1997 Chevrolet Venture Recalls

MR. DENNIS FIKE OF ELKRIDGE, MD, SUBMITTED A PETITION TO NHTSA BY LETTER DATED JANUARY 13, 2004, ALLEGING THAT A GM DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VAN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN SAFETY RECALL 02V286 AND CHARGED HIM FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING RACK AND PINION UNIT.MR. FIKE BELIEVES THAT HIS VAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AND THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED WITHOUT CHARGE TO HIM.THE RECALL IN QUESTION ADDRESSED STEERING RACK AND PINION UNIT LOWER PINION BEARING FAILURES ON CERTAIN MY 1996 THROUGH 1998 GM VEHICLES.THE RECALL REMEDY WAS TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR PINION BEARING.IF THE INSPECTION INDICATED THAT THE BEARING FAILURE DAMAGED THE STEERING GEAR, THEN THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS BE REPLACED.GM INFORMED ODI THAT MR. FIKE?S VEHICLE WAS COVERED AND THAT THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED ON FEBRUARY 25, 2003.THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION UNIT WAS REPLACED.BECAUSE MR. FIKE HAD A SUBSEQUENT FAILURE WITH THIS UNIT, ON JANUARY 20, 2004, ODISUGGESTED THAT HE CONTACT THE DEALER FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE CHARGE FOR REPLACING THE FAILED RACK AND PINION UNIT IN HIS VEHICLE BECAUSE GM WARRANTS ITS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES, WHICH EVER COMES FIRST.MR. FIKE INFORMED ODI ON MARCH 3, 2004, THAT HE HAD RECEIVED AN REIMBURSEMENT CHECK FROM GM.

ON NOVEMBER 18, 2002, ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE02-086) TO EVALUATE ALLEGATIONS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (U-VAN) WHICH INCLUDED TWO REPORTING CRASHES.ON APRIL 9, 2003, ODI UPGRADED PE02-086 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA03-005) TO CONTINUE ITS EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUE. THE TRAILING ARM DESIGN IN THESE VEHICLES HAS BEEN USED IN THE U-VAN FROM MY 1997 THROUGH THE PRESENT.THE GM ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT THE SUBJECT TRAILING ARMS COULD CRACK OR BUCKLE IF THEY WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, PRE-DELIVERY HANDLING, OR SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN SERVICE RELATED ABUSE CONDITIONS SUCH AS IMPROPER TOWING OR JACKING.ANALYSIS OF ODI AND GM DATA HAS IDENTIFIED 19 INCIDENTS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS TO ODI OR GM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND ONLY ONE NEW COMPLAINT IN THE LAST 21 MONTHS. DUE TO THE LOW COMPLAINT RATE AND THE ABSENCE OF A CONTINUING TREND IN REPORTED FAILURES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND 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. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

ODI IDENTIFIED 59 REPORTS WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT.ODI WAS ABLE TO CONTACT 44 OF THE 59 CONSUMERS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE LATCH PROBLEMS.OF THE 44 OWNERS CONTACTED, ODI DETERMINED THAT FOUR FAILURES WERE DUE TO AN OUT-OF-TOLERANCE LATCH PLATE, AND THAT 23 FAILURES WERE DUE TO A DISPLACED BUCKLE HOUSING COVER.THE REMAINING 17 FAILURES HAD INDETERMINABLE CAUSES.OF THE 59 REPORTS, THERE WERE THREE ALLEGED MINOR INJURIES.NO LEGAL CLAIMS OR LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH REGARD TO THIS ALLEGED DEFECT.BASED ON THE LIMITED NUMBER OF REPORTS, AND A DECLINING REPORT TREND, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEARED 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 ADDITIONAL SUMMARY REPORT.

THE LOWER PINION BEARING IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY MAY FAIL.GM WILL RECALL 1997-98 GRAND PRIX BUILT BETWEEN 1-MAR-96 AND 31-OCT-97; AND 1996-98 U-VANS/J-CARS BUILT BETWEEN 1-JAN-96 AND 31-OCT-97.SEE ATTACHED SUMMARY.

ODI HAS RECEIVED 200 COMPLAINTS FROMT CONSUMERS AND 1,238 FROM GM ALLEGING FAILURE OR LOCKUP OF THE STEERING RACK AND PINION UNIT (R&P).THIS ALLEGED CONDITION CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH CAN RESULT.GM HAS REPORTED SIX CRASHES IN WHICH EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE SUSTAINED INJURIES RANGING FROM BRUISES, AIRBAG BURN, SEAT BELT ABRASION, FACIAL INJURY, NECK AND BACK PAIN.ALL CRASHES WERE SINGLE VEHICLE CRASHES.GM STATES THAT ONE POSSIBLE FAILURE MODE IS FAILURE OF THE LOWER PINION BEARING IN THE R&P.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAS BEEN OPENED TO DETERMINE IF A SAFETY DEFECT TREND EXISTS.