NHTSA Investigation EA03007

ENGINE STALL

MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 BRAVADA AND CERTAIN MY 2002 ENVOY VEHICLES WITH OPTIONAL ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AIR SUSPENSION (ECAS) MAY BE SUBJECT TO ENGINE STALL CAUSED BY AN ERRANT VOLTAGE SPIKE TRANSMITTED TO THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM).IN ADDITION TO ENGINE STALL, IF THE SPIKE DAMAGES THE PCM, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT RESTART.ON OCTOBER 31, 2001 GM INTRODUCED INTO PRODUCTION A WIRING HARNESS CONTAINING AN INDUCTOR THAT WAS ADDED TO THE ECAS WIRING TO REDUCE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE VOLTAGE SPIKE.ON DECEMBER 6, 2001 GM INTRODUCED INTO PRODUCTION A MODIFIED PCM WITH PROTECTION FROM ERRANT VOLTAGE SPIKES AND ALSO CEASED USE OF THE WIRING HARNESS WITH THE INDUCTOR.THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION'S (ODI) ANALYSIS VERIFIED THAT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001, HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF ENGINE STALLING.ODI IS AWARE OF 1,132 COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS ON THE 37,746 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO OCTOBER 31, 2001 (2,999 REPORTS/100,000 VEHICLES). THERE IS ONE CRASH AND ONE INJURY RESULTING FROM A STALLING INCIDENT.GM REPORTED 7,859 WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH BUILD DATES BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 (20,820 CLAIMS/100,000 VEHICLES).BY WAY OF LETTER DATED JUNE 4, 2004, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT HAD DETERMINED THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 CONTAINED A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT AND THAT GM WILL BE CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL OF THOSE VEHICLES.GM WILL RECALL 18,455 MY 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA'S AND 11,496 MY 2002 GMC ENVOY'S (TOTAL: 29,951).THE RECALL IS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA NUMBER 04V-289.NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL ARE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER OCTOBER 31, 2001, AND SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 THAT WERE SERVICED WITH THE JUMPER CABLE OR THE REVISED PCM.GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLES OUTSIDE THE RECALL HAVE REMEDIED, EITHER IN PRODUCTION OR IN SERVICE,FOR THE STALLING CONDITION, ODI HAS CONCLUDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IN PURSUING A SAFETY RECALL OF THOSE VEHICLES IS NOT WARRANTED.THIS CONCLUSION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS IN THOSE VEHICLES.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.