NHTSA Investigation PE08054

STOP LAMP MALFUNCTION

GM NOTIFIED THE AGENCY BY LETTER DATED JANUARY 28, 2009, THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF PONTIAC G6 VEHICLES BUILT FROM JANUARY 3 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2005.VEHICLES PRODUCED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD HAVE SHOWN A HIGHLY ELEVATED INCIDENT RATE OF IMPROPER OPERATION OF THE BRAKE LAMPS. ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT CONSUMERS WOULD USE THEIR BRAKES AND DISCOVER THAT THE BRAKE LAMPS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE.ALSO, CONSUMERS REPORT THAT THE BRAKE LAMPS WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT APPLIED.ODI'S REVIEW OF THE COMPLAINT DATA FINDS THAT THE COMPLAINT RATE FOR THE JANUARY 2005 PRODUCTION IS 20 TIMES GREATER THAN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.LIKEWISE, THE WARRANTY RATE FOR THE JANUARY 2005 PRODUCTION IS 11 TIMES GREATER THAN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.IN ITS LETTER TO THE NHTSA, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) EXPLAINED THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS BRAKE CONDITION WAS FRETTING CORROSION (OXIDATION) OF THE CONNECTOR PINS ON THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) THAT CONNECT TO THE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR (BPPS).THE CORROSION PREVENTS THE BCM FROM RECEIVING THE CORRECT SIGNAL VOLTAGE FROM THE BPPS.IN DECEMBER 2008, GM RELEASED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) #08-05-22-009 TO PROVIDE TECHNICIANS THE CORRECT REPAIR PROCEDURES FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE IMPROPER ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE LAMPS.THIS ACTION TAKEN BY GM IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.

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.