled over, turned the vehicle off and restarted it to find the message disappear. Later that day, after the vehicle was parked for a couple of hours and driven again to every single warning light and error message being displayed. The dealer was contacted once again and was advised to drive the vehicle back immediately so they could look at it. The brake hold feature deactivated and it started lurching forward, hybrid system deactivated, power steering failed and even air bag light started blinking. Drove back to the dealership and the cat has been in since November 11, 2024 with only 1000 miles on the odometer.
The vehicle was leased as a new vehicle with 665 miles on the odometer. Immediately upon driving home, I tried activating the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) feature on the highway and received a "Highway Assist Unavailable Service Required" error message. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership to be looked at and repaired. Waited for the vehicle for about 3 hours till they repaired and tested the vehicle. The vehicle passed the test and was repaired and delivered back to me. When driving home and exiting the highway, a Forward Collision Warning message was displayed disabling the system. I pulled over, turned the vehicle off and restarted it to find the message disappear. Later that day, after the vehicle was parked for a couple of hours and driven again to every single warning light and error message being displayed. The dealer was contacted once again and was advised to drive the vehicle back immediately so they could look at it. The brake hold feature deactivated and it started lurching forward, hybrid system deactivated, power steering failed and even air bag light started blinking. Drove back to the dealership and the cat has been in since November 11, 2024 with only 1000 miles on the odometer.
4,805 miles, vehicle was completely dead. Got it jumped and now the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. All sensors need serviced.
4,805 miles, vehicle was completely dead. Got it jumped and now the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. All sensors need serviced.
We Purchased the Dodge Hornet GT on 04/17/2024 drove it home and parked it. My Husband tried to drive it on 04/18/2024 and the steering failed and the dash board lit up with: Service Power steering, Drive mode unavailable, Park sense disabled, Service Engine, Auto Dim High Beams unavailable, Service forward collision Warning and ESC Hill Start Assist with warning lights/Icons on the left side of the dash board. I Phoned Suburban Chrylser, Dodge, Jeep, Ram of Troy, where the vehicle was purchased, and they picked it up and loaned me a vehicle because they said, "Do not drive it". I was informed early the next morning that it was repaired and ready for pick up which I did about 10:30 a.m. on 04/19/2024. We got in the vehicle on 04/20/2024 and upon start some of the same lights flashed across the right side of the dash board, briefly, and then disappeared. No warning lights/icons remained like before. We waited then Drove out to visit our son, about 30 minutes away. After an hour and half visit we drove home at which time the "Service Power steering" flashed on the right side of the dash board and the vehicle lost steering while traveling 70 miles an hour the the expressway. This was brief and terrifying! There were no further instances for the next 15 minutes until right at the moment that we were trying to pull into our driveway and every single issue that popped up before popped up again, with the warning lights/icons on the left side of the dash board, losing the rear camera as well. I managed to park it and spent hours searching information about this issue and there are several complaints on line regarding, it seems, this exact issue. The car IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE! It has 117 miles on it. If they do manage to fix it I don't know if I will ever feel safe in it unless they can prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am not in danger. We waited four months and paid $12,000.00 down for a car we CAN NOT use. I have photo's of the dashboard too.
We Purchased the Dodge Hornet GT on 04/17/2024 drove it home and parked it. My Husband tried to drive it on 04/18/2024 and the steering failed and the dash board lit up with: Service Power steering, Drive mode unavailable, Park sense disabled, Service Engine, Auto Dim High Beams unavailable, Service forward collision Warning and ESC Hill Start Assist with warning lights/Icons on the left side of the dash board. I Phoned Suburban Chrylser, Dodge, Jeep, Ram of Troy, where the vehicle was purchased, and they picked it up and loaned me a vehicle because they said, "Do not drive it". I was informed early the next morning that it was repaired and ready for pick up which I did about 10:30 a.m. on 04/19/2024. We got in the vehicle on 04/20/2024 and upon start some of the same lights flashed across the right side of the dash board, briefly, and then disappeared. No warning lights/icons remained like before. We waited then Drove out to visit our son, about 30 minutes away. After an hour and half visit we drove home at which time the "Service Power steering" flashed on the right side of the dash board and the vehicle lost steering while traveling 70 miles an hour the the expressway. This was brief and terrifying! There were no further instances for the next 15 minutes until right at the moment that we were trying to pull into our driveway and every single issue that popped up before popped up again, with the warning lights/icons on the left side of the dash board, losing the rear camera as well. I managed to park it and spent hours searching information about this issue and there are several complaints on line regarding, it seems, this exact issue. The car IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE! It has 117 miles on it. If they do manage to fix it I don't know if I will ever feel safe in it unless they can prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am not in danger. We waited four months and paid $12,000.00 down for a car we CAN NOT use. I have photo's of the dashboard too.