Power Train. Review the 279 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 153 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 150 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

22 crash reports13 fire reports24 injury reports

What owners actually said

854 reports

56,614 miles · Jan 9, 2013

Steering

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GMC SAYS POWERSTEERING RACK IS CRACKED IN MY TRUCK. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE MY TRUCK IS AN "OLDER" MODEL THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE REDESIGNED STEERING ASSEMBLY IN IT, MY TRUCK REPAIRS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2008-2009 ACADIA MODELS AND ALL THE PROBLEMS SEEM TO HAPPEN RIGHT AROUND THE 50K MILE MARKER, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I'VE VISITED COUNTLESS WEBSITES AND READ HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM I'M HAVING YET GMC REFUSES TO CORRECT WHAT IS CLEARLY A MISTAKE ON THEIR PART IN THE DESIGN OF THEIR VEHICLE. I'VE ALSO READ COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SCARY RESULT OF TOTAL POWERSTEERING LOSS AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND IF I LOST POWERSTEERING IN MY TRUCK WHILE DRIVING I WOULD CRASH WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT. AFTER MANY DIFFERENT PHONE CALLS WITHIN THE GMC CORPORATION, I WAS BASICALLY TOLD THIS IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION TO ME AT ALL. WHEN I STATED THAT I WOULD BE LOOKING INTO OTHER AVENUES TO FILE A COMPLAINT, I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE I WAS CONSIDERING FILING A COMPLAINT, MY CASE IS NOW CLOSED AND THE GUY HUNG UP ON ME. I AM BEYOND FRUSTRATED WITH GMC. I LOVE MY TRUCK, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO FIX THEIR SAFETY DEFECT. I'D LOVE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS CHANGED SO EITHER THE WARRANTY PICKS IT UP OR A RECALL IS ISSUED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10491988

105,169 miles · Dec 22, 2012

Power TrainSteeringWheels

THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING AND I HAD TO COMPLETE EMERGENCY MANEUVERS TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10489518

21,015 miles · Dec 21, 2012

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE RACK AND PINION, STEERING SHAFT AND THE STEERING COLUMN WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,015. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,150. UPDATED 01/29/13*LJ UPDATED 01/30/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10489453

48,984 miles · Dec 17, 2012

Electrical SystemStructure

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WATER LEAK FROM EITHER SUNROOF DRAIN TUBE OR FAULTY SEAM SEAL, CAUSED WATER TO COME INTO VEHICLE CAUSING FLOORS AND DOORMATS TO BE WET AND CAUSE MOLDY ODOR. ALSO CAUSED MAJOR CORROSION TO HARNESS AND FUSE BOX. TOLD THERE COULD BE MORE CORROSION, BUT WON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY PULL THOSE PARTS OUT. I HAVE RESEARCHED WATER LEAK RECALLS FOR GMC ACADIA'S, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS CURRENTLY NOT A RECALL, IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS IN MANY ACADIA'S, THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE MADE A RECALL! I AM TOLD THAT WATER LEAKS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER MY LIMITED WARRANTY AND THEY ONLY OFFERED TO GO HALF WITH ME ON THE REPAIRS. TOLD IT WILL BE BETWEEN $900-$1,600. EVEN GOING HALF ON EITHER OF THOSE AMOUNTS, I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR THAT I PAY ANYTHING TOWARD A PROBLEM THAT GM KNEW ABOUT WHEN THE ACADIA CAME OUT IN '07. INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT BACK THEN, THEY OPTED TO WAIT AND DEAL WITH IT ON A CASE TO CASE BASIS. THIS IS NOT FAIR THAT WE CONSUMERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR POOR WORKMANSHIP! GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE IN SELLING A VEHICLE THAT HAS PROVED TO HAVE CONTINUOUS WATER LEAKS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10489022

64,725 miles · Dec 14, 2012

Service Brakes

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DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THAT NEEDED TO SERVICE BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL JOHN ELWAY CHEVY DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE RIGHT OF WAY. THEY CAME BACK THAT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I AM 63, PROBABLY HAVE HAD OVER 15 BRANDS OF CARS THAT I DRIVE TO AT LEAST 125,000 MILES AND NEVER REPLACED A MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. I WENT ON EDMUNDS.COM ONLINE AND READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER ACADIA OWNERS WITH EVEN NEWER MODELS WITH SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED GM AND ASKED FOR THEM TO PAY FOR REPAIR, THEY REFUSED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME WHERE THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. HE INDICATED THAT IT IS GLUED TOGETHER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10488798

77,700 miles · Dec 3, 2012

Power Train

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I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE 2008 GMC ACADIA AND SIMILAR GM VEHICLES, AS I WAS DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY OUT OF TOWN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING IN AND OUT OF GEARS. WHILE DRIVING THE WEEKEND AFTER THANKSGIVING AND APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS FROM HOME, OUR 2008 GMC ACADIA STARTED DOWN-SHIFTING HARD AFTER PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. A FEW MINUTES LATER THIS REPEATED, AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SOON AFTER, WHEN ALMOST TO OUR DESTINATION, THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER TO GET UP HILLS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND ONCE WE EXITED, COULD BARELY MAKE IT OFF THE EXIT RAMP AND THROUGH A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. IT SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN A HIGH GEAR. BEING LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND NOW IN A RURAL AREA, THERE WEREN'T ANY REPAIR SHOPS THAT WERE EITHER OPEN OR COULD LOOK AT IT. SO WE HAD TO RENT A CAR AND ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE ACADIA BACK ANOTHER 40-50 MILES TO GET TO A CHEVY DEALER THAT WAS OPEN AND COULD AT LEAST CHECKOUT THE TRANSMISSION. ON SATURDAY THEY CONFIRMED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, AND SPECIFICALLY THE 3-5-R WAVE PLATE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T BE READY UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK. LATER I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT IT STILL WASN'T BEING RECALLED BY GM. LUCKILY WE WERE BARELY (1 MONTH) INSIDE OF OUR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND DIDN'T GET HURT. I WILL SAY THAT THE CHEVY DEALER THAT DID THE REPAIR WAS GREAT TO WORK WITH, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE FROM OUT OF TOWN. BUT NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE FROM OUR HOME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10487212

28,000 miles · Dec 3, 2012

Steering

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POWER STEERING IS FAILING, THIS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM ACROSS THE ENTIRE GM "LAMBDA" PLATFORM AND SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL. AFFECTED PARTS ARE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK, CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO GM WAS USE OF INCORRECT FLUID FROM THE FACTORY. THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE PUMP AND THE RACK ($2,000) AND UPGRADE THE FLUID TO DEXTRON VI. FOR GM TO EXPECT OUT OF WARRANTY CUSTOMERS TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR THE HIGH COST OF THIS REPAIR IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR AND UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10487167

99,000 miles · Dec 1, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHTS OVERHEAT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT BOTH BULB SOCKETS HAVE OVERHEATED AND THE LIGHT HOUSING HAS CRACKED FROM THE OVERHEATING. WITH THE BULB AND SOCKET OVERHEATING THIS HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF CAUSING A FIRE, WITH EVIDENCE BEING THE CRACKED LAMP HOUSING FORM THE HEAT. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS ON BOTH SIDES ALWAYS USING DIELECTRIC GREASE. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 2010 AND REPLACED THE RIGHT SIDE BULB 3 TIMES AND NOW ON THE LEFT SIDE 4 TIMES. THERE IS A FACTORY RECALL ON OTHER YEAR MODELS BUT NOT ON THE 2008 GMC ACADIA SLT-2 HAVING EVERY BELL AND WHISTLE. IT WAS MONDAY, NOV. 19, 2012 WHEN THIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486645

65,000 miles · Nov 30, 2012

Power Train

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WE WERE COMING HOME FROM FAMILY ON THANKSGIVING NIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WE WERE GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN WE GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ONTO OUR EXIT, WE HIT A RED LIGHT. LUCKILY, IT WAS ON A HILL, BECAUSE MY HUSBAND HIT THE GAS AND WE DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. THE CAR JUST REVVED UP TO AROUND 4 RPM'S. WE FINALLY GAINED SOME MOMENTUM GOING DOWN THE HILL AND THEN THE CAR DROVE JUST FINE AGAIN. NEXT STOP LIGHT, SAME THING...ONLY THIS TIME, WE WERE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND FACING ON-COMING TRAFFIC. IT TOOK EVERYTHING IT HAD AND ABOUT 20 SECONDS JUST TO ROLL THROUGH THE INTERSECTION! IF OUR KIDS HAD BEEN IN THE CAR WITH US, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF WE HAD BEEN HIT! THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANICS AND WAS FOUND TO BE A BROKEN WAVE PLATE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WAVE PLATES IN THE ACADIA'S, TRAVERSE'S, AND THE OUTLOOK'S, BUT NO RECALL. I AM ALSO ONLY 1 MONTH OUT OF THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY! PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486569

74,450 miles · Nov 30, 2012

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ARCADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. THE CONTACT MERGED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED HER THE REVERSE WAVE PLATE HAD FRACTURED AND THE REVERSE CLUTCH FOUR, FIVE AND SIX HOUSING WERE DAMAGED. AS A RESULT, THE HOUSINGS HAD TO BE RECONDITIONED AND THE REACTION SUN GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RECENTLY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED A REPRESENTATIVE WOULD CONTACT HER WITHIN TWENTY FOUR HOURS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,450 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI #10486556

Official recalls

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

14V118000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 17, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

10V240000 · Electrical System

Jun 4, 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V441000 · Electrical System

Aug 28, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

08V410000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Aug 14, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 88,809 MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE, AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IF A BUILDUP OF SNOW OR ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPERS RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE MOTOR SHAFT AND THE WIPERS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIPER CRANK ARM, DRIVER'S SIDE LINK, AND A CRANK ARM NUT. THE RECALL BEGAN O OCTOBER 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP12003 · Loss Of Headlamp Illumination

Opened Jun 4, 2012 · Closed Jul 24, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights

As of July 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, ODI found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -One additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides but did not specify an outage -No crashes or loss of vehicle control were reported. -Any alleged thermal damages were limited to melting of the head lamp harness and the head lamp housing. -A head lamp would intermittently fail to come on or flickers before becoming completely inoperative. For the seventeen complaints that alleged simultaneous failure of both head lamps while attempting to turn them on or while driving, the head lamp failures likely had occurred one at a time. The subject vehicle's head lamps are connected in a parallel circuit and each circuit is fused. Therefore, failure of one head lamp or its harness should not affect the other head lamp operation. Over the last 25 years, ODI has opened numerous defect investigations of the loss of headlamp illumination.Investigations that resulted in safety recalls involved simultaneous loss of illumination from both headlamps. NHTSA does not consider the loss of a single headlamp as presenting an unreasonable safety risk-such failures are readily detectable by the driver while allowing the vehicle to retain forward visibility and conspicuity from the remaining headlamp.There is typically enough time between the failure of the first headlamp and the second during which the vehicle operator can obtain the needed repairs. Based on the information currently available, NHTSA does not believe that the headlamp condition as alleged by the petitioner indicates the likelihood of a safety-related defect that would warrant a formal investigation.Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.Further specifics can be found in the Federal Register Notice ODI complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.

EA08010 · NON-CRASH Engine Compartment Fires

Opened Jun 12, 2008 · Closed Sep 8, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System; Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery; Electrical System:wiring; Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood; Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers; Engine And Engine Cooling; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 27, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-441) TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RELATEDDEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY 850,000 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES OF THIS INVESTIGATION COMPRISE OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RECALL POPULATION. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441: MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2005 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE (MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2007); MY 2006-2008 CADILLAC DTS (MANUFACTURED MAY 2007 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2007-2008 SATURN OUTLOOK (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007); AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007) VEHICLES.GM IS INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IF THEY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF WINDSHIELD WASHER HEATER MODULE SHORT CIRCUITS. GM'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

Additional source detail variants (9)

Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery

Electrical System

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood

Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Electrical System:wiring

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring