Exterior Lighting. Review the 154 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 128 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 115 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports10 fire reports7 injury reports

What owners actually said

511 reports

75,000 miles · Jun 13, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO AND I HAD TO CHANGE THE FRONT HEADLIGHT ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER. I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO CHANGE A SIMPLE PART SO I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY CHANGE THE BULB. THE BULB LASTED A FEW MONTHS AND THEN BLEW OUT AGAIN. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD A FAULTY $25-30 BULB SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER. I HAD TO RE-RESEARCH HOW TO CHANGE THE BULB AND THIS TIME I FOUND OUT THAT OTHER SATURN OUTLOOK OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I CHANGED THE BULB AND IT BURNED OUT AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS. I COULD THEN SEE THAT THE WIRE HARNESS THAT PLUGS INTO THE BULB WAS MELTED. I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS NOT GOOD AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO START A FIRE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10461438

68,000 miles · Jun 1, 2012

Steering

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WHILE DRIVING IN A MODERATE RAIN STORM TODAY, 6.1.12, AT 35 MPH, THE STEERING ON MY VEHICLE LOCKED UP AND FROZE AFTER DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT I DO NOT RECALL THE EXACT DATES SO I WILL REPORT TODAY'S DATE ONLY. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD EVENTUALLY FREE AND RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS. ALSO, THERE IS A LOUD WHINING NOISE FROM THE STEERING BLOCK AND UNDER THE HOOD WHEN THIS OCCURS. THE NOISES SOUNDS LIKE THE POWER STEERING BELTS ARE SLIPPING DUE TO BEING SOAKED WITH WATER. THIS IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE, WE HAVE TWO KIDS. THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN THE STATE OF FL WITH HEAVY, AND FREQUENT STORMS. THIS IS VERY TROUBLESOME AND SCARY AND I AM CONCERNED THIS LOSS OF STEERING WILL LEAD TO A CRASH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10460232

54,000 miles · May 12, 2012

EnginePower Train

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ISSUE BEGAN AS A JERKY MOVEMENT IN REVERSE. A FEW DAYS LATER, HIGH ENGINE RPMS WERE NOTICED DURING ACCELERATION WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING LIT AND THE TRANSMISSION BEING DISENGAGED. NO GEARS WERE OPERATING AND CAR WAS ABLE TO BE PULLED OFF THE MAIN ROADS WITH NO INCIDENTS. MANY ONLINE FORUMS DESCRIBE A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE GMC ACADIA, CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, AND BUICK ENCLAVE AS WELL AND ACROSS SEVERAL MODEL YEARS FOR EACH VEHICLE. HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/TRANSMISSION-FAULT-ANDOR-CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT-WITH-CODE-P0716-P0776-P0717-P0777-P2714-P2715-AN-459 HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/TRANSMISSION-FAULT-ANDOR-CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT-WITH-CODE-P0716-P0776-P0717-P0777-P2714-P2715-AN-567 HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/CHEVROLET-TRAVERSE-2009/PROBLEMS HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/GMC-ACADIA-2007/PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10458220

80,000 miles · Apr 27, 2012

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingStructure

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1) CAR NO LONGER SHIFTS OUT OF FIRST GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). 2) CAR CONTINUES TO RUN FOR UP TO 30 SECONDS WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED. DEALER STATES THAT A WATER LEAK BEGINNING AT THE SUNROOF LEAKS WATER ONTO THE FUSE AREA IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING FAILURES REQUIRING A FUSE BOX REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD LEAKS LEAVING WATER ON THE HEADLINER, FRONT SEATS, FRONT DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER FLOORS IN THE PAST ALL REPAIRED BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER CHARGES SO FAR ARE $500 TO REPAIR THE LEAK, $500 TO REPLACE THE FUSEBOX, AND STILL NOT SURE ANY OF THOSE REPAIRS HAVE RESOLVED THE TWO INITIAL ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10456708

40,000 miles · Apr 26, 2012

Air BagsElectrical SystemStructure

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I NOTICED MY OUTLOOK LEAKING WATER 3 MOS. AFTER I BOUGHT IT. THE AIRBAGS ON PASSENGER SIDE STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF IN THE GARAGE. THE DEALER STATES ITS A LEAK THAT HAS ALLOWED WATER TO RUIN THE ELECTRONICS ALL OVER THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ALL OVER THE INTERNET. NO ONE CAN FIX IT.THEY HAVE 7 TECH BULLETINS...STILL NO FIX. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS 1500.00 TO "START" LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP ME! I CAN'T DRIVE A MOLDY CAR WITH INTERMITTENT AIRBAGS AND POSSIBLE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR! THIS WILL BANKRUPT ME. WHAT DO I DO?? NO ONE ONLINE HAS FOUND A SOLUTION...JUST 1000'S OF DOLLARS AND SCARY SITUATIONS ON THE ROAD (DEFROST BLOWERS BREAKING, LOSING POWER STEERING, ENGINE QUITTING, WATER DUMPING ON THEIR LAPS). PLEASE MAKE THEM RECALL THIS OR HELP US FIX IT! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10456522

57,168 miles · Apr 10, 2012

Power Train

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WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY, WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE UNUSUAL GEAR SHIFTING. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE DIDN'T KNOW WHICH GEAR TO BE IN. WE MADE IT HOME, AND THEN A FEW HOURS LATER I STARTED THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING THE SOUND OF A FAN BEING SPUN WAY TOO FAST. WE STARTED TO DRIVE AND THE GEAR SHIFTING WAS AGAIN ERRATIC. AFTER STOPPING TO CHECK IT THEN GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD WE NO LONGER HAD THE FIRST 3 GEARS. I WOULD HAVE TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDDLE ALMOST TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR MOVING AGAIN. I CALLED GM AND THEY SAID TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSES [OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS HORRIBLE]. THEY SAID IF IT'S FOUND TO BE MANUFACTURER THEY "MAY" BE ABLE TO HELP US, BUT THAT OUR POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY EXPIRED THE MONTH BEFORE SO THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY GUARANTEES. I FOLLOWED MY GUT AND DECIDED TO REMAIN A PERSON AND NOT A NUMBER BY TAKING IT TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP WITH A GREAT REPUTATION. THEY CALLED THIS MORNING AND SAID I'LL BE NEEDING A NEW TRANSMISSION. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE GM REP CALLED AND SAID THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HELP ME OUT (HE LOOKED INTO IT FOR ME). THIS IS ONLY 3 MONTHS AFTER THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. BEFORE THAT IT WAS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR THAT WENT OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10454730

52,020 miles · Apr 1, 2012

Electrical SystemStructure

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

NHTSA ODI #10453710

43,000 miles · Mar 30, 2012

Exterior Lighting

I HAVE REPLACED MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADLAMP 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. I HAVE READ ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE VEHICLES, WHERE SOME HAVE MELTED. MINE DOES NOT APPEAR MELTED, OR AT LEAST WASN'T THE THIRD TIME I REPLACED IT, BUT NOW THIS MORNING THE HEADLAMP BURNED OUT AGAIN. WITHOUT CONFIDENCE IN MY HEAD…

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NHTSA ODI #10453562

Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2012

Steering

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I HAD JUST TURNED A CORNER AND IT FELT LIKE MY VEHICLE LOST POWER. I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND IT ACCELERATED AS NORMAL. BUT THEN I REALIZED MY STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN. WITH TRAFFIC COMING AT ME I BARELY MADE IT TO ANOTHER STREET AND COULD JUST TURN IT ENOUGH TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET. I WAS PUTTIN MY WHOLE BODY WEIGHT INTO IT. IT WAS NOT RAINING AND CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL OUTSIDE. $300 LATER MY STEERING SYSTEM WAS FIXED. THANK GOODNESS TRAFFIC WASN'T HEAVIER THAT DAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10453421

94,000 miles · Mar 9, 2012

Air BagsStructure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN WATER LEAKED FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000. UPDATED 04/13/12 *…

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NHTSA ODI #10450865

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.

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> .

07V062000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Feb 21, 2007

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE (SDM), WHICH CONTROLS THE FUNCTION OF FRONT AIR BAGS, MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH. ALSO, THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAY FAIL TO PROVIDE WARNING THAT THE SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THIS CONDITION COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO OCCUPANTS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SDM COMPUTER MODULE. THIS RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GMC AT 1-866-966-9463 OR SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876.

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