1998 Chevrolet Lumina

GM'S LETTER TO NHTSA DATED DECEMBER 11, 2003, EXPANDS ITS ORIGINAL RECALL (NHTSA 02V286) TO INCLUDE CERTAIN W-BODY VEHICLES: 96-97 OLDS CUTLASS SUPREME; 98 OLDS INTRIGUE; 97-98 OLDS CUTLASS; 97-98 CHEVY LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND MALIBU; 96 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX; AND 96-98 BUICK REGAL.THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES RECALLED IS 750,283.GM DETERMINED THAT FAILURE OF THE RACK AND PINION IS RELATED TO DAMAGE OF THE LOWER PINION BEARING AND THE LEVEL OF THE PINION BEARING PRE-LOAD SPRING FORCE.GM STATES, HIGHER RACK PRE-LOAD SPRING FORCE (133 LB.) IS THE DESIGN CHARACTERISTIC MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BEARING DAMAGE RATES IN MOST OF THE VEHICLE APPLICATIONS THAT USED THE GENERAL BEARING COMPANY (GBC) BEARING.ALL OF THE VEHICLES COVERED IN THE EXPANDED RECALL HAVE THE 133 LB SPRING FORCE.THE 96 LUMINA/MONTE CARLO AND 97-98 CENTURY W-BODY VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THIS INVESTIGATION UTILIZE A LOWER SPRING FORCE AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA # 02V286) TO ADDRESS A STEERING DEFECT PERTAINING TO A LOWER PINION BEARING (LPB) WITHIN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR (R&P). THE RECALL COVERED 1,159,156 MODEL YEAR 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, 1996-1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, CHEVROLET LUMINA APV, CHEVROLET VENTURE, OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINIVANS, AND CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND PONTIAC SUNFIRE SEDANS BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997.ODI OPENED THIS RQ AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES.BASED ON ODI'S REVIEW OF TECHNICAL AND COMPLAINT DATA COLLECTED DURING THE RQ, THE W-CARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER A HIGHER STEERING COMPLAINT RATE OR A HIGHER LPB FAILURE RATE THAN THE OTHER VEHICLES INVESTIGATED UNDER THE RQ AND ARE ABOVE OR NEAR THE RATES FOR THE RECALLED VEHICLES.THUS, ODI WILL FURTHER EXAMINE THE W-CARS (1996-1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME, 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL, CHEVROLET LUMINA, CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO, 1997-1998 BUICK CENTURY, AND 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE) UNDER A NEW INVESTIGATION, ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA)03-019.

EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

THIS PROBLEM EXISTS BWHEN THE VEHICLE IS SATIONARY AND IN TRANSIT. IT APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTEN AS WELL. MY BRAKE LIGHTS WORK WHEN I AM BRAKING, BUT THEY SEEM TO INTERMITTENLY BE FAILING WHEN I USE MY DIRECTIONAL SWITCH (4 WAY). I HAVE BEEN ADVISED ON 3 OCCASSIONS, TWICE BY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. BUT THEY DO WORK EXCEPT WHEN THE DIRECTIONALS ARE ON. AFTER SOME RESEARCH WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT REPLACING THE 4 WAY SWITCH WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MAY I NOTE THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS DEVICE FAIL IN ANY OF MY VEHICLES EVER. THAT REGARDLESS OF THE GES AND MAKES OF MY VEHICLCES THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE HAD THE GOOD SENSE TO MAKE CERTAIN THE 4 WAY SWITCH WAS RELIABLE. MIGHT I ADD LINKING BRAKING WITH THE SWITCH MIGHT BE CONSIDER IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE ENGINEERS. HAS THE 1998 CHEVY LUMINA 4WAY SWITCH BEEN RECALLED!?

NHTSA ID

11316828

Incident

Feb 19, 2020

Mileage

198,000 mi

I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THIS COMPANY VEHICLE BY NEW TRANSPORTATION MANAGER, EVEN THOUGH I HAD ANOTHER COMPANY VEHICLE ASSIGNED TO ME TO DRIVE. FROM 11/9/2018 TO 11/13/2018 I WORKED OVERTIME PLUS MY REGULAR WEEK OF WORK. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME USING THE HEATER IN THIS VEHICLE AND I WAS WORKING LONG HOURS WITH THE HEATER ON BECAUSE THE WEATHER HAD CHANGED. ON 11/11/2018 AT ABOUT 0600, I STARTED HAVING A HEADACHE AND MY THROAT WAS IRRITATED BUT I WENT HOME AT 0800 AND CAME BACK TO WORK OVERTIME PLUS MY REGULAR SHIFT ON THE SAME DAY AT 2000. MY HEADACHE HAD INTENSIFIED AND I TOOK ALEVE FOR IT AND DRANK MILK FOR MY IRRITATED THROAT AND WEN HOME AT THE END OF MY SHIFT AT 0800 ON 11/13/2018. I WORKED THE REST OF THE WEEK BUT MY HEADACHES CONTINUED AND ON 11/19/2018, I ASKED THE MECHANIC TO SMELL THE CABIN OF MY VEHICLE AND AFTER SMELLING IT, HE TOLD ME TO PARK IT AND REPORT IT TO MY MANAGER BECAUSE IT HAD AN EXHAUST LEAK. ON 11/26/2018, I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE DOCTOR PLACED ME ON MODIFIED DUTY UNLESS I WAS NOT PROVIDED A DIFFERENT VEHICLE TO DRIVE AND THEN I WOULD CONSIDERED TEMPORARILY FULLY DISABLED UNTIL 12/14/2018. ON 11/28/2018, MY MANAGER TOLD ME I WAS GOING TO BE DRIVING THE DIRTY VEHICLE AFTER I HAD ASKED FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD MY SUPERVISOR SMELL THE CABIN AND HE GAVE ME HIS TRUCK TO DRIVE AND I DROVE IT FOR 2 DAYS. ON 11/30/2018, MY SUPERVISOR TOLD ME THAT OUR MANAGER HAD CLEARED THE DIRTY VEHICLE AND I HAD TO GO BACK TO DRIVING IT BUT I WENT HOME FULLY DISABLED INSTEAD. ON 12/4/2018, I WAS FORCED BACK INTO WORK AND I DROVE MY MANAGERS TRUCK. ON 12/5/2018, I DROVE THE DIRTY VEHICLE TO THE FIRE STATION AND IT TESTED POSITIVE FOR AN EXHAUST LEAK WITH CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE CABIN. I HAD MY 2 DAYS OFF AND ON 11/8 AND 11/9/2018, I HAVE BEEN STAYING AT THE OFFICE BECAUSE THEY'RE FORCING ME TO DRIVE THE DIRTY VEHICLE AGAIN AND I CAN'T GO OUT TO WORK.

NHTSA ID

11157200

Incident

Nov 12, 2018

Mileage

178,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 28-30 MPH, ANOTHER MOTORIST MADE AN OUT OF TURN LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR HIS INSURANCE COMPANY TO DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE BACK, STOMACH, AND NECK. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

NHTSA ID

11011628

Incident

Jul 26, 2017

Mileage

73,000 mi

WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED. AT TIME OF PURCHASE BRAKE LIGHTS APPEARED TO WORK. SAME EVENING, THE TWO REAR/SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK (THE THIRD/MIDDLE LIGHT WORKS). WE DID SOME TROUBLE SHOOTING, REPLACED BULBS, CHECKED FOR SHORTS. IN OUR RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THIS IS IN FACT A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG GM SEDANS AND IS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWITCH CONTACTS COMMONLY FAIL WHEN THE SWITCH BEGINS TO LOOSEN/DISINTIGRATE. THIS CAUSES A VARIETY OF ISSUES AMONG THE SYSTEMS THAT PASS THROUGH THAT SWITCH. BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE IS ONE SUCH ISSUE, AND OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUES. YES, I KNOW IT'S AN OLD CAR AND YES I EXPECT TO HAVE TO MAKE REPAIRS TO IT, BUT I DO NOT EXPECT OUR STUDENT DRIVER TO SUDDENLY BE WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY MANUFACTURE OF THIS COMPONENT. A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH MAKES IT APPARENT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON, VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND BEYOND MOST PEOPLE'S DIY ABILITIES, BESIDES WHICH I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY GM HASN'T BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S NO RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10971179

Incident

Apr 7, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RANDOM POWER STEERING LEAK. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD TO REPLACE THE FLUID CONSTANTLY. WHEN A MECHANIC REPLACED THE STEERING PUMP, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT THE STEERING RACK MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAD ALSO TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A MANUFACTURER RECALL FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V527000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE RECALL WAS CLOSED. THE CONTACT WAS TO CHECK WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE A REPAIR SOLUTION FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10967578

Incident

Feb 2, 2015

TAKITA RECALL AIRBAG MAY BE THE CAUSE OF PASSENGER SIDE DASH EXPANDING OUTWARDS. UNSURE OF CAUSE. EXPANSION IS SLOWING COMING OUT OF SEM. HAVE NOTICED APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS ONGOING.

NHTSA ID

10955455

Incident

Feb 1, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY CAUSED OTHER ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE VACUUM HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

NHTSA ID

10939293

Incident

Dec 28, 2016

Mileage

185,000 mi

DASH AIRBAG IS PROTRUDING OUT. VECHILE STATIONARY. SEE PHOTOS.

NHTSA ID

10936081

Incident

May 8, 2015

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.  E version update is to add administrative details.

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.