NHTSA Investigation EA88010

THROTTLE CONTROL

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:UNDER PE87-041, GM PROVIDED THECOMPLAINT, ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND FATALITY DATA TABULATED ABOVE.ANALYSIS:DURING GM'S COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION REQUIREDTO RESPOND TO THE NHTSA'S REQUEST UNDER THE PE, INDICATIONS WERE GIVEN THATTHE NUMBERS OF CONSUMER AND OTHER COMPLAINTS CLEARLY SUGGESTED THE EXIST-OF A SAFETY PROBLEM AND THAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE IN ORDER.GM'S FORMALLETTER RESPONSE, HOWEVER, RETREATED FROM THIS POSITION.NHTSA'S ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION IS ONGOING IN AN EFFORT TOIDENTIFY ONE OR MORE PRIMARY MODES OF COMPONENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION THATCOULD RESULT IN ANY ONE OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:A.SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH OR WITHOUT ATTENDANT BRAKE FAILUREB.SELF-ACTUATION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMC.FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM TO DEACTIVATE UPON DRIVERCOMMANDD.FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE LINKAGES/MECHANISMS TO RESPOND INMAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION TO DRIVER COMMANDE.ANY OTHER POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION THAT MAY BE IDENTIFIED.THE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS, TOGETHER WITH RESULTANTACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, ARE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO SUGGEST THAT A RIGOROUSEVALUATION OF THIS MATTER BY THE NHTSA IS IN ORDER.STATUS:NO SPECIFIC MALFUNCTION OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM CAPABLEOF CAUSING INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIEDTO DATE.HOWEVER, INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THREE CONDITIONS THAT COULDRESTRICT FREE MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE.H-BODY CARS POTENTIALLYAFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR CORRECTION.OTHERPHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.PHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.===

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.