Hummer H2 Investigations

5 ODI actions on file.

• PEPE08042RECALLOpened 7/16/2008
  WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MODULE FAILURE
  VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

  THIS INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT WATER INTRUSION INTO THE WIPER MOTOR MODULE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY LEAD TO INTERMITTENT OPERATION OR SUBSEQUENT TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE.ANALYSIS OF DATA DISCLOSED THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN FEBRUARY 2003 AND MAY 2003 EXHIBITED HIGH WARRANTY CLAIM RATES.THE MANUFACTURED NOTIFIED NHTSA BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 8, 2008, THAT A SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR THE 13,358 VEHICLES BUILT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.NHTSA HAS ASSIGNED NO. 08V-456 TO THIS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN.CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL CONSIST OF REPLACING THE WIPER MODULE COVER, WHERE EVIDENCE OF WATER INTRUSION EXISTS.TO CORRESPOND WITH PARTS AVAILABILITY, THE DEALER BULLETIN AND OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER ARE SCHEDULED FOR ISSUANCE IN NOVEMBER 2008.

• EAEA08010RECALLOpened 6/12/2008
  NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

  IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 27, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-441) TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RELATEDDEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY 850,000 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES OF THIS INVESTIGATION COMPRISE OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RECALL POPULATION. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441: MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2005 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE (MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2007); MY 2006-2008 CADILLAC DTS (MANUFACTURED MAY 2007 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2007-2008 SATURN OUTLOOK (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007); AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007) VEHICLES.GM IS INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IF THEY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF WINDSHIELD WASHER HEATER MODULE SHORT CIRCUITS. GM'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

• PEPE08010CLOSEDOpened 2/4/2008
  NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

  IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION(ODI) DURING PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE08-010, GM PROVIDED ODI WITH 41 ALLEGATIONS OF NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES INCLUDING 16 ALLEGATIONS OF FIRES ORIGINATING WITH THE IGNITION IN THE OFF POSITION.ONE OF THE FIRES WAS DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED BY AN ARSON EVENT.ODI HAS ALSO RECEIVED 5 REPORTS, 4 OF WHICH ARE OF DUPLICATIVE OF REPORTS PROVIDED BY GM, ALLEGING NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN TOTAL, ODI IS AWARE OF 41 NON-CRASHENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT ARE UNRELATED TO ARSON.EIGHT OF THE 41 FIRE ALLEGATIONS ALSO ALLEGE PROPERTY DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRES.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-010) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY, ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE ALLEGED NON-CRASH RELATED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.

• EAEA05017CLOSEDOpened 10/28/2005
  HUMMER H2 STEERING KNUCKLE FAILURES
  SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

  ODI UPGRADED THIS INVESTIGATION AT THE CONCLUSION OF PE04-080.THE ALLEGED DEFECT INVOLVES THE FAILURE OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE AT THE LOWER BALL JOINT BOSS, RESULTING IN A SEPARATION OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT FROM THE KNUCKLE.A LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATION COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING AND/OR A DISABLED VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT THE FRACTURES OF H2 STEERING KNUCKLES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO WHEEL/TIRE COLLISION FORCES BEING TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY TO THE STEERING KNUCKLE.THE ORIGINAL KNUCKLE DESIGN APPEARS TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE H2 APPLICATION.EVIDENCE FROM INSPECTED VEHICLES, PHOTOGRAPHS, POLICE REPORTS AND EDR DATA INDICATES COLLISION IMPACT EVENTS PLACED STRESS ON THE STEERING KNUCKLE CAUSING IT TO FRACTURE.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS WITH REGARD TO THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THIS ISSUE IF WARRANTED.

• PEPE04080CLOSEDOpened 12/2/2004
  STEERING KNUCKLE FRACTURE
  STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

  DURING THE PE, ODI INVESTIGATED THE HUMMER H2 FOR FRACTURES WHICH WERE OCCURRING AT THE FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE LOWER BOSS.WHEN THE KNUCKLE LOWER BOSS FRACTURES, THE LOWER BALL JOINT STUD IS RELEASED AND THE ENTIRE KNUCKLE AND WHEEL/TIRE ASSEMBLY SEPARATES FROM THE VEHICLE.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO GAIN A FULL TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THESE FAILURES.