IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND LOST POWER BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
2006 Chevrolet Impala
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Impala years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
550–25K
7125–50K
7650–75K
7475–100K
87100–150K
41150K+
404 reports with mileage · 120 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 135 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 124 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
58 crash reports22 fire reports35 injury reports
What owners actually said
524 reportsWHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK RECEIVED ENGINE REDUCE POWER AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH WHEN THIS MESSAGE CAME ON AND LOST POWER TO MY CAR. I WAS NEARLY HIT BY CARS BEHIND ME. APPARENTLY MY THROTTLE BODY WAS AT FAULT. ABOUT A YEAR LATER HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN WHILE COMING HOME FROM…
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WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK RECEIVED ENGINE REDUCE POWER AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH WHEN THIS MESSAGE CAME ON AND LOST POWER TO MY CAR. I WAS NEARLY HIT BY CARS BEHIND ME. APPARENTLY MY THROTTLE BODY WAS AT FAULT. ABOUT A YEAR LATER HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN WHILE COMING HOME FROM WORK. THROTTLE WENT BAD AND WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY TRAFFIC AGAIN. GOOGLE CHEVY IMPALA THROTTLE BODY AND YOU WILL SEE ALL THE PROBLEMS. NOT SURE HOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO AT LEAST 3-4 OF THESE A WEEK. HOW IS THIS ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON CARS WHEN AT ANY RANDOM POINT THIS COULD QUIT. THEY SAID IT HAS AN ISSUE RELATED TO OIL CORRODING THE WIRES WHICH WOULD ALSO EXPLAIN WHY I GO THROUGH 3-4 QTS OF OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE OIL DOES NOT DRIP ANYWHERE BUT GM SAID THIS WAS STANDARD AND COMMON. *TR
2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA SAFETY RECALL CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. HOWEVER, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS. *MW THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 14V355000. *JB
WAS DRIVING AND CAR JUST LOST POWER AND CUT OFF. STARTED BACK UP AND COULDN'T GO OVER 5MPH. *TR
JUST PURCHASED ON 02/02/2015 THE CAR COMES WITH REMOTE START SO CLEANED THE ICY SNOW OFF THE CAR AND WINDOWS. GOT INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE PUT ON MY SEATBELT THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF AFTER WARMING UP.SO I PUT THE KEY IN AND STARTED THE CAR PUSHED THE THE SPRAY BUTTON. THE PASSENGER SIDE WORKED THE DRIVERS SIDE DID NOT.AFTER GOING ONL…
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JUST PURCHASED ON 02/02/2015 THE CAR COMES WITH REMOTE START SO CLEANED THE ICY SNOW OFF THE CAR AND WINDOWS. GOT INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE PUT ON MY SEATBELT THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF AFTER WARMING UP.SO I PUT THE KEY IN AND STARTED THE CAR PUSHED THE THE SPRAY BUTTON. THE PASSENGER SIDE WORKED THE DRIVERS SIDE DID NOT.AFTER GOING ONLINE I FOUND OUT PAGE AFTER PAGE OF COMPLAINT'S WHY NO RECALL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THEY SAY IT COST $300.00 TO 600.00 EACH SIDE GM MADE THE PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BAY TO FIX IT. *TR
IGNITION KEY SWITCH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,562.
I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 IMPALA OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST YEAR, MAYBE MORE. THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY GIVE ME AN ERROR OF "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." THE CAR SLOWS TO A CRAWL, HAS NO ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE SHAKES AND IT SPUTTERS UNTIL THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE TPS S…
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I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 IMPALA OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST YEAR, MAYBE MORE. THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY GIVE ME AN ERROR OF "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." THE CAR SLOWS TO A CRAWL, HAS NO ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE SHAKES AND IT SPUTTERS UNTIL THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE TPS SENSOR. HE REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY. THE CAR RAN FINE FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN IT STARTED AGAIN. SINCE I WAS GETTING THE SAME CODES, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT COULD BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY MY BATTERY, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL FOR SURE WITHOUT TROUBLESHOOTING. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS, ALL WHO SAY THE CODES POINT TO THE THROTTLE BODY, BUT THEY ALSO AGREE THAT I SHOULDN'T BE GETTING THESE CODES SO QUICKLY AFTER REPLACING THE UNIT - WHICH COST OVER $300. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER WHO WORKS AND GOES TO GRADUATE SCHOOL FULL TIME. I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CARELESSLY DUMP MONEY INTO A CAR. I'VE PUT UP WITH IT BECAUSE I CAN USUALLY PULL OVER, TURN THE ENGINE OFF, WAIT A MINUTE AND IT WILL CRANK BACK UP; HOWEVER, IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. LAST NIGHT, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CONSOLE READ "STARTING DISABLED SERVICE THROTTLE." THE ENGINE THEN SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A DARK HIGHWAY, ALONE, WITH A CAR FULL OF GROCERIES AND A SON WHO WAS WAITING ON HIS MOM TO GET HOME TO PUT HIM TO BED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A ROAD WITHOUT A LOT OF OTHER CARS AROUND OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS. I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS. AN INTERNET SEARCH WILL REVEAL THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND THE SAME RESULTS FROM DEALERS, ALL WITHOUT A PERMANENT FIX. GM NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE WHICH CLEARLY AFFECTS A LARGE NUMBER OF CARS ACROSS THE GM BRAND! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
Official recalls
114V355000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jun 23, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
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
1PE09025 · Power Steering Fluid Leaks - Fires
Opened May 13, 2009 · Closed Oct 2, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) INITIATED A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN OCTOBER OF 2006 TO ADDRESS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND/OR CLAMPS THAT COULD OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED IN VEHICLES PRIMARILY OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES THAT EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES:ALASKA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN AND WYOMING.AT THE TIME THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) WAS OPENED, ONLY 1 OF THE 33 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) WAS FROM A STATE COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN.IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST SENT BY THE ODI, GM PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT INCLUDED 6 ALLEGED FIRES AND 1 ALLEGED MINOR CRASH POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. ONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRES IS A DUPLICATE OF A REPORT RECEIVED BY ODI.OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS, 2 OF THE 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED AFTER THE REMEDY DETAILED IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED.ONE OF THE VEHICLES WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.IT IS UNDETERMINED WHETHER THE INCIDENTS WERE RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT OR WERE A BY PRODUCT OF THE REPAIR.OF THE OTHER FOUR ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS, 1 INCIDENT INVOLVED SMOKE ONLY AND NO VISIBLE FLAMES.BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, THE REMAINING 3 FIRE INCIDENTS WERE LOCALIZED EVENTS THAT PRIMARILY INVOLVED DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING COMPONENTS AND SURROUNDING WIRING.ALL 3 OF THESE VEHICLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED.NONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED.ODI IS AWARE OF 1 ADDITIONAL ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENT THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE.BASED ON THE CONSUMER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT, THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY A FRIEND AND THE VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AT A DEALERSHIP.IN TOTAL ODI IS AWARE OF 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONSUMER ALLEGED FLAMES WERE VISIBLE.ALL OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ATTENDED. ODI IS AWARE 1 MINOR CRASH ALLEGED TO BE RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.THE CONSUMER ALLEGED A MINOR CRASH OCCURRED AS THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HAD DIFFICULTY NEGOTIATING THE TURN DUE TO EXPERIENCING HIGH POWER STEERING EFFORTS AND STRUCK A SNOW BANK.IN A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, GM INFORMED ODI THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL COMMENCE IN DECEMBER OF 2009 FOR THE ENTIRE US. AS A REMEDY THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES AND THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE AND CLAMPS FOR VEHICLES WITH V6 ENGINES WILL BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED COMPONENTS.BASED ON THE LOW FREQUENCIES AND MINOR SEVERITIES OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS AND CRASH,NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.GM'S EXPANDED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE FREE REPAIRS TO VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) INITIATED A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN OCTOBER OF 2006 TO ADDRESS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND/OR CLAMPS THAT COULD OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED IN VEHICLES PRIMARILY OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES THAT EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES:ALASKA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN AND WYOMING.AT THE TIME THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) WAS OPENED, ONLY 1 OF THE 33 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) WAS FROM A STATE COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN.IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST SENT BY THE ODI, GM PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT INCLUDED 6 ALLEGED FIRES AND 1 ALLEGED MINOR CRASH POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. ONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRES IS A DUPLICATE OF A REPORT RECEIVED BY ODI.OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS, 2 OF THE 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED AFTER THE REMEDY DETAILED IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED.ONE OF THE VEHICLES WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.IT IS UNDETERMINED WHETHER THE INCIDENTS WERE RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT OR WERE A BY PRODUCT OF THE REPAIR.OF THE OTHER FOUR ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS, 1 INCIDENT INVOLVED SMOKE ONLY AND NO VISIBLE FLAMES.BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, THE REMAINING 3 FIRE INCIDENTS WERE LOCALIZED EVENTS THAT PRIMARILY INVOLVED DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING COMPONENTS AND SURROUNDING WIRING.ALL 3 OF THESE VEHICLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED.NONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED.ODI IS AWARE OF 1 ADDITIONAL ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENT THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE.BASED ON THE CONSUMER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT, THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY A FRIEND AND THE VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AT A DEALERSHIP.IN TOTAL ODI IS AWARE OF 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONSUMER ALLEGED FLAMES WERE VISIBLE.ALL OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ATTENDED. ODI IS AWARE 1 MINOR CRASH ALLEGED TO BE RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.THE CONSUMER ALLEGED A MINOR CRASH OCCURRED AS THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HAD DIFFICULTY NEGOTIATING THE TURN DUE TO EXPERIENCING HIGH POWER STEERING EFFORTS AND STRUCK A SNOW BANK.IN A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, GM INFORMED ODI THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL COMMENCE IN DECEMBER OF 2009 FOR THE ENTIRE US. AS A REMEDY THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES AND THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE AND CLAMPS FOR VEHICLES WITH V6 ENGINES WILL BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED COMPONENTS.BASED ON THE LOW FREQUENCIES AND MINOR SEVERITIES OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS AND CRASH,NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.GM'S EXPANDED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE FREE REPAIRS TO VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) INITIATED A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN OCTOBER OF 2006 TO ADDRESS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND/OR CLAMPS THAT COULD OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED IN VEHICLES PRIMARILY OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES THAT EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES:ALASKA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN AND WYOMING.AT THE TIME THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) WAS OPENED, ONLY 1 OF THE 33 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) WAS FROM A STATE COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN.IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST SENT BY THE ODI, GM PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT INCLUDED 6 ALLEGED FIRES AND 1 ALLEGED MINOR CRASH POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. ONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRES IS A DUPLICATE OF A REPORT RECEIVED BY ODI.OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS, 2 OF THE 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED AFTER THE REMEDY DETAILED IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED.ONE OF THE VEHICLES WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.IT IS UNDETERMINED WHETHER THE INCIDENTS WERE RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT OR WERE A BY PRODUCT OF THE REPAIR.OF THE OTHER FOUR ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS, 1 INCIDENT INVOLVED SMOKE ONLY AND NO VISIBLE FLAMES.BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, THE REMAINING 3 FIRE INCIDENTS WERE LOCALIZED EVENTS THAT PRIMARILY INVOLVED DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING COMPONENTS AND SURROUNDING WIRING.ALL 3 OF THESE VEHICLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED.NONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED.ODI IS AWARE OF 1 ADDITIONAL ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENT THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE.BASED ON THE CONSUMER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT, THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY A FRIEND AND THE VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AT A DEALERSHIP.IN TOTAL ODI IS AWARE OF 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONSUMER ALLEGED FLAMES WERE VISIBLE.ALL OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ATTENDED. ODI IS AWARE 1 MINOR CRASH ALLEGED TO BE RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.THE CONSUMER ALLEGED A MINOR CRASH OCCURRED AS THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HAD DIFFICULTY NEGOTIATING THE TURN DUE TO EXPERIENCING HIGH POWER STEERING EFFORTS AND STRUCK A SNOW BANK.IN A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, GM INFORMED ODI THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL COMMENCE IN DECEMBER OF 2009 FOR THE ENTIRE US. AS A REMEDY THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES AND THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE AND CLAMPS FOR VEHICLES WITH V6 ENGINES WILL BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED COMPONENTS.BASED ON THE LOW FREQUENCIES AND MINOR SEVERITIES OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS AND CRASH,NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.GM'S EXPANDED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE FREE REPAIRS TO VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) INITIATED A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN OCTOBER OF 2006 TO ADDRESS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND/OR CLAMPS THAT COULD OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED IN VEHICLES PRIMARILY OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES THAT EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES:ALASKA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN AND WYOMING.AT THE TIME THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) WAS OPENED, ONLY 1 OF THE 33 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) WAS FROM A STATE COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN.IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST SENT BY THE ODI, GM PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT INCLUDED 6 ALLEGED FIRES AND 1 ALLEGED MINOR CRASH POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. ONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRES IS A DUPLICATE OF A REPORT RECEIVED BY ODI.OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS, 2 OF THE 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED AFTER THE REMEDY DETAILED IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED.ONE OF THE VEHICLES WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.IT IS UNDETERMINED WHETHER THE INCIDENTS WERE RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT OR WERE A BY PRODUCT OF THE REPAIR.OF THE OTHER FOUR ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS, 1 INCIDENT INVOLVED SMOKE ONLY AND NO VISIBLE FLAMES.BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, THE REMAINING 3 FIRE INCIDENTS WERE LOCALIZED EVENTS THAT PRIMARILY INVOLVED DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING COMPONENTS AND SURROUNDING WIRING.ALL 3 OF THESE VEHICLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED.NONE OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED.ODI IS AWARE OF 1 ADDITIONAL ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENT THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE.BASED ON THE CONSUMER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT, THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY A FRIEND AND THE VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AT A DEALERSHIP.IN TOTAL ODI IS AWARE OF 6 ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONSUMER ALLEGED FLAMES WERE VISIBLE.ALL OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ATTENDED. ODI IS AWARE 1 MINOR CRASH ALLEGED TO BE RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.THE CONSUMER ALLEGED A MINOR CRASH OCCURRED AS THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HAD DIFFICULTY NEGOTIATING THE TURN DUE TO EXPERIENCING HIGH POWER STEERING EFFORTS AND STRUCK A SNOW BANK.IN A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, GM INFORMED ODI THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL COMMENCE IN DECEMBER OF 2009 FOR THE ENTIRE US. AS A REMEDY THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES AND THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE AND CLAMPS FOR VEHICLES WITH V6 ENGINES WILL BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED COMPONENTS.BASED ON THE LOW FREQUENCIES AND MINOR SEVERITIES OF THE ALLEGED FIRE INCIDENTS AND CRASH,NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.GM'S EXPANDED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE FREE REPAIRS TO VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.