NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
289 reports15,500 miles · Sep 22, 2015
Unknown Or OtherCrash
I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 GOING EAST. I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AT THE 3RD ST RAMP. FROM THE POLICE REPORT, I STEPPED ON MY BRAKES, MY CAR TURNED FACING SIDEWAYS AND WAS HIT BY A SEMI TRUCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN I WAS HIT I WENT UNDER THE SEMI AND SLAMMED THE EMBANKMENT AND MY CAR WENT BACK UNDER THE SEMI AND FACED ONCOMING TRAF…
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I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 GOING EAST. I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AT THE 3RD ST RAMP. FROM THE POLICE REPORT, I STEPPED ON MY BRAKES, MY CAR TURNED FACING SIDEWAYS AND WAS HIT BY A SEMI TRUCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN I WAS HIT I WENT UNDER THE SEMI AND SLAMMED THE EMBANKMENT AND MY CAR WENT BACK UNDER THE SEMI AND FACED ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD A COLLAPSED LUNG, BROKEN RIBS, AND WAS UNCONSCIOUS FOR 3 DAYS. I HAVE MEMORY LOSS AND LACK OF SOME EMOTIONAL FEELINGS. I DID MOVE AND DID NOT HAVING FORWARDING ADDRESS AND THUS NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. I DID HAVE A KEY CHAIN I CARRIED WITH SEVERAL KEYS ON IT. THERE WERE MORE THAN 3 PARTS THAT WERE AFFECTED. THE CAR WAS MARKED AS TOTALED.
NHTSA ODI #10767496
50,000 miles · Sep 11, 2015
Service BrakesCrash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE BRAKES FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF A SECOND VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT BRAKE SPECIALIST WHO WAS UNABLE TO L…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE BRAKES FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF A SECOND VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT BRAKE SPECIALIST WHO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES, CAUSING THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP TO MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000...UPDATED 11/05/15 *BF *CN
NHTSA ODI #10763176
26,000 miles · Sep 4, 2015
Air Bags
THE AIR BAG / SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE, MY WIFE WAS IN THE SEAT AND WEIGHS MORE THAN 100LB. I'M TOLD THIS DISABLES THE AIRBAG, WHICH IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. REPAIRS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND WITH ONLY 26000 MILES ON THIS CAR SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM. IT WAS REPAIRED ON 9/3/15 AND COST $1130.21
NHTSA ODI #10761524
125,000 miles · Aug 23, 2015
Air Bags
THE 'SERVICEAIRBAG' LIGHT BEGAN TO APPEAR AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR SHORT PERIODS. I THE GM DEALER SAID THAT THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE SERVICE LIGHT BE ON CONTINUOUSLY. JULY OF 2015 THE LIGHT DID STAY ON AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE 'MODULE' HAD SHORTED. A…
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THE 'SERVICEAIRBAG' LIGHT BEGAN TO APPEAR AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR SHORT PERIODS. I THE GM DEALER SAID THAT THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE SERVICE LIGHT BE ON CONTINUOUSLY. JULY OF 2015 THE LIGHT DID STAY ON AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE 'MODULE' HAD SHORTED. A REPLACEMENT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $450.
NHTSA ODI #10758624
Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2015
Air Bags
PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR FOR AIRBAGS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY, NOW IT'S COMPLETELY BROKEN. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY OWNERS (ACCORDING TO THE FORUMS). BUT GIVEN THE LOW NUMBER OF VEHICLES PRODUCED BY GM, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING RECALL STATUS...
NHTSA ODI #10758518
40,000 miles · Aug 20, 2015
Air Bags
THE PASSENGER (SERVICE) AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES. THE LIGHT WHICH SAYS THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS BEEN ARMED NO LONGER ILLUMINATES. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SENSOR WHICH MUST BE REPLACED. THE PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND BREAKS EASILY. I AM WORRIED THAT NOT ONLY …
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THE PASSENGER (SERVICE) AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES. THE LIGHT WHICH SAYS THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS BEEN ARMED NO LONGER ILLUMINATES. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SENSOR WHICH MUST BE REPLACED. THE PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND BREAKS EASILY. I AM WORRIED THAT NOT ONLY IS THERE A CHANCE THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT BUT THAT IF I DO GET THE PART REPLACED, IT WILL SOON BREAK AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED RIGHT AWAY! THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PART, WHICH SYSTEMATICALLY GOES OUT ON EVERY CAR, FOR THIS ISSUE TO BE IGNORED!
NHTSA ODI #10750141
26,343 miles · Aug 17, 2015
Air Bags
THE AIR BAG / SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE, MY WIFE WAS IN THE SEAT AND WEIGHS MORE THAN 100LB. I'M TOLD THIS DISABLES THE AIRBAG, WHICH IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. REPAIRS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND WITH ONLY 26XXX MILES ON THIS CAR SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM.
NHTSA ODI #10749126
Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2015
Engine
WHEN I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN OR ENGAGE THE BREAK, THE CAR WILL JERK FORWARD . IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT DAILY SINCE I NOTICED IT, TO THE POINT WHERE I'M TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AT ALL ANYMORE
NHTSA ODI #10748861
12,290 miles · Aug 12, 2015
Air Bags
SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING CAME ON DIC. RESEARCHED SEVERAL PONTIAC SOLSTICE, AS WELL AS SATURN SKY AND OPEL GT, FORUMS THAT ADDRESS THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM MODULE, GM P/N 19124219, AS THE COMMON FAILURE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A WELL DOCUMENTED HIGH FAILURE RATE SAFETY PART.
NHTSA ODI #10748115
59,110 miles · Aug 11, 2015
Air Bags
BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE,THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG..THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON SHOWING THIS AIR BAG IS NOT WORKING.I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH PASSENGER AIR BAG NOT WORKING,I CALLED ON STAR AND THEY GAVE ME A CODE B0081 SAYING I SHOULD A TAKE TO DEALER. I CALLED PONTIAC A…
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BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE,THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG..THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON SHOWING THIS AIR BAG IS NOT WORKING.I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH PASSENGER AIR BAG NOT WORKING,I CALLED ON STAR AND THEY GAVE ME A CODE B0081 SAYING I SHOULD A TAKE TO DEALER. I CALLED PONTIAC AND THEY TOLD ME UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL,THE COST TO REPAIR IS ON ME.LOOKS LIKE MANY OTHER OWNERS ON 2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW,IT STAYS IN THE GARAGE,NOT DRIVEN MUCH AND VERY SELDOM ANYONE IN PASSENGER SEAT.
NHTSA ODI #10747886
Official recalls
4Jan 26, 2017
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. The Passenger Air Bag Suppression System (PPS) sensor may become bent or damaged within the front passenger seat, possibly disabling the front passenger air bag.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag does not deploy as intended, the front passenger has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall is still under development. A permanent remedy is currently under development. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 17036.
Apr 10, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
Feb 10, 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) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags
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) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Electrical System:ignition:switch
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) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Dec 20, 2007
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR AXLE PINION SEAL DOES NOT MEET ALL OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PINION SEAL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 1, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM; AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM.
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
3DP20002 · Hvac Blower Motor Connector
Opened Feb 7, 2020 · Closed Oct 27, 2022
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:wiring:interior/under Dash
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Defect Petition received December 12, 2019 requesting an investigation into the possibility of passenger compartment fires attributed to overheating HVAC blower motor connectors in Model Years (MY) 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky vehicles.An analysis of General Motors (GM) complaint data and information in NHTSA?s databases identified thirteen unique vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with reported incidents that could pertain to blower motor overheating, smoking, or melting in the 90,938 MY2006-2010 Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice vehicles produced. Two of the thirteen cited incidents reported smoke and thermal damage that may be attributed to the HVAC blower motor although neither incident was confirmed through vehicle inspection. One incident, a MY2008 Saturn Sky with substantial field exposure from a frontal collision, could not have the root cause identified. The other, a MY2007 Pontiac Solstice, did not inform the manufacturer nor take the vehicle to a dealer for evaluation.Most of the 13 incidents reported an overheated or discolored connector with attendant loss of HVAC blower fan function. GM reported 354 warranty claims with the subject components for the Sky and Solstice, none of which included a report of fire and only one report of smoke. Over a period of ten to fourteen years in service, there are two reports of smoke or thermal damage.While the subject Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles do share common components, the Sky and Solstice vehicles have demonstrated very different behavior and their HVAC system has a lower power draw than the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles. The recalled H3 and H3T vehicles generate over triple the failure rate of the Sky and Solstice vehicles. GM suggested in its response to the ODI?s information request that this difference was due to the larger interior volume of a recalled Hummer vehicle imposing a heavier electrical load and duty cycle on its HVAC blower. The duty cycle is defined as how long it takes for the vehicle to cool down enough before the HVAC blower motor fan speed is lowered or turned off completely.Additionally, due to the size differential between the Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles, the parts have a different power draw. The Sky and Solstice vehicles, due to their smaller size, draw less wattage, which reduces the likelihood of a thermal event. This condition in the Sky and Solstice vehicles typically leads to an inoperable HVAC blower motor as opposed to a thermal event.Despite the commonality of parts in the Sky and Solstice vehicles with those that were the basis of a safety recall, the subject vehicles have not demonstrated a safety defect trend that would likely lead to a safety recall or merit further investigation by the ODI. The subject vehicles have a low rate of reported thermal events over the ten to fourteen years they have been in service with the most recent occurring in 2017 with no confirmed fires. The HVAC blower motor was not confirmed to be the root cause for either thermal event cited above.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA?s possession, information submitted by GM in response to an information request, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner?s allegation, NHTSA does not believe that the petition warrants a formal investigation at this time. Consequently, the petition is denied.The entire petition denial can be viewed in the October 14, 2022 Federal Register under DP20-002.(https://www.f
DP16001 · Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat
Opened May 16, 2016 · Closed Apr 24, 2017
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting the opening of an investigation into the air bag system on model year 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky, the subject vehicles.The petitioner raised the issue of failure of the Passenger Sensing System for the front passenger seating position.On January 26, 2017, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling the subject vehicles to address the issue raised by the petition.In view of the recall, ODI considers the petition moot and is closing the action.The closing of the petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
PE07037 · Failure Of The Rear Differential
Opened Jul 17, 2007 · Closed Dec 27, 2007
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:driveline:differential Unit
ODI EVALUATED TWO DIFFERENT ALLEGED DEFECTS INVOLVING REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS DURING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.GM IS CONDUCTING A RECALL TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE DEFECT CONDITIONS AND ODI HAS OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER ALLEGED DEFECT. ON DECEMBER 19, 2007, GM SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE PINION SEALS IN APPROXIMATELY 275,936 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005-07 CADILLAC CTS, STS AND SRX VEHICLES AS WELL AS MY 2006-07 PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND MY 2007 SATURN SKY VEHICLES (RECALL 07V-589).ON STS AND SRX VEHICLES WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE, THE FRONT AXLE PINION SEAL ALSO DOES NOT MEET ALL OF GM'S SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.GM INDICATED THAT THE SEAL SUPPLIER MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED CHANGE TO THE PINION SEAL MATERIAL.LEAKING PINION SEALS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. ON DECEMBER 7, 2007, ODI OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-017) TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE (E.G., FRACTURED REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER HOUSING OR REAR AXLE HALF SHAFTS) WHILE DRIVING IN APPROXIMATELY 7,600 MY 2004 THROUGH 2006 CADILLAC CTS-V VEHICLES.THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND VEHICLE DISABLEMENT AND IS NOT ADDRESSED BY RECALL 07V-589.ODI IDENTIFIED 35 COMPLAINTS (16 TO ODI AND 19 TO GM) AND 128 WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THIS CONDITION (SEE EA07-017 OPENING RESUME).THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY OF THIS CLOSING RESUME. THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY FIGURES GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE LIMITED TO THOSE THAT (A) ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A LEAKING REAR PINION SEAL; AND (B) RESULTED IN AN ALLEGATION OF A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.THE DATA DO NOT INCLUDE ALL REPORTS OF SEAL LEAKAGE.