NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
27 reportsClear category filter200,000 miles · May 22, 2024
Power Train
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure returned soon after restart. The dealer was notified o…
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The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure returned soon after restart. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA ODI #11590196
124,000 miles · May 30, 2017
Power Train
THE TRANMISSION 4T65E HD IS ALWAYS TEARING UP... THE CARFAX ON MY CAR SHOWS IT WAS REPLACE IN 2008 AND IM SAYING IT HAS LESS THEN 100 K ON THE TRANSMISSION THEY PUT IN AND ITS OUT AGAIN
NHTSA ODI #10992218
65,000 miles · Nov 2, 2016
Power Train
AT A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN TAKING OFF CAR WILL HESITATE AND THEN JOLT FORWARD VERY HARD BEFORE TAKING OFF. ALSO DASH COMING UP FROM THE SEAMS
NHTSA ODI #10923923
100,000 miles · Aug 2, 2016
Power TrainUnknown Or Other
VEHICLE DOES NOTHING WHEN YOU HIT THE GAS FROM TAKE OFF THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR JOLTING FORWARD. DOES NOT WANT TO SHIFT BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. SEEMS TO BE A DRIVE ISSUE. CONSTANTLY SAYS REPLACE REMOTE KEY LESS ENTRY BATTERY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX KEY LESS ENTRY ISSUE.
NHTSA ODI #10892338
87,000 miles · Aug 4, 2015
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO.WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THEN ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.
NHTSA ODI #10746080
62,273 miles · Aug 3, 2015
Power Train
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND THEN SHIFTS HARD (SLAMS INTO THE NEXT GEAR) NO MATTER HOW SLOW I TRY TO TAKE OFF. THIS HAPPENS NO MATTER IF I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP OR NOT BUT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION TRIES TO GO FROM 1ST TO 2ND. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW…
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WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND THEN SHIFTS HARD (SLAMS INTO THE NEXT GEAR) NO MATTER HOW SLOW I TRY TO TAKE OFF. THIS HAPPENS NO MATTER IF I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP OR NOT BUT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION TRIES TO GO FROM 1ST TO 2ND. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAR INTO THE DRIVE I AM. HAPPENS WHEN FIRST STARTED DRIVING FOR THE DAY AND AFTER A 40 MINUTE DRIVE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 62,000 MILES AND THE CAR IS NEVER DRIVEN HARD!
NHTSA ODI #10745983
86,000 miles · Aug 3, 2015
Power Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH OR OVER, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH OR OVER, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
NHTSA ODI #10745843
124,336 miles · Oct 2, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train
ASIDE FROM THE PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION DUE TO RECALL, IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HARD TO CHANGE GEARS, I OFTEN HAVE TO USE TWO HANDS TO SWITCH THE SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR VICE VERSA. THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO PUSH. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10640810
36,000 miles · Aug 27, 2014
EnginePower Train
BOUGHT CAR AT 29K IN JUNE 2007. AROUND 36K THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR BETWEEN THE GAS LINE AND THE TRANSMISSION DECIDED TO OVERRIDE MY BREAKING. NEARLY KILLED ME BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. (HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL). HAD TO FIGHT WITH CHEVY TO GET WARRANTY FIX FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AROUND 41K THE CAR DECIDED TH…
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BOUGHT CAR AT 29K IN JUNE 2007. AROUND 36K THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR BETWEEN THE GAS LINE AND THE TRANSMISSION DECIDED TO OVERRIDE MY BREAKING. NEARLY KILLED ME BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. (HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL). HAD TO FIGHT WITH CHEVY TO GET WARRANTY FIX FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AROUND 41K THE CAR DECIDED THAT THE TEMP OUTSIDE WAS -38 OR -40 DEGREES AND WOULD INSIST ON RUNNING HEAT DURING SUMMER. WAS TOLD COMPUTER WAS BAD AND WOULD HAVE TO SPEND $$$$ TO FIX (AND ASKED WHY I WOULD BUY A CAR WITH A BAD COMPUTER!). AROUND 145K OIL PRESSURE SENSOR WENT OUT--IN LESS THN15 K, AM NOW HAVING TO REPLACE 4TH ONE. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER WEIRD ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT ARE WELL DOCUMENTED WITH MY MECHANIC. AND NOW FINALLY GET RECALL NOTICE AND TOLD THE BEST FIX IS TO HAVE KEY BY ITSELF WITH NOTHING ELSE--FOB AWAY FROM KEY. I SUSPECT THIS CAR IS A LEMON THAT HAS COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10628971
88,564 miles · Jul 1, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train
WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT WILL NOT LOCK INTO GEAR...I CAN LITERALLY PULL KEY OUT AND CAR IS STILL RUNNING...YOU CAN MOVE GEARS FREELY AND DOES NOT LOCK. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10607454
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.
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