IllustrationAC DUCT NOISE WHILE DRIVING & WHEN PARKED. CONSTANT TAPPING OF COMPONENT IN DASH AREA SOMETIMES ALLEVIATED BY ADJUSTING D/SIDE TEMP WHEEL. SAME COMPLAINT FROM MANY IMPALA OWNERS I KNOW. HAPPENS WITH KEY ON OR OFF. SLOWLY GETTING WORSE. 2006 CHEV. IMPALA. *TR
2006 Chevrolet Impala
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Impala years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
550–25K
7125–50K
7650–75K
7475–100K
87100–150K
41150K+
404 reports with mileage · 120 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 135 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 124 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
58 crash reports22 fire reports35 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
124 reports2006 CHEVY SS IMPALA STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE DASH BOARD READINGS, THE CAR WOULD NOT START BECAUSE IT WOULD SHOW THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE WHEN IT WAS NOT, THERE WAS NO READINGS FOR THE SPEED, ALL ELECTRICAL READINGS WERE OUT OF CONTROL, FINALLY THE ABS WOULD NOT WORK AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND HAD TO BE TOWED …
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2006 CHEVY SS IMPALA STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE DASH BOARD READINGS, THE CAR WOULD NOT START BECAUSE IT WOULD SHOW THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE WHEN IT WAS NOT, THERE WAS NO READINGS FOR THE SPEED, ALL ELECTRICAL READINGS WERE OUT OF CONTROL, FINALLY THE ABS WOULD NOT WORK AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND HAD TO BE TOWED IN. THE ABS MODULE AT ONLY 75,000 MILES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY CHEVY, THE REPAIR NEEDED PUT ME IN A SERIOUS DRIVING SAFETY CONCERN AND CHEVY SHOULD NOT SAY SORRY THIS IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR DEFROST WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING TO THE DEFROST ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS BURNT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUSE LINK AND CONNECTORS. …
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR DEFROST WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING TO THE DEFROST ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS BURNT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUSE LINK AND CONNECTORS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,500. UPDATED 09/12/11
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE IGNITION ON BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES BUT THE FAILURE CONTIN…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE IGNITION ON BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.
I HAVE A IMPALA LT THAT SUDDENLY STARTED LOCKING IN PARK NOT ALLOWING ME TO SHIFT TO OTHER GEARS. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME SOLENOID THAT RUNS FROM THE SHIFTER TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH RELEASED THE BUTTON ON THE STICK SHIFT. I HAVE TO TAKE IT IN YET TO CONFIRM THE PROBLEM. *TR
THE CAR WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR HOME. I SAW FLAMES ON DRIVER'S SIDE, WHICH QUICKLY CONSUMED THE ENTIRE INTERIOR. 911 WAS CALLED AND OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT IT OUT. THE FIREMAN BELIEVES IT WAS CAUSED BY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY POINT WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD BECOME WARM, THE ENGINE WOULD REMAIN WARM FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER SHUTTING OFF. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE TO BE A DEFECT IN THE WIRING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY POINT WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD BECOME WARM, THE ENGINE WOULD REMAIN WARM FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER SHUTTING OFF. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE TO BE A DEFECT IN THE WIRING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 52,000.
2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE REAR DEFOGGER DOES NOT WORK. NOTHING HAPPENED, IT JUST QUIT WORKING. WHEN YOU PUSH THE REAR DEFOGGER BUTTON ON THE FRONT PANEL, THE LIGHT LIGHTS UP SHOWING IT IS WORKING, BUT IT ISN'T WORKING ON THE REAR WINDOW. IT IS HAZARDOUS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW WITH FROST AND EVEN SNOW B…
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2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE REAR DEFOGGER DOES NOT WORK. NOTHING HAPPENED, IT JUST QUIT WORKING. WHEN YOU PUSH THE REAR DEFOGGER BUTTON ON THE FRONT PANEL, THE LIGHT LIGHTS UP SHOWING IT IS WORKING, BUT IT ISN'T WORKING ON THE REAR WINDOW. IT IS HAZARDOUS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW WITH FROST AND EVEN SNOW BUILT UP ON IT. *TR
I OWNED A 2006 IMPALA WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. ON 11-11-2009 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 45 MILES AN HOUR AND CROSS 3 LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND STARTED SMOKING. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR …
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I OWNED A 2006 IMPALA WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. ON 11-11-2009 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 45 MILES AN HOUR AND CROSS 3 LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND STARTED SMOKING. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. WITHIN 3 MINUTES THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. CAR IS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND I OWE MORE ON IT THAN IT IS WORTH. LUCKILY I HAVE GAP INSURANCE BUT FINDING A NEW CAR WITHOUT A SIZEABLE DEPOSIT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THIS WAS AN ERROR THAT GM SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS. CAR FIRES JUST DON'T HAPPEN OUT OF NOWHERE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM ADHESIVE LAYER. THE VEHICLE HAS…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM ADHESIVE LAYER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRIP COMPUTER, TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL WERE ALL INOPERATIVE. ALSO ALL OF THE LIGHTS FLASH AT TIMES AND STAY ON. UPDATED 12/09/09
Official recalls
114V355000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jun 23, 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) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
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. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
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
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.