Power Train. Review the 279 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 153 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 150 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

22 crash reports13 fire reports24 injury reports

What owners actually said

854 reports

60,084 miles · Aug 8, 2014

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO A PARKING LOT AND PLACED IN REVERSE GEAR; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, RESTARTED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL GEAR AND PUSHED FROM THE FRONT END HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO HER HOME AND LATER TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,084.

NHTSA ODI #10620890

83,700 miles · Aug 6, 2014

Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,700.

NHTSA ODI #10619258

83,000 miles · Aug 6, 2014

Electrical SystemPower Train

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THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED UPON PULLING OUT INTO THE ROADWAY. AT 25 MILES PER HOUR THE RPMS WERE 4000 AND IT JUST WOULD NOT SHIFT. WE PULLED OVER, CALLED FOR HELP AND WERE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN. WE WERE HOURS AWAY FROM HOME, AND HAD TO CALL FAMILY FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY TO COME HELP. THE VEHICLE AFTER BEING TURNED OFF AND SITTING FOR A WHILE DID THEN RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION WHEN RESTARTED. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND TWO DAYS LATER THE VERY SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. GOING TO TRADE IN THIS POS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10619243

Mileage unknown · Aug 6, 2014

Air Bags

MY VEHICLE WAS RECALLED IN 2010 AND THE CONNECTOR UNDER THE SEAT WAS CHECKED. NOW THERE IS A NEW RECALL TO REMOVE THE CONNECTOR. DEALER STATES SINCE I HAD THE 2010 RECALL I MUST PAY TO HAVE THE 2014 RECALL DONE. THE CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10619197

58,000 miles · Aug 5, 2014

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT COULD HEAR A CLICKING NOISE NEAR THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE W…

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NHTSA ODI #10618987

85,000 miles · Aug 4, 2014

Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN…

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NHTSA ODI #10618692

107,000 miles · Jul 29, 2014

Air Bags

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I BOUGHT MY 2008 ACADIA IN OCTOBER 2013. IN FEBRUARY, THE CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. I TOOK THE ACADIA TO GLYNN SMITH, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD A FAULTY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG AND AIRBAG SWITCH. I PAID $717.70 FOR THE NEW AIRBAG AND NEW AIRBAG SWITCH. SOON AFTER, GMC STARTED DOING THE RECALLS ON THE AIRBAGS. MY ACADIA IS NOT ONE OF THE LISTED RECALLED VEHICLES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS. IT IS NOW THE END OF JULY, AND THE CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN BACK TO GLYNN SMITH AND IT IS THE SAME CODE THIS TIME. I HAVE ANOTHER FAULTY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG AND AIRBAG SWITCH. GMC NEEDS TO RECALL EVERY 2008 ACADIA. I HAVE ALSO BEEN DEALING WITH PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. ONE DAY DRIVING, I STARTED TO MAKE A TURN, AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. IT WAS LIKE TURNING A REALLY OLD MODEL CAR THAT HAD NO POWER STEERING. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TODAY. GMC TELLS ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE POWER STEERING. THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM, YET I KNOW FOR SURE SOMETHING IS WRONG. THE 2008 GMC ACADIA IS NOT A SAFE CAR. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN, AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING WITH THEM AND THE CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT STILL ON. MY FAMILY IS VERY UPSET WITH GMC AS A COMPANY!! SAFETY SHOULD BE THE MAIN CONCERN BEFORE SELLING ANY VEHICLE. I SEE THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ACADIA. I THINK THAT GMC SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING, THE MOST ETHICAL THING, AND RECALL THE ENTIRE LINE OF THE 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE 2008 ACADIA IS A PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!! *JS

NHTSA ODI #10617372

85,000 miles · Jul 29, 2014

Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #10617345

75,000 miles · Jul 27, 2014

Steering

POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10616671

58,500 miles · Jul 26, 2014

Power Train

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2008 ACADIA PURCHASED IN 2007, TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLAMMING INTO GEAR FOR HIGH SPEED UP AND DOWN SHIFT. ON DRY PAVEMENT THE SUV WILL CHANGE SEVERAL MPH WELL WITHIN A SECOND. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. ESPECIALLY ON SNOW/ICE! I AM TAKING THE SUV TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY FOR A DIAGNOSIS. I SUSPECTED AN INTERNAL CLUTCH PROBLEM OR VALVE CONTROL PROBLEM COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE PROBLEM IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. AFTER READING ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SERIES OF TRANSMISSIONS STARTING AFTER 47K. I WANTED TO ADD MY CONCERN. MY CAR JUST PASSED 63,000 MILES. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. SEVERAL THINGS WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN AT ONCE (IE LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, ACCELERATE, BRAKE, AND BE ON WET OR ICE ROADS). THE SHIFT IS INTERMITTENTLY HARD DURING ANY OF THESE CHANGES IN ACCELERATION CAUSING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10616593

Official recalls

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

14V118000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 17, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

10V240000 · Electrical System

Jun 4, 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V441000 · Electrical System

Aug 28, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

08V410000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Aug 14, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 88,809 MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE, AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IF A BUILDUP OF SNOW OR ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPERS RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE MOTOR SHAFT AND THE WIPERS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIPER CRANK ARM, DRIVER'S SIDE LINK, AND A CRANK ARM NUT. THE RECALL BEGAN O OCTOBER 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP12003 · Loss Of Headlamp Illumination

Opened Jun 4, 2012 · Closed Jul 24, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights

As of July 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, ODI found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -One additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides but did not specify an outage -No crashes or loss of vehicle control were reported. -Any alleged thermal damages were limited to melting of the head lamp harness and the head lamp housing. -A head lamp would intermittently fail to come on or flickers before becoming completely inoperative. For the seventeen complaints that alleged simultaneous failure of both head lamps while attempting to turn them on or while driving, the head lamp failures likely had occurred one at a time. The subject vehicle's head lamps are connected in a parallel circuit and each circuit is fused. Therefore, failure of one head lamp or its harness should not affect the other head lamp operation. Over the last 25 years, ODI has opened numerous defect investigations of the loss of headlamp illumination.Investigations that resulted in safety recalls involved simultaneous loss of illumination from both headlamps. NHTSA does not consider the loss of a single headlamp as presenting an unreasonable safety risk-such failures are readily detectable by the driver while allowing the vehicle to retain forward visibility and conspicuity from the remaining headlamp.There is typically enough time between the failure of the first headlamp and the second during which the vehicle operator can obtain the needed repairs. Based on the information currently available, NHTSA does not believe that the headlamp condition as alleged by the petitioner indicates the likelihood of a safety-related defect that would warrant a formal investigation.Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.Further specifics can be found in the Federal Register Notice ODI complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.

EA08010 · NON-CRASH Engine Compartment Fires

Opened Jun 12, 2008 · Closed Sep 8, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System; Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery; Electrical System:wiring; Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood; Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers; Engine And Engine Cooling; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 27, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-441) TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RELATEDDEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY 850,000 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES OF THIS INVESTIGATION COMPRISE OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RECALL POPULATION. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441: MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2005 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE (MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2007); MY 2006-2008 CADILLAC DTS (MANUFACTURED MAY 2007 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2007-2008 SATURN OUTLOOK (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007); AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007) VEHICLES.GM IS INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IF THEY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF WINDSHIELD WASHER HEATER MODULE SHORT CIRCUITS. GM'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

Additional source detail variants (9)

Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery

Electrical System

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood

Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Electrical System:wiring

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring