IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING COLUMN BECAME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40000.
2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
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 Monte Carlo 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
190–25K
2225–50K
1750–75K
1475–100K
15100–150K
7150K+
94 reports with mileage · 19 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports0 fire reports10 injury reports
Steering complaints
21 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. HE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $123. THE CONTA…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. HE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $123. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,400 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,502.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY TEN TIMES AND ONLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY STATED THAT THE CLAMP AT THE END OF THE POWER STEERING LINES WAS THE CAUSE…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY TEN TIMES AND ONLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY STATED THAT THE CLAMP AT THE END OF THE POWER STEERING LINES WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CLAMP HAS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST SIX TIMES BY DEALERS AND PRIVATE MECHANICS; HOWEVER, IT HAS ONLY BEEN A TEMPORARY REMEDY. THE LENGTH OF THE REMEDY DEPENDS ON THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE. THE REPAIR CAN LAST FOR TWO DAYS OR AS LONG AS THREE WEEKS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THEY STATED THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT HAS FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS STILL NOT BEEN REPAIRED PROPERLY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
I HAVE A 2006 MONTE CARLO W/35K MILES, CLEAN TITLE. TOOK IT TO CHEVY 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT IN AUGUST, 08. STEERING ISSUES APPEARED, VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING. CHEVY, "REPAIRED" THE ISSUE, BUT 3 DAYS LATER, THE PROBLEM RE-APPEARED WHILE PARKING TO MOVE OUT THE WAY FOR A CAR COMING AT A FAST SPEED AND ALMOST GOT HIT DUE T…
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I HAVE A 2006 MONTE CARLO W/35K MILES, CLEAN TITLE. TOOK IT TO CHEVY 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT IN AUGUST, 08. STEERING ISSUES APPEARED, VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING. CHEVY, "REPAIRED" THE ISSUE, BUT 3 DAYS LATER, THE PROBLEM RE-APPEARED WHILE PARKING TO MOVE OUT THE WAY FOR A CAR COMING AT A FAST SPEED AND ALMOST GOT HIT DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE STEERING. THIS SCARED MY BROTHERS 10 MONTH OLD BABY AND WE KNEW THIS HAD TO BE RESOLVED. I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT I CAN DO AS THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE "REPAIRED" BUT IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND I'M SURE IF YOU RESEARCH IT, YOU WILL NOTICED IT IS ON A VAST MAJORITY OF GM VEHICLES. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHAT I CAN DO. I'M CURRENTLY FINANCING THE VEHICLE, AND WOULD LIKE TO PLANE AND SIMPLE CANCEL THE CONTRACT. I'M AFRAID SOMETHING WORSE DOWN THE ROAD IS POSSIBLE OF HAPPENING, AND DON'T WANT A CHILD TO BE APART OF THE SCENARIO IN THE EVENT IT IS A CRASH. *TR
I BOUGHT MY 2006 MONTE CARLO, IT HAS LESS THAN 23,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED CONTINUED HARSH SHIFTING/SLIPPAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T FIX IT IF IT DOESN'T SHIFT HARD FOR…
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I BOUGHT MY 2006 MONTE CARLO, IT HAS LESS THAN 23,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED CONTINUED HARSH SHIFTING/SLIPPAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T FIX IT IF IT DOESN'T SHIFT HARD FOR THEM WHEN THEY HAVE IT. JUST YESTERDAY I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT BLEW A POWER STEERING HOSE. *TR
WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT MY 2006 MONTE CARLO UNLOADED IT'S POWER STEERING FLUID ON THE PAVEMENT. THE RETURN HOSE HAD FAILED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AS IT IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED IN 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR
LEAVING A PLACE OF BUSINESS AND HAD UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. PULLED INTO ANOTHER PARKING LOT AND DISCOVERED A PUDDLE OF POWER STEERING FLUID UNDER CAR. DROVE 20 MILES HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING. HUSBAND DISCOVERED LOW PRESSURE RETURN POWER STEERING HOSE HAD FAILED (HOLE IN HOSE). *TR
POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK IN FLUID RETURN HOSE. *CN
I HEARD A NOISE IN MY STEERING. IT WOULD MAKE THE NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. THE FIRST TIME(1/5/07) I TOOK IT IN THEY REPLACES BOTH INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD BOOTS. THE SECOND TIME(4/4/07) THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING. THE THIRD TIME THEY GREASED IT. THE FOURTH TIME(9/19/0…
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I HEARD A NOISE IN MY STEERING. IT WOULD MAKE THE NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. THE FIRST TIME(1/5/07) I TOOK IT IN THEY REPLACES BOTH INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD BOOTS. THE SECOND TIME(4/4/07) THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING. THE THIRD TIME THEY GREASED IT. THE FOURTH TIME(9/19/07) THEY REPLACED INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE FIFTH TIME(11/14/07) REPLACED SHAFT AGAIN. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT 4 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. THE MOUNT THAT HOLDS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED AND BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE HEADED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BOUNCED UP AND DOWN A FEW INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND. THE C…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT 4 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. THE MOUNT THAT HOLDS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED AND BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE HEADED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BOUNCED UP AND DOWN A FEW INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AND WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RACK. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,300.
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.