Chevy Recall
Information
Last Updated
December, 2008
GM is recalling 181,516 MY
2006-2008 Chevrolet HHR vehicles not equipped with optional roof
rail air bags for failing to comply with the requirements of
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, 'Occupant
Protection in Interior Impact.' In tests, one of the upper
interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard's
requirement. This standard specifies performance requirements to
provide head impact protection for occupants. Dealers will
install an energy-absorbing plastic piece to the headliner trim.
The recall is expected to begin during March 2008. This recall
was the subject of an investigation, OA-201-060918B, conducted
by the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance. 08V-046
GM is recalling 11,975 MY 2001
Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks equipped with
an 8.1L V8 engine. The crankshaft position can operate
intermittently or fail completely. If the sensor operates
intermittently, the SES light may illuminate and the vehicle may
run rough. The engine may stall, and if so, may re-start
immediately or after a cool down period. If the sensor becomes
completely inoperative, the engine will quit running and will
not re-start. Either of these failures can increase the risk of
a crash. Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor.
The recall is expected to begin during December 2007. This
recall was the subject of an Engineering Analysis, EA06-016,
conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation. 07V-521
GM is recalling 10,113 MY 2007
Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna vans for failing to conform to
the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." When
the brakes are applied, the stop lamps will illuminate. When the
brake pedal is released, the stop lamps are no longer
illuminated but the rear brakes may still be applied. The brake
may release after a few seconds or after the next firm brake
pedal application. If the rear brakes are still applied after
release of the brake pedal, the driver may notice a substantial
drag when driving and may need to depress the gas pedal further
than usual to continue vehicle movement. A vehicle driven with
the brakes applied can cause overheating of the brakes,
resulting in increased stopping distance which could result in a
crash. Dealers will reprogram the anti-lock brake system module.
The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification
schedule for this campaign. 07V-342
GM is recalling 437 MY 2007
Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent sport utility vehicles for
failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." In these
vehicles, the right front passenger seat is built with a
passenger sensing system. When tested with a representative
unrestrained small adult, the system is required to turn the
right front passenger's frontal airbag on. An error in the seat
sensor calibration can cause it to fail this test. In addition,
this condition can prevent the airbag from turning off when the
seat is occupied by a small child. Whenever the front passenger
seat is occupied, the driver should always check the airbag
indicator to see if the airbag is on or off. If it is not
correct for the situation, the passenger should be moved to a
different seat. This can increase the risk of injury to a seat
occupant during certain crash conditions. Dealers will reprogram
the seat's electronic control unit. The manufacturer has not yet
provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign.
07V-344
Recall involves vehicles that are equipped
with windshield washer fluid heaters.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- August
28, 2008 -- General Motors is recalling 944,000 vehicles,
850,000 of them in the United States, because of the potential
for a fire in the vehicles' heated windshield washer fluid
system.
A short circuit in the circuit board that controls the system
could cause a grounding wire to overheat. That could lead to
smoke and the malfunctioning of other electrical components, GM
(GM, Fortune 500) said in a letter to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In rare cases, it could
cause a fire, GM said.
GM is aware of three fires caused by this problem, two of which
were in the company's own test fleet vehicles, GM spokesman Tom
Wilkinson said. The company is not aware of any injuries caused
by the problem.
The vehicles must be turned on for the short circuit to occur,
Wilkinson said, but he could not say whether the washer fluid
heating system needed to be in use.
The models listed below, if they're equipped with a heated
windshield washer fluid system, are subject to the recall:
Model year
2006-08 Buick Lucerne sedans and model year 2008
Buick Enclave SUVs.
Model year
2006-08 Cadillac DTS sedans and model year
2007-08 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and
Escalade EXT SUVs.
Model year
2007-08 Chevrolet Avalanche and Silverado trucks
and Suburban and Tahoe SUVs.
Model year
2007-08 GMC Acadia, Yukon, and Yukon XL SUVs and
Sierra trucks.
2008 Saturn
Outlook SUVs.
The fluid heating system is a
popular option on many of GM's large cars and SUVs, said
Wilkinson.
On cold days, the system heats windshield washer fluid before
spraying it onto the windshield, where it can melt ice and frost
on the windshield.
To fix the problem, dealers will install a fuse that will shut
off the system in the event of a short circuit. GM has not yet
provided NHTSA with a schedule detailing when owners of affected
vehicles will be notified.
ConsumerAffairs.com -- June 17,
2008 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
has intensified a investigation of 21 models of General Motors
trucks and SUVS manufactured between 2006 and 2008 because of
the possibility of an engine compartment fire.
More than 2,700,000 GM trucks and
SUVs are the subject of the the investigation because of the
possibility that a fire might erupt inside the engine
compartment, even when the ignition is turned off.
The Office of Defects
Investigation (ODI) at the federal safety agency reported that
investigators are now aware of "41 non-crash engine compartment
fires" in the GM trucks and SUVs including 8 fires that may have
caused significant property damage.
The GM vehicles under
investigation are:
Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT
from the 2007 and 2008 model years Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche 2500 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 from the 2007 and 2008
model years Chevrolet Suburban 1500 and 2500 from the 2007 and 2008 model
years Chevrolet Tahoe from the 2007 and 2008 models year 2008 GMC Sierra,
GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 from the 2007 and 2008 model
years 2007 GMC Sierra Classic 2007 GMC Silverado, GMC Yukon from the 2007 and 2008 model
years GMC Yukon XL 1500, XL 2500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years Hummer H2 from the 2006 to 2007 model years 2008 Hummer H2 Utility, and the Hummer H2 from the 2006 to
2008 model years
"GM provided ODI with 41
allegations of non-crash engine compartment fires including 16
allegations of fires origination with the ignition in the off
position," according to the NHTSA Web site.
Investigators are examining the
electrical system, engine and engine cooling system; battery
cables; under-hood wiring, fuses and circuit breakers.
NHTSA investigator are now call
the probe an "engineering analysis" which could eventually lead
to a recall of the General Motors trucks and SUVs.
ComnsumerAffairs.org -- February 19, 2008 -- Federal safety
regulators are stepping up an investigation of the vehicle speed
control system in 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Aveos.
The Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) which is part of the
National Highway traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
upgraded its evaluation of complaints which began October 19,
2007 about stuck throttles in the Aveo because of ice formation
within the engine air intact tract.
The change, according to ODI, follows a safety recall by General
Motors involving substantially similar vehicles manufactured
for sale in Canada.
GM, according to the federal safety group twice revised the
Canadian recall to include more substantial changes to the
throttle body, intake manifold, positive crankcase ventilation
and engine cooling systems to further reduce air intake tract.
After receiving 28 complaints of a stuck throttle in vehicles in
the U.S. along with 46 warranty claims affecting 63 vehicles,
investigators suspect the defect occurs in the winter when the
temperature is below freezing.
Information provided to ODI by GM does not include events
involving stuck throttles during the most recent winter months
so the investigation will be intensified to further study the
frequency of the alleged defect, according to ODI.
An engineering analysis is often the last step before a NHTSA-mandated
recall.
ConsumerAffairs.Com -- February
9, 2008 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) is investigating two consumer complaints
that 2007 Chevrolet Tahoes and GMC Yukons caught fire while
parked in home garages with the engines off.
The truck owners reported to NHTSA that both homes were badly
damaged and two people were injured in one of the fires.
The NHTSA Office of Defect Investigations as open a preliminary
investigation of both vehicles that could eventually lead to a
recall of the SUVs. The agency estimates as many as 400,000
vehicles would be affected if a defect is identified and a
recall ordered.
The General Motors SUVs are not equipped with the type of cruise
control system that causes a fire in Ford Motor Co. cars and
trucks. Ford has recalled more than 10 million vehicles because
of a fire danger.
NHTSA also reported on its web site that a preliminary
investigation is under way of 2006 Lamborghini Gallardos
following three reports of fires. There are 600 of the Gallardos
cars on U.S. roads.
Detroit Free Press -- November
20, 2007 -- General Motors Corp. recalled 69,000
Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac pickups and SUVs and more than 20,000
Saturn cars for repairs including adding interior safety foam
and fixing a timing chain.
The recall by the world's largest
automaker covers 57,100 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent
SUVs from the 2007 model year, and 11,974 2001-model Chevy
Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks and 20,514 Saturn L-Series cars,
the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on
its Web site.
GM will install extra foam in the windshield pillars of the
Equinox and Torrent SUVs that aren't equipped with roof air bags
or a sunroof, to lessen the risk of head injury during a crash,
according to the NHTSA.
In 2.2-liter, four-cylinder versions of the Saturn cars, GM will
replace the engine's timing chain, which could separate while
the motor is running and boost the chance of a crash. For
8.1-liter, eight-cylinder versions of the Silverado and Sierra,
GM will replace the crankshaft position sensor, which can fail
and stall the engine.
Bloomberg News --
Aug 11, 2007 --- General Motors has recalled
20,594 sport-utility vehicles and minivans from
2001 to 2004 to replace fuel tanks that may leak
and cause fire. The recall includes some 2002 to
2004 Chevrolet Venture vans and Buick Rendezvous
SUVs, and 2001 to 2004 Pontiac Aztek SUVs and
Pontiac Montana vans, the company told the U.S.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A tank valve can
fracture because of manufacturing variations or
high temperatures, allowing fuel to leak, the
agency said. The tanks will be replaced free, GM
said. No related injuries or accidents have been
reported.
GM also recalled
10,113 of its 2007 Chevrolet Express 1500 and
GMC Savana 1500 large vans to reprogram an
antilock brake part. The rear brake may stay
engaged when the brake pedal isn't pressed, and
the brake lights may not illuminate, the NHTSA
said.
Vehicles built in
April and May of this year are affected. They
are under warranty, GM said. There have been no
injuries or accidents related to the brake part.
