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

Steering complaints

133 reports

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21,015 miles · Dec 21, 2012

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE RACK AND PINION, STEERING SHAFT AND THE STEERING COLUMN WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,015. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,150. UPDATED 01/29/13*LJ UPDATED 01/30/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10489453

28,000 miles · Dec 3, 2012

Steering

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POWER STEERING IS FAILING, THIS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM ACROSS THE ENTIRE GM "LAMBDA" PLATFORM AND SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL. AFFECTED PARTS ARE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK, CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO GM WAS USE OF INCORRECT FLUID FROM THE FACTORY. THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE PUMP AND THE RACK ($2,000) AND UPGRADE THE FLUID TO DEXTRON VI. FOR GM TO EXPECT OUT OF WARRANTY CUSTOMERS TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR THE HIGH COST OF THIS REPAIR IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR AND UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10487167

84,000 miles · Sep 15, 2012

SteeringVehicle Speed Control

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ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE I WAS STARTING TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STEER MY CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY AND JUST MISSED HITTING A TREE AND GOING IN A DITCH AND MY 2 CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES SHOWING ON THEIR COMPUTER. I HAVE SINCE HAD THIS HAPPEN 4 MORE TIMES AND THE LAST TIME ALMOST ENDED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED AGAIN FOR THE 5TH TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE POWER STEERING FINALLY WENT OUT ON THEM WHILE THEY WERE TEST DRIVING MY CAR. HOWEVER, THE COMPUTER STILL DID NOT SHOW ANY ERROR CODES AFTER THIS HAPPENED. AS OF TODAY, WHICH IS 3 WEEKS LATER, I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY CAR AND THE DEALERSHIP DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ERROR CODES EVENTHOUGH THE POWER STEERING KEEPS FAILING ON THEM. I AM FRUSTRATED AND AGGRAVATED AND AFTER READING ONLINE AT HOW MANY OTHER DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE I AM DISGUSTED THAT GM HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FIX THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10475504

64,860 miles · Jul 21, 2012

Steering

AT APPROX. 64,860 POWER STEERING STARTED MAKING A WHINING NOISE THAT KEPT GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10466890

85,862 miles · Jul 16, 2012

Steering

DRIVING VEHICLE AT 30MPH NORTH BOUND. STARTED MAKING RIGHT TURN (STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT) LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10465905

59,287 miles · Jul 16, 2012

Steering

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THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON THIS VEHICLE, WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A BUSY ROAD CROSSING ON-COMING TRAFFIC. THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING REQUIRED ME TO USE ALL OF MY ARM STRENGTH TO MANUALLY TURN THE WHEEL, FORCING ME TO MAKE AN EXTREMELY WIDE TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET. POWER STEERING HAS SINCE COME AND GONE AT SPEEDS LOWER THAN 25 MPH WHEN MAKING TURNS. WE HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO OUR GMC DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR DIAGNOSIS AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. DESPITE THESE REPEATED TRIPS AND REPAIRS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THE POWER STEERING STILL GOES OUT OR IS STIFF. DEALERSHIP BLAMES GM AND THE DESIGN OF THE 2008 ACADIA'S POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10465829

67,000 miles · Jul 11, 2012

Steering

POWER STEERING WILL STOP WORKING FOR SEVERAL SECONDS DURING TURNS ESPECIALLY AT SLOW SPEEDS OR WHEN TURNING IN OR OUT OF PARKING SPACES. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10465198

50,000 miles · Jul 4, 2012

Steering

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AFTER DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLES OR IN WET WEATHER, THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10464180

75,000 miles · Jun 8, 2012

Power TrainSteering

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I HAVE HAD THE RACK & PINION STEERING RACK REPLACED 2 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE (BOUGHT NEW IN JULY 2008) DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH AFTER GETTING UGLY WITH THEM, NOW AT 75,000 MILES TRANSMISSION WENT OUT,REPLACED IT. GOT IT BACK FROM DEALER AND NOW THE STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN TURNING, USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP AND THEN IT FINALLY UNLOCKS AS YOUR TRYING TO TURN WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE. FEELS LIKE THE POWER STEERING JUST GOES OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN COMES BACK. HAVE JUST DEALT WITH IT LAST FEW WEEKS, BUT NOW AFTER NOT ABLE TO TURN AND HIT A CURB WHILE TURNING, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING DEFECTIVE. DOING RESEARCH ON THIS THERE IS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE STEERING LOCKING UP, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS IF ITS DEFECTIVE. PAYING 45K FOR A VEHICLE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ARGUE WITH THE DEALER ON REPLACING THIS PART. IS THERE SOMETHING BEING DONE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALMOST COME TO A DECISION THAT GM DOESN'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND HAVE ABOUT GIVEN UP ON THEM. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10461007

62,000 miles · May 2, 2012

Steering

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AT APPROX. 62,000 POWER STEERING STARTED MAKING A WHINING NOISE THAT KEPT GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED/REPLACED THE RACK THAT THEY SAID WAS STARTING TO GO BAD. IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE GM CERTIFIED USED WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE AND SHOULD BE ALL SET. NOW, ABOUT A YEAR LATER (WARRANTY EXPIRED-POWER STEERING IS NOT CONSIDERED POWERTRAIN...) THE SAME NOISE AND HIGH EFFORT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THEY NOW SAY THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS GOING AND THERE IS A BLOWN GASKET IN THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSING A LEAK OF STEERING FLUID WHICH IS CAUSING THE WHINE. THEY SAY THAT THE REPAIR IS GOING TO COST ME OVER $750. GMC NEEDS TO ANNOUNCE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, OR AT LEAST ISSUE A NOTICE FOR DEALERS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE WHEN IT ARISES. I'M ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT DID NOT HAVE THE SYSTEM FAIL WHEN DRIVING. I COULD PROBABLY RECOVER IF IT DID, I'M JUST GLAD MY WIFE WASN'T DRIVING IT WITH MY CHILDREN WHEN IT DECIDED TO FAIL!! I KNOW OF AT LEAST TWO OTHER OWNERS THAT HAD THIS SAME ISSUE, WHEN WILL GM STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE?!?! *JS

NHTSA ODI #10457127

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