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NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08054

Preliminary Evaluation · STOP LAMP MALFUNCTION · Opened 2008-09-15 · Closed 2009-01-30

Investigation

Action number
PE08054
Type
Preliminary Evaluation
Open date
2008-09-15
Close date
2009-01-30
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Affected makes
PONTIAC
Affected components
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Affected model years
2005, 2006, 2007
Affected (make, year) variants
6

Summary

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.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI investigation page
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