IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS OR BREAKING NOISES RATTLES AN SEVERE SHAKE IN STEERING COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN AN AN STEERING BINDING WHEN FIRST STARTING CAR HARD TO TURN WHEELS STRANGE NOISES WHEN APPLYING BREAKS
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
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 Malibu Maxx 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
570–25K
5425–50K
8050–75K
6175–100K
95100–150K
32150K+
379 reports with mileage · 55 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 251 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 93 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports6 fire reports16 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
8 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING) AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, THE TORQUE SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND THE EPS UNIT FAILED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING) AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, THE TORQUE SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND THE EPS UNIT FAILED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES), THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FEEL AS THOUGH THE BRAKES WERE GRABBING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT BOTH RECALL REPAIRS FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,500.
ONE NIGHT WHEN IT WAS SNOWING, I WAS LEAVING WORK AND THREE LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN I WENT TO STOP MY VEHICLE. THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND I HAD TROUBLE STOPPING MY VEHICLE. AFTER THIS LITTLE INCIDENT I NOTICED THE BRAKES WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TOOK THE CAR TO AUTO ZONE AND PUT IT ON THE CODE R…
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ONE NIGHT WHEN IT WAS SNOWING, I WAS LEAVING WORK AND THREE LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN I WENT TO STOP MY VEHICLE. THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND I HAD TROUBLE STOPPING MY VEHICLE. AFTER THIS LITTLE INCIDENT I NOTICED THE BRAKES WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TOOK THE CAR TO AUTO ZONE AND PUT IT ON THE CODE READER. A CODE POOPED UP, BUT COULD NOT BE TOLD WHAT IT WAS. THEY SAID YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT THE DEALER FOR THEM TO TELL YOU WHAT THE CODE IS. I HAD TO GO TO WORK, SO DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE IT THERE. WELL I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE LIGHTS POOPED BACK ON AND WHEN I WENT TO HIT MY BRAKES THERE WAS NONE. I HIT A TRUCK THAT STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. *TR
I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH IN MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX BUT GENERAL MOTORS SAYS THAT IT IS NOT A RECALL UNDER MY VIN ON MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THERE ARE MORE RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY CAR AND ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S VEHICLES BUT UNFORTUNATELY GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MORE R…
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I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH IN MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX BUT GENERAL MOTORS SAYS THAT IT IS NOT A RECALL UNDER MY VIN ON MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THERE ARE MORE RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY CAR AND ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S VEHICLES BUT UNFORTUNATELY GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MORE RECALLS ON THEIR PRODUCTS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH AN ATTORNEY ABOUT MY CASE AND HE STATED THE SAME THING I AM SAYING ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING ONE PROBLEMS AFTER THE ANOTHER WITH MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND NONE OF THOSE ISSUES HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY DRIVING OR UPKEEP ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE MAINTAINED EVERYTHING ON MY VEHICLE AND REPLACED OVER $2,000 WORTH IN REPAIRS BECAUSE THERE WERE RECALLS OUT THERE ABOUT MY CAR AND I WASN'T NOTIFIED ABOUT THEM. GENERAL MOTORS DOES NOT WANT TO MAKE IT RIGHT THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE MONEY OFF THIS RECALL SITUATION! *TR
ON 12/2008 WHILE DRIVING FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE EAST COAST,ROUGHLY 3 HOURS INTO MY TRIP THE 'WRENCH IN THE CAR DISPLAY ON THE DASH LIT UP AND "POWER STEERING" WAS DISPLAYED ON THE RADIO. THE NEXT EXIT (BARSTOW) WAS APPROX 8 MILES AWAY.I AWOKEN THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A BLIZZARD THAT NIGHT. AFTER WAITING WHAT…
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ON 12/2008 WHILE DRIVING FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE EAST COAST,ROUGHLY 3 HOURS INTO MY TRIP THE 'WRENCH IN THE CAR DISPLAY ON THE DASH LIT UP AND "POWER STEERING" WAS DISPLAYED ON THE RADIO. THE NEXT EXIT (BARSTOW) WAS APPROX 8 MILES AWAY.I AWOKEN THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A BLIZZARD THAT NIGHT. AFTER WAITING WHAT SEEMED FOREVER I GOT THE NEWS THAT THE STEERING COLUMN ( GM 15926870) AND THE IGNITION SWITCH (GM 15823541) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. LEFT BARSTOW AFTER LOSING 2-3 DAYS OF TRAVEL AND DROPPING $1150.00 TO THE DEALER, ALMOST $200.00 FOR HOTEL AND ABOUT $125.00 ON FOOD. AFTER RECEIVING THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS I GATHERED UP MY RECEIPTS AND TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SUPPOSED WORK COMPLETED AND TURNED IN THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO THE DEALER. SIX DAYS LATER I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.I CALLED THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THE SERVICE WRITER STATED THAT THEY'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AFTER RECALL WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED. MONDAY MORNING I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN. THE SERVICE WRITER STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM DOESN'T USUALLY HAPPEN (OF COURSE THE GENTLEMAN THAT I SPOKE WITH ON FRIDAY WITH WAS NOT IN) AND THAT THEY WOULD CHECK TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL WORK THAT HAD BEEN PERFORMED. OF COURSE THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL WORK THAT HAD BEEN PERFORMED, AND THAT TO FIX THE CURRENT ISSUE WOULD COST $850. THERE WAS ALSO A CHARGE OF $121.00 (LABOR@ $110 PLUS SHOP FEES AND TAX). AFTER ALL THESE YEARS GM KNEW OF THE DEFICIENCIES AND SHORT COMINGS WITH THEY'RE VEHICLES. THEY'VE HAD TIME TO PREPARE AND PREP THEIR PERSONNEL FOR ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND SCENARIOS. DAMAGE CONTROL.MY CONCERN IS THAT WHEN THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED, THE TECH DOING THE WORK DIDN'T FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES. A LONG CALL TO GM, MY ISSUE HAS BEEN ESCALATED TO THE NEXT STEP. *TR
THIS CAR SHAKES ALL OVER THE ROAD, TAKES YOU ALL OVER THE ROAD YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT ON THE ROAD. CAUSE IT MIGHT TAKE YOU OFF THE ROAD. WE HAVE GONE THRU TIRES WITH THIS CAR AS WELL, THE BRAKE LIGHT WORKS SOME TIMES, HAD IT REPLACE, STILL HAS ISSUE. I WANTED TO GIVE THIS CAR TO MY SON NOW I'M SCARED TOO, I DON'T FEEL IT IS SAFE.…
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THIS CAR SHAKES ALL OVER THE ROAD, TAKES YOU ALL OVER THE ROAD YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT ON THE ROAD. CAUSE IT MIGHT TAKE YOU OFF THE ROAD. WE HAVE GONE THRU TIRES WITH THIS CAR AS WELL, THE BRAKE LIGHT WORKS SOME TIMES, HAD IT REPLACE, STILL HAS ISSUE. I WANTED TO GIVE THIS CAR TO MY SON NOW I'M SCARED TOO, I DON'T FEEL IT IS SAFE... *TR
BRAKE LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I WAS NOT BRAKING. I WAS STOPPED AND INFORMED OF THIS BY AT STATE TROOPER. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS DISENGAGED INVOLUNTARILY SINCE 2005. I HAD A NEW BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR INSTALLED, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL STILL DISENGAGES AND THE CHECK ENGINE…
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BRAKE LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I WAS NOT BRAKING. I WAS STOPPED AND INFORMED OF THIS BY AT STATE TROOPER. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS DISENGAGED INVOLUNTARILY SINCE 2005. I HAD A NEW BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR INSTALLED, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL STILL DISENGAGES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DURING TRIPS OF MORE THAN 10 MILES. *TR
THE DRIVER SEAT ON THIS CAR HAS COME OFF THE RAILS ON RIGHT SIDE CAUSING IT TO TILT. IF THE SEAT IS NOT MOVED TO THE LOWEST SETTING THE TILTS WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. I HAD THE SEAT REPAIRED ONCE; IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS. AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKE REPAIRED. WHEN SETTING THE BRAKE, I HEARD A …
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THE DRIVER SEAT ON THIS CAR HAS COME OFF THE RAILS ON RIGHT SIDE CAUSING IT TO TILT. IF THE SEAT IS NOT MOVED TO THE LOWEST SETTING THE TILTS WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. I HAD THE SEAT REPAIRED ONCE; IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS. AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKE REPAIRED. WHEN SETTING THE BRAKE, I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE REPAIR FAILED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO FOR THE SECOND TIME. I AM ALSO GOING THROUGH NEW BRAKES ON THIS CAR AT AN ALARMING RATE - THREE BRAKE REPLACEMENTS ALREADY AND THE CAR HAS 90,000 MILES. THE CAR IS AGAIN BEGINNING TO SHIMMY/SHUDDER WHEN GOING DOWN STEEP HILLS AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE CAR SEEMS NOT TO SLOW DOWN AT ALL (I.E. SHIFTING GEARS) WHEN GOING DOWN HILL OTHER THAN BY THE BRAKES - IT FEELS LIKE A FREE FALL. THE SIGNALS, HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALSO NEED FREQUENT REPLACEMENT. I TYPICALLY HAVE TO REPLACE AT LEAST ONE OF THESE AT EACH OIL CHANGE AND HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS NEEDED TO MAKE REPLACEMENTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE HEADLIGHTS/BLINKERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. THE REAR LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED PERHAPS TEN TIMES. CURRENTLY THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE INTERIOR COVER OF THE CAR TO ACCESS THE WIRING - THE BULB IS NOT THE PROBLEM. *TR
Official recalls
314V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
May 14, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Additional source detail variants (5)
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Electrical System:wiring
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
14V224000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
Apr 30, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the PARK position, the transmission may not be in PARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Consequence: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the PARK position, the transmission may not be in PARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Consequence: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the PARK position, the transmission may not be in PARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Mar 31, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
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
4EA09004 · Turn Signal Lamps
Opened Mar 20, 2009 · Closed Aug 12, 2010
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:headlights; Exterior Lighting:tail Lights; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The MY 2003 and earlier Malibu vehicles (Malibu Maxx was not manufactured for sale in the U.S. prior to MY 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the DRL function; GM reverted back to this design on the MY 2006 and later Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles. Filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.As a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.GM identified and addressed two front turn signal/DRL and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in MY 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.To address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to ODI by GM were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), GM issued a technical service bulletin in March 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.In June 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) GM changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the TSB bulb in vehicle production also.To date, ODI has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.ODI's analysis of consumer complaints, both VOQ and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.The warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.GM conducted a safety recall (06V-263) for MY 2004-2005 Cadillac XLR to replace the front turn signal/DRL bulbs and the electrical sockets.However GM advised that the turn signal/DRL bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled XLRs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented XLR headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the XLR.Additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See attached report for further information.
Additional source detail variants (4)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The MY 2003 and earlier Malibu vehicles (Malibu Maxx was not manufactured for sale in the U.S. prior to MY 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the DRL function; GM reverted back to this design on the MY 2006 and later Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles. Filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.As a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.GM identified and addressed two front turn signal/DRL and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in MY 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.To address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to ODI by GM were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), GM issued a technical service bulletin in March 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.In June 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) GM changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the TSB bulb in vehicle production also.To date, ODI has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.ODI's analysis of consumer complaints, both VOQ and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.The warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.GM conducted a safety recall (06V-263) for MY 2004-2005 Cadillac XLR to replace the front turn signal/DRL bulbs and the electrical sockets.However GM advised that the turn signal/DRL bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled XLRs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented XLR headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the XLR.Additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See attached report for further information.
Exterior Lighting:headlights
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The MY 2003 and earlier Malibu vehicles (Malibu Maxx was not manufactured for sale in the U.S. prior to MY 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the DRL function; GM reverted back to this design on the MY 2006 and later Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles. Filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.As a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.GM identified and addressed two front turn signal/DRL and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in MY 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.To address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to ODI by GM were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), GM issued a technical service bulletin in March 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.In June 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) GM changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the TSB bulb in vehicle production also.To date, ODI has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.ODI's analysis of consumer complaints, both VOQ and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.The warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.GM conducted a safety recall (06V-263) for MY 2004-2005 Cadillac XLR to replace the front turn signal/DRL bulbs and the electrical sockets.However GM advised that the turn signal/DRL bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled XLRs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented XLR headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the XLR.Additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See attached report for further information.
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The MY 2003 and earlier Malibu vehicles (Malibu Maxx was not manufactured for sale in the U.S. prior to MY 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the DRL function; GM reverted back to this design on the MY 2006 and later Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles. Filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.As a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.GM identified and addressed two front turn signal/DRL and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in MY 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.To address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to ODI by GM were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), GM issued a technical service bulletin in March 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.In June 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) GM changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the TSB bulb in vehicle production also.To date, ODI has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.ODI's analysis of consumer complaints, both VOQ and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.The warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.GM conducted a safety recall (06V-263) for MY 2004-2005 Cadillac XLR to replace the front turn signal/DRL bulbs and the electrical sockets.However GM advised that the turn signal/DRL bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled XLRs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented XLR headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the XLR.Additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See attached report for further information.
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The MY 2003 and earlier Malibu vehicles (Malibu Maxx was not manufactured for sale in the U.S. prior to MY 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the DRL function; GM reverted back to this design on the MY 2006 and later Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles. Filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.As a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.GM identified and addressed two front turn signal/DRL and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in MY 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.To address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to ODI by GM were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), GM issued a technical service bulletin in March 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.In June 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) GM changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the TSB bulb in vehicle production also.To date, ODI has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.ODI's analysis of consumer complaints, both VOQ and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.The warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.GM conducted a safety recall (06V-263) for MY 2004-2005 Cadillac XLR to replace the front turn signal/DRL bulbs and the electrical sockets.However GM advised that the turn signal/DRL bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled XLRs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented XLR headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the XLR.Additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See attached report for further information.
PE08062 · Turn Signal Lamps
Opened Oct 21, 2008 · Closed Mar 20, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF FUNCTION OF ONE OR MORE OF THE PARK, TURN, STOP OR DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS (DRL).FAILURE OF THE BULB MAY ALSO INCLUDE DISCOLORATION (HEAT DAMAGE) TO THE BULB SOCKET.GENERAL MOTORS (GM) TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) NUMBER 06-08-42-004C INSTRUCTS TECHNICIANS TO EXAMINE THE LAMP HOUSING FOR SIGNS OF DISCOLORATION AND TO REPLACE THE BULBS AND OR SOCKETS DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DISCOLORATION AND THE CONDITION OF THE BULBS AND SOCKETS.THE SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION IN THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE08-062) WAS THE 2004 MALIBU/MAXX.HOWEVER, THE AGENCY EVALUATED GM'S WARRANTY DATA WHICH INDICATES THAT THE 2005 MODEL YEAR (MY) MALIBU AND MALIBU MAXX VEHICLES ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.THIS INVESTIGATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA09-004).
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF FUNCTION OF ONE OR MORE OF THE PARK, TURN, STOP OR DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS (DRL).FAILURE OF THE BULB MAY ALSO INCLUDE DISCOLORATION (HEAT DAMAGE) TO THE BULB SOCKET.GENERAL MOTORS (GM) TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) NUMBER 06-08-42-004C INSTRUCTS TECHNICIANS TO EXAMINE THE LAMP HOUSING FOR SIGNS OF DISCOLORATION AND TO REPLACE THE BULBS AND OR SOCKETS DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DISCOLORATION AND THE CONDITION OF THE BULBS AND SOCKETS.THE SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION IN THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE08-062) WAS THE 2004 MALIBU/MAXX.HOWEVER, THE AGENCY EVALUATED GM'S WARRANTY DATA WHICH INDICATES THAT THE 2005 MODEL YEAR (MY) MALIBU AND MALIBU MAXX VEHICLES ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.THIS INVESTIGATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA09-004).
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF FUNCTION OF ONE OR MORE OF THE PARK, TURN, STOP OR DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS (DRL).FAILURE OF THE BULB MAY ALSO INCLUDE DISCOLORATION (HEAT DAMAGE) TO THE BULB SOCKET.GENERAL MOTORS (GM) TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) NUMBER 06-08-42-004C INSTRUCTS TECHNICIANS TO EXAMINE THE LAMP HOUSING FOR SIGNS OF DISCOLORATION AND TO REPLACE THE BULBS AND OR SOCKETS DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DISCOLORATION AND THE CONDITION OF THE BULBS AND SOCKETS.THE SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION IN THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE08-062) WAS THE 2004 MALIBU/MAXX.HOWEVER, THE AGENCY EVALUATED GM'S WARRANTY DATA WHICH INDICATES THAT THE 2005 MODEL YEAR (MY) MALIBU AND MALIBU MAXX VEHICLES ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.THIS INVESTIGATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA09-004).
EA04018 · Loss Of Electric Power Steering
Opened Jul 1, 2004 · Closed May 10, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:electric Power Assist System
IN PERFORMING THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, ODI DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CAN MALFUNCTION OR FAIL, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS, ODI HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT WARRANTED AT THIS TIME: - GM ISSUED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN (CSC) 04050A INDECEMBER 2004 TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY58,700 SUBJECT VEHICLES, ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST 97 PERCENT OF THECOMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIMS POPULATION.VEHICLES OUTSIDE THECSC 04050A POPULATION CONTAIN A NEWLY DESIGNED TORQUE ANDPOSITION SENSOR AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A RELATIVELY LOW COMPLAINTRATE.THIS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN PRESENTLY HAS ACOMPLETION RATE OF 52%. - THE IMPACT ON THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO CONTROL THESE RELATIVELYSMALL AND LIGHT VEHICLES WAS LIMITED.VRTC TEST ENGINEERS WEREUNABLE TO INDUCE A FAILURE MODE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE EPS TOSUBSTANTIALLY LIMIT THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN APARTICULAR DIRECTION OR TO PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH UNINTENDEDPOWER ASSISTANCE.- THERE IS NO RISK OF FIRE.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS 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 BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.(FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE ATTACHED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-018)CLOSING REPORT.)
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:electric Power Assist System
IN PERFORMING THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, ODI DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CAN MALFUNCTION OR FAIL, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS, ODI HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT WARRANTED AT THIS TIME: - GM ISSUED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN (CSC) 04050A INDECEMBER 2004 TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY58,700 SUBJECT VEHICLES, ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST 97 PERCENT OF THECOMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIMS POPULATION.VEHICLES OUTSIDE THECSC 04050A POPULATION CONTAIN A NEWLY DESIGNED TORQUE ANDPOSITION SENSOR AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A RELATIVELY LOW COMPLAINTRATE.THIS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN PRESENTLY HAS ACOMPLETION RATE OF 52%. - THE IMPACT ON THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO CONTROL THESE RELATIVELYSMALL AND LIGHT VEHICLES WAS LIMITED.VRTC TEST ENGINEERS WEREUNABLE TO INDUCE A FAILURE MODE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE EPS TOSUBSTANTIALLY LIMIT THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN APARTICULAR DIRECTION OR TO PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH UNINTENDEDPOWER ASSISTANCE.- THERE IS NO RISK OF FIRE.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS 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 BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.(FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE ATTACHED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-018)CLOSING REPORT.)
Steering
IN PERFORMING THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, ODI DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CAN MALFUNCTION OR FAIL, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS, ODI HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT WARRANTED AT THIS TIME: - GM ISSUED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN (CSC) 04050A INDECEMBER 2004 TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY58,700 SUBJECT VEHICLES, ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST 97 PERCENT OF THECOMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIMS POPULATION.VEHICLES OUTSIDE THECSC 04050A POPULATION CONTAIN A NEWLY DESIGNED TORQUE ANDPOSITION SENSOR AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A RELATIVELY LOW COMPLAINTRATE.THIS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN PRESENTLY HAS ACOMPLETION RATE OF 52%. - THE IMPACT ON THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO CONTROL THESE RELATIVELYSMALL AND LIGHT VEHICLES WAS LIMITED.VRTC TEST ENGINEERS WEREUNABLE TO INDUCE A FAILURE MODE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE EPS TOSUBSTANTIALLY LIMIT THE DRIVER?S ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN APARTICULAR DIRECTION OR TO PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH UNINTENDEDPOWER ASSISTANCE.- THERE IS NO RISK OF FIRE.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS 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 BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.(FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE ATTACHED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-018)CLOSING REPORT.)
PE04031 · Loss Of Electric Power Steering
Opened Mar 30, 2004 · Closed Jul 1, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:electric Power Assist System
ODI OPENED PE04-031 BASED ON EIGHT REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER STEERING FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER SUDDENLY LOST ALL ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE WITHOUT WARNING MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE UTILIZES AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM (EPS) THAT PROVIDES VARIABLE STEERING ASSISTANCE BASED ON STEERING WHEEL TORQUE, STEERING WHEEL POSTION, AND VEHICLE SPEED.GENERAL MOTORS DOCUMENTS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING TWO FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES: A.CONTAMINATION OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR FROM THESEPARATION OF GREASE APPLIED TO THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. B.ELECTRICAL NOISE GENERATED ON THE POWER AND GROUND SLIP RING SURFACES OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR.THE NOISE IS GENERATED AS THE SENSOR CONTACT BRUSHES MOVE ALONG THE SLIP RING SURFACES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS ROTATED.ODI'S ANALYSIS SHOWED FAILURERATES THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO ODI AND INDICATED THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS CONTINUING TO OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS CONCERN, TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES, AND TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE AFFECTED POPULATION.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:electric Power Assist System
ODI OPENED PE04-031 BASED ON EIGHT REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER STEERING FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER SUDDENLY LOST ALL ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE WITHOUT WARNING MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE UTILIZES AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM (EPS) THAT PROVIDES VARIABLE STEERING ASSISTANCE BASED ON STEERING WHEEL TORQUE, STEERING WHEEL POSTION, AND VEHICLE SPEED.GENERAL MOTORS DOCUMENTS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING TWO FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES: A.CONTAMINATION OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR FROM THESEPARATION OF GREASE APPLIED TO THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. B.ELECTRICAL NOISE GENERATED ON THE POWER AND GROUND SLIP RING SURFACES OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR.THE NOISE IS GENERATED AS THE SENSOR CONTACT BRUSHES MOVE ALONG THE SLIP RING SURFACES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS ROTATED.ODI'S ANALYSIS SHOWED FAILURERATES THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO ODI AND INDICATED THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS CONTINUING TO OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS CONCERN, TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES, AND TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE AFFECTED POPULATION.
Steering
ODI OPENED PE04-031 BASED ON EIGHT REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER STEERING FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER SUDDENLY LOST ALL ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE WITHOUT WARNING MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE UTILIZES AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM (EPS) THAT PROVIDES VARIABLE STEERING ASSISTANCE BASED ON STEERING WHEEL TORQUE, STEERING WHEEL POSTION, AND VEHICLE SPEED.GENERAL MOTORS DOCUMENTS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING TWO FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES: A.CONTAMINATION OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR FROM THESEPARATION OF GREASE APPLIED TO THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. B.ELECTRICAL NOISE GENERATED ON THE POWER AND GROUND SLIP RING SURFACES OF THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR.THE NOISE IS GENERATED AS THE SENSOR CONTACT BRUSHES MOVE ALONG THE SLIP RING SURFACES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS ROTATED.ODI'S ANALYSIS SHOWED FAILURERATES THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO ODI AND INDICATED THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS CONTINUING TO OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS CONCERN, TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES, AND TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE AFFECTED POPULATION.