Steering. Review the 768 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 368 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

41 crash reports9 fire reports31 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

368 reports

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101,000 miles · May 15, 2014

Electrical SystemService Brakes

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WHILE NIGHT DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON A BUSY, WET HIGHWAY, I NOTICED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THAT THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED ON MY CAR. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE PEDAL WAS STUCK BY LIFTING IT WITH MY FOOT; IT WAS NOT STUCK. THEN I QUICKLY TAPPED THE BRAKES - THE BRAKE LIGHT WENT OFF ONLY TO RE-ILLUMINATE SECONDS LATER. I QUICKLY EXITED THE HIGHWAY AS MOTORISTS WERE BEGINNING TO BEEP AT ME. I CONTINUED TO PRESS AND RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL ON THE OFF RAMP, ONLY TO RECEIVE THE SAME RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEM. WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON; UPON SLOWING OR STOPPING, THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. I HAVE LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT FROM OWNERS OF THE 2009 MALIBU. A RECALL HAS BEEN IN QUESTION SINCE MARCH OF 2013; I STRESS THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AS THE MALFUNCTION IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE FATALITIES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10588460

140,000 miles · May 1, 2014

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. I WAS LOCKED IN MY OWN CAR AT THE GAS STATION. I MANUALLY PULLED UP ON THE DOOR LOCK AND STILL COULDN'T GET OUT. I ROLLED THE WINDOW DOWN AND PULLED ON THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE RELEASE AND NOTHING. AFTER PUSHING EVERY BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES AND PUTTING THE CAR IN AND OUT OF PARK I FINALLY MANAGED TO GET OUT. 2 DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT I WAS OUTSIDE THE CAR. I HAD TO CRAWL FROM THE PASSENGERS SIDE TO GET INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT TO GET TO WORK. SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS WERE ACTING UP I PULLED THE FUSE AND DECIDED TO DO IT OLD SCHOOL AND USE THE KEY TO LOCK AND UNLOCK MY CAR. GOOD IDEA UNTIL I WAS LEAVING WORK AND THE KEY WOULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. GREAT!!! HEY, I WILL JUST UNLOCK THE PASSENGER DOOR AND CLIMB IN. DID YOU KNOW THERE IS NO PLACE TO INSERT A KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE? I DO NOW. AFTER MUCH CURSING I MANAGED TO GET IN USING THE KEY BUT THEN THE DOOR WOULDN'T CLOSE. OH MY GOD I THOUGHT. I HAD TO USE 2 BUNGEE CORDS TO HOLD THE DOOR CLOSE SO I COULD DRIVE THE CAR 25 MILES HOME. I DIDN'T MENTION THAT THE BACK DOOR QUIT WORKING OVER A YEAR AGO DID I? I THINK IT IS TIME FOR A RECALL. BEING LOCKED IN YOUR CAR IN NOT A GOOD THING. IMAGINE IF THE FIRST RESPONDERS COULDN'T GET YOU OUT OF YOUR CAR IF YOU WERE IN A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF FAULTY DOOR ACTUATORS. I SEE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS DEFECT AND NOW IT IS TIME SOMEBODY HAS TO STEP UP AND DO THEIR JOB AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. APPARENTLY SOMEBODY HAS TO DIE FIRST AND SUE EVERYONE INVOLVED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10586040

45,000 miles · Apr 7, 2014

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

WHILE DRIVING DOOR LOCKS CONTINUALLY GO UP AND DOWN AND WHILE PARKED DOOR LOCKS OPEN AND CLOSE UNTIL WE TOOK FUSE OUT TO STOP. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD CAN'T OPEN DOOR WHILE ITS DOING THIS AND CAN'T LOCK DOORS, BECAUSE THEY START GOING UP AND DOWN AGAIN, AFRAID WILL DRAIN BATTERY OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DISTRACTION. …

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NHTSA ODI #10578126

24,000 miles · Apr 5, 2014

Electrical SystemStructure

REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK UNLESS MANUALLY UNLOCKED. VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME USED BY CADILLAC WEST OF LAS VEGAS. UPON SELLING OF THE VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULD FIX THIS. TRIED CALLING ONCE AND THEY REFUSED TO DO SO, SAYING IT WAS GM'S ISSUE. FIGURED THEY JUST SOLD IT "AS IS",…

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NHTSA ODI #10577538

58,428 miles · Mar 30, 2014

Electrical SystemSteering

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF NORMAL STEERING CONTROL, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. VEHICLE HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND RESTARTED TO RESET THE FAILURE. LOSS OF STEERING AND ESC. ERROR CODE LATER DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN CO545 (STEERING TORQUE SENSOR). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10575661

27,610 miles · Mar 26, 2014

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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REAR RIGHT DOOR (REAR PASSENGER) LOCK FAILING TO OPEN. STARTED TO RANDOMLY OPEN AND NOW IT'S TOTALLY DEAD. IF THE DOOR FAILS TO OPEN GETTING MY KID OUT OF THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY CAN BE IMPOSSIBLE EVEN FOR OTHER PASSENGERS SITTING ON THE BACK. THIS NEEDS AN URGENT INVESTIGATION. A LOT OF OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND SURPRISED TO SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS HERE AS WELL REGARDING THE LOCKS/ACTUATORS. GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE ABOUT ACTUATORS FAILING CONSISTENTLY TOO, IN SOME OCCASIONS THEY HAVE MADE THE REPLACEMENTS FREE OF CHARGE OR AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574929

110,000 miles · Mar 24, 2014

Electrical SystemSteering

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I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROX. 75 MPH) THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL TO TURN ON AND OFF. THEN SUDDENLY I HAD NO POWER STEERING. THIS HAPPENED TO ME AT NIGHT AND SUDDENLY, WITH OUR ANY WARNING. IT IS CONCERNING TO ME THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED! I FOUND IT TO BE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING NOT TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR SINCE I HAD BEEN TRAVELING COMFORTABLY AT 75MPH, THEN SUDDENLY HAD NO POWER STEERING. I CANNOT STRESS THE DANGER OF THIS OCCURRENCE AND THE POSSIBLE UNFORTUNATE OUTCOME HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED NOW....DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT HAS COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574418

35,000 miles · Mar 21, 2014

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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TO THE NHTSA PERSON REVIEWING THIS: PLEASE ASSIST ON THIS ISSUE, WE DEPEND ON YOU ESCALATING THIS ISSUE. THE PROBLEM CONTAINED HERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CONDITION WAITING TO HAPPEN. WE (OWNERS OF CHEVY MALIBUS OF YEARS 2008-09, AND 10') NEED AN INVESTIGATION TO BE INITIATED. SUMMARY OF PROBLEM: THE CHEVROLET MALIBU 2008,2009, AND 2010 HAS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS (WHICH OPEN AND CLOSE THE LOCKS ON THE DOORS). FOR THE MALIBU YEAR 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 35K MILE MARK ALL POWER LOCKS OF ALL FOUR DOORS RANDOMLY OPEN AND LOCK AT ANY VEHICLE FORWARD SPEED AT RANDOM TIMES. AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF LACK OF SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP FROM COUNTLESS CUSTOMERS THROUGH DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND ARE BEGINNING TO COME IN A MORE FORMAL MANNER SUCH AS THIS PUBLIC TOOL. SAFETY FLAW: SINCE THE OPENING AN CLOSING OF THE LOCKS ON DOORS IS OF RANDOM MANNER AND OF RAPID FREQUENCY (OPENS AND CLOSES VERY FAST) IT POSES ALL OCCUPANTS TO REMAIN INSIDE THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO ESCAPE IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, VEHICLE CRASH, OR ANY OTHER EMERGENCY. LIKEWISE, WHEN THE INTENT IS TO HAVE THE DOORS LOCKED IT POSES THE ISSUE THAT THE DOOR LOCKS WILL BECOME OPEN AT UNEXPECTED TIMES. SOLUTION: AVOID CASUALTIES, INCIDENTS, AND KEEP THE SAFETY OF OUR LOVED ONES IN MIND. WE NEED THE NHTSA TO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574050

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2014

Electrical SystemExterior LightingPower Train

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MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONTINUOUSLY BECAUSE OF MY IGNITION SWITCH IS MALFUNCTIONING; AT TIMES IT LOCKS UP DISALLOWING ME TO BE ABLE TO START MY CAR OR REMOVE MY KEYS. I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAMSHAFT ACTUATORS AND HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED ON THE ENGINE; BUT THIS CAR IS STILL MALFUNCTIONING. ALSO, MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WILL NOT COME ON, ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AFTER THE BULB HAS BEEN REPLACED. ALL OF GM CARS MADE BETWEEN 2008-2012, NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THESE ISSUES NOT JUST SOME BUT ALL! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10573936

82,000 miles · Feb 25, 2014

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED TO OPERATE. THIS IS THE 3RD REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR TO FAIL ON THIS CAR. ORIGINAL OWNER, REPLACED 2 LOCKS UNDER WARRANTY, NOW A 3RD ACTUATOR FAILURE. THIS DOOR IS THE PRIMARY DOOR USED FOR ENTRY/EGRESS BY CHILDREN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN DUE EITHER THE INABILITY TO SAFELY REMOVE A CHILD IN AN EMERGENCY, OR LEAVE THE DOOR UNLOCKED WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE NATION WIDE OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS. PLEASE INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565829

Official recalls

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Electrical System:wiring

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 31, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.

12V460000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Sep 18, 2012

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

09V073000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Mar 6, 2009

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V634000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System

Dec 2, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 77 MY 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEM." THE HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIRCONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE BLOWER WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND THE MODE SELECTOR WOULD REMAIN IN THE LAST KNOWN SETTING.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO FOG OR FROST, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH AIRFLOW TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD, RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE HVAC CONTROL HEAD MODULE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 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

AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.