RoadVitals

NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation PE08056

Preliminary Evaluation · General Motors, LLC · ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL

ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.

NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.

Model years namedModel years in our database that NHTSA associated with this inquiry. Being named in an investigation says nothing about whether an individual vehicle has any problem.
4
2 models
Opened
Sep 17, 2008
Preliminary Evaluation
Closed
Jan 14, 2009
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION

ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2008, ODI OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE08-056 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVATION OF THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) SYSTEM IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 AND 2006 CHEVROLET CORVETTE VEHICLES.SOME REPORTS RECEIVED BY ODI AND SOME REPORTS TO GENERAL MOTORS (GM) CONTAINED IN GM'S RESPONSE TO PE08-056 ALLEGE THAT THE ESC SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING A SUDDEN AND INAPPROPRIATE BRAKING ACTION WITHOUT ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE LEFT OR RIGHT UNEXPECTEDLY. GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN JANUARY 2006, LATER REVISED IN OCTOBER 2007 (BULLETIN NO. 06-02-35-002B) CONCERNING ESC PROBLEMS IN MY 2005 AND 2006 CHEVROLET CORVETTE VEHICLES WITH THE TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL OPTION.THE BULLETIN WAS INTENDED TO CORRECT A FRETTING CORROSION PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR CONNECTOR C202. AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAS BEEN OPENED (EA09-002) TO CONTINUE TO ASSES THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY, AND SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.

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.

Investigation details

Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA

Action number
PE08056
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
Opened
Sep 17, 2008
Closed
Jan 14, 2009
Associated recall campaign
None recorded

Vehicles named in this investigation

4 model years across 2 models

Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.