Pontiac G6 Investigations (2005)

4 ODI actions on file.

• EAEA13005RECALLOpened 6/6/2013
  Brake Light Switch/Sensor Malfunction
  EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

  On May 14, 2014 General Motors (GM) announced a recall action (14V-252) involving model year (MY) 2004-12 Chevrolet Malibu, MY 2004-07 Malibu Maxx, MY 2005-10 Pontiac G6 and MY 2007-10 Saturn Aura vehicles.An increased resistance can develop in the Body Control Module connection systems and result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS, or brake light switch) circuit that can cause the brake lamps to malfunction.As a result, and according to GM, the brake lamps may illuminate when pedal application is not being applied or may not illuminate when pedal force is applied.Additionally, the cruise control may not engage or if it is engaged it may require increased pedal travel to disengage.Pedal application may not be required to move the shift lever out of PARK or additional travel may be required to move the shift lever out of PARK. Traction control, electronic stability control (ESC) and panic brake assist features may also become disabled. These failure conditions may increase the risk of a crash.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis EA13-005 on June 6, 2013 to further investigate complaints alleging that the brake lights did not operate properly on MY 2005-08 Pontiac G6 vehicles.The BAS in these vehicles produces a single analog voltage output proportional to the brake pedal's position.The BAS signal is used by various systems to determine both pedal position and rate of displacement, so a failure or inaccuracy of the signal may affect multiple systems.ODI also received similar complaints on MY 2009 Pontiac G6, MY 2004-11 Chevrolet Malibu and MY 2007-09 Saturn Aura vehicles that use the same BAS.All of these above models were included in the subject vehicle population of ODI's Information Request (IR) letter to GM.Prior to the recall announcement date, ODI received 855 reports of brake light malfunction resulting in one or several of the failure conditions.Eight (8) of the reports alleged crashes, with 1 resulting in an injury. Of these crash allegations, 2 were roll-away incidents, in which the shift interlock was moved out of PARK without pedal application and the vehicle rolled into another object.Three (3) crashes involved rear-end hits, which were believed to be due to brake light reversal.ESC/Traction Control failures were the alleged cause of 2 incidents, which resulted in unresponsive brake application and in 1 case caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.One (1) crash allegation was not counted as the circumstances of the crash were not related to any of the failure modes.ODI notes that it is difficult to determine the actual cause of incidents where brake light reversal or ESC/Traction Control failures were the alleged cause.In response to ODI's IR, GM submitted 2,268 unique reports that related to brake lamp malfunction. Combined with the data submitted during Recall Query 13-001, a total of 4,664 unique complaints were submitted.Twelve (12) of the GM reports alleged a crash, with 2 reporting minor injuries and 4 alleging property damage.Of the 12 reports, 3 involved brake light reversal allegations, 4 involved roll-away incidents and 2 involved ESC/Traction Control malfunctions. ODI did not include three (3) reports that involved allegations inconsistent with the alleged defect. This investigation is closed on the basis of GM's announcement of safety recall 14V-252.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID, see the attached list for ODI numbers.

• RQRQ13001CLOSEDOpened 2/4/2013
  Brake Light Malfunction
  EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ13-001 on February 4, 2013 in response to complaints alleging that the brake lights do not operate properly on model year (MY) 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles. Complainants allege that the brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is not depressed, and turn off once the brake pedal is applied. In addition the driver may have difficulty shifting out of PARK, or the cruise control may not engage properly. In response to ODI?s Information Request, General Motors (GM) submitted a significant number of warranty claims and over 1, 100 reports that potentially relate to the alleged problem. ODI is continuing its analysis of this data. One of the GM reports also alleged a vehicle crash. ODI has received a total of 314 complaints, one alleging a crash.Based on the agency's current analysis, ODI has upgraded its investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA13-005) to determine whether the subject vehicles present a safety related defect trend, and to further evaluate scope.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID, see the attached list for ODI numbers.

• PEPE08054RECALLOpened 9/15/2008
  STOP LAMP MALFUNCTION
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

  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.

• PEPE07023CLOSEDOpened 4/25/2007
  LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  DURING THIS INVESTIGATION, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 15,600 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 PONTIAC G6 VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 3, 2004 THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2005 MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST DUE TO AN INSUFFICIENT CRIMP AT THE TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR TRANSDUCER LOCATED IN THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. GM HAS INDICATED THAT IT PLANS TO SEND LETTERS TO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO INFORM THEM THAT IT WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE EPS SYSTEM IN THEIR VEHICLES TO 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FAILURES IN THE POPULATION AFFECTED BY THE WIRING CRIMP PROBLEM INDICATE THAT THE PROBLEM IS AN EARLY LIFE FAILURE THAT SHOULD OCCUR WITHIN THE TERMS OF THE EXTENDED COVERAGE.GM'S INVESTIGATION OF EPS FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR CRIMPS DURING THE TWO MONTH PRODUCTION RANGE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY EXTENSION.DURING THIS PERIOD THE CRIMPS MAY BE ASYMMETRICAL, RESULTING ININADEQUATE PRESSURE ON THE WIRE THAT CAN LEAD TO ELECTRICAL NOISE IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR TO THE CONTROLLER.THE CONTROLLER MAY INTERPRET THIS ELECTRICAL NOISE AS A MALFUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM AND DEFAULT TO MANUAL MODE (I.E., TURN OFF THE EPS SYSTEM).IF THE POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER (DIC) DISPLAYS A POWER STEERING WARNING MESSAGE, A CHIME IS SOUNDED, ANDTHE SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE.IN MANUAL MODE THE STEERING REQUIRES INCREASED EFFORT, ESPECIALLY AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 20 MILES PER HOUR (MPH).ODI'S ANALYSIS OF THE FAILURE DATA SHOW THAT APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT OF THE COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS (569 OF 1913) INVOLVE VEHICLES BUILT IN THE RANGE COVERED BY GM'S EXTENDED POLICY, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR ONLY ABOUT 7 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.THE COMPLAINT RATE FOR THE NON-PEAK MONTHS IS RELATIVELY HIGH, AT 673 PER 100,000 VEHICLES.THE RATE FOR THE PEAK MONTHS IS 5 TIMES HIGHER AT 3,645 PER 100,000 VEHICLES.SIMILAR DIFFERENCES ARE EVIDENT IN THE WARRANTY DATA, WITH APPROXIMATELY 27 PERCENT OF THE EPS WARRANTY CLAIMS (1120 OF 4145) INVOLVING VEHICLES BUILT IN THE PEAK MONTHS.THE WARRANTY RATE FOR THE NON-PEAK MONTHS IS 1.5% AND THE RATE FOR THE PEAK MONTHS IS 7.2%.ODI IDENTIFIED 9 CRASHES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY RELATED TO EPS SYSTEM FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE CRASHES OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS DRIVEWAY AND PARKING LOT TYPE MANEUVERS.THE CRASHES RESULTED IN ONE ALLEGED INJURY, BUT ODI WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPE OR SEVERITY OF THE INJURY.NONE OF THE CRASHES INVOLVE VEHICLES BUILT IN THE TWO MONTH PERIOD COVERED BY GM'S EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES USE THE SAME EPS SYSTEM AS THE MY 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU VEHICLES INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN EA04-018.ALTHOUGH THE FAILURE RATES ARE HIGH IN THIS INVESTIGATION, PARTICULARLY FOR THE PEAK MONTHS, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN FOR THE MALIBU VEHICLES INVESTIGATED IN EA04-018.AS IN THOSE VEHICLES, THE EFFECTS ON STEERING EFFORT ARE SMALL AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 15-20 MPH.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.