I PURCHASED A NEW 1998 GMC ENVOY (VEHICLE IS BASED UPON THE GMC S-10 "JIMMY" MODEL) IN JANUARY 1999. THE VEHICLE AS OF 12/2003 HAS ONLY 15,400 MILES. FROM TIME TO TIME THE RIGHT HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE ("HID") LAMP DOES NOT FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATES WITH ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT AT NIGHT. INITIALLY, I SOUGHT TO HAVE THE RI…
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I PURCHASED A NEW 1998 GMC ENVOY (VEHICLE IS BASED UPON THE GMC S-10 "JIMMY" MODEL) IN JANUARY 1999. THE VEHICLE AS OF 12/2003 HAS ONLY 15,400 MILES. FROM TIME TO TIME THE RIGHT HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE ("HID") LAMP DOES NOT FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATES WITH ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT AT NIGHT. INITIALLY, I SOUGHT TO HAVE THE RIGHT SIDE HID LAMP REPLACED BUT AFTER DOING A SIGNFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS PARTICULAR HID LAMP NO LONGER PRODUCES IT AND THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE "LIKE-KIND" REPLACEMENTS ON THE AFTER-MARKET. GIVEN THE SPECIFIED USAGE HOURS FOR HID LAMPS, THIS TYPE OF HID LAMP MAY BE LATENTLY DEFECTIVE AS THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY CONCERNING THE PASSENGER SIDE HID LAMP. FURTHER, OWNERS/OPERATORS OF VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF HID SYSTEM WILL NOT KNOW OF THIS HEADLIGHT SAFETY PROBLEMS (E.G. DEFECTIVE LAMPS THAT DO NOT HAVE AN HOURLY USE LIFE AS SPECIFIED AND INABILITY OF GMC/MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE) UNTIL YEARS AFER PURCHASING A VEHICLE. PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ALSO INDICATES THAT WHILE A "RETRO-FIT" MAY BE POSSIBLE, THE COST OF SUCH ACTION FOR BOTH HID LAMPS IS IN EXCESS OF $1,200 AND IN SOME INSTANCES A MODIFICATION OF A SAFETY SYSTEM (NIGHT TIME DRIVING LIGHTS) ON A VEHICLE MAY BE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10051284
Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2002
Exterior Lighting
UPON PURCHASING VEHICLE, IN FIRST YEAR, HEADLIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN SAME YEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACTS." THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONSOLE COVER/ARMREST CAM LATCH THAT COULD RELEASE AT LESS THAN THE REQUIRED LOAD OF THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DURING A CRASH, THE CONSOLE COVER COULD OPEN AND THE COVER OR ITEMS STORED UNDER IT COULD INJURY AN OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONSOLE LATCH MECHANISM.
THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE BUILT WITH A CANDELA VALUE GREATER THAN 2,600, ARE LOCATED LESS THAN 100MM FROM THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD WARNING LAMPS, AND ARE NOT DEACTIVATED WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL OR HAZARD WARNING LAMPS ARE ACTIVATED. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR DRIVERS OF ONCOMING VEHICLES TO SEE THE TURN SIGNAL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW BODY CONTROL MODULE AND REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE WITH A NEW CALIBRATION THAT WILL TURN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS OFF WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL OR HAZARD WARNING FLASHER IS ACTIVATED.
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
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1998 GMC Envoy Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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