Cadillac SRX Investigations

4 ODI actions on file.

• PEPE20019RECALLOpened 11/6/2020
  Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation
  SUSPENSION

  On November 06, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-019) to assess the remedy and scope of General Motors (GM) recall 14V-571. ODI had received a total of 9 complaints with allegations of rear toe links separating while the vehicle was in motion. There were 4 complainants indicating that the remedy for recall 14V-571 had been performed on their vehicle. The other 5 complaints were outside the original recall scope but exhibited the same failure mode as addressed by recall 14V-571 and reported uncontrolled swaying while driving.ODI's review focused on all 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles that experienced a rear toe link failure while the vehicle was in motion under various driving conditions. The failures were the same or similar to those addressed by the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. The remedy for recall 14V-571 was to inspect the rear toe link adjusters and replace them if necessary as well as tighten both jam nuts to a manufacturer specified torque. The remedy can be reversed when the vehicle gets a rear alignment adjustment and the jam nuts are not properly re-torqued to the manufacturer's specification. ODI's data review confirmed a high toe link failure rate in vehicles that either had and had not received the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. On June 24, 2021, GM filed a defect information report recalling all 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the rear toe link adjuster while driving. The remedy replaces adjustable toe links with non-adjustable toe links. The recall (21V-473) includes vehicles that were remedied under 14V-571. In view of the recall action being taken by GM, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov.The ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found in a separate document attached to this closing resume.

• PEPE07037RECALLOpened 7/17/2007
  FAILURE OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

  ODI EVALUATED TWO DIFFERENT ALLEGED DEFECTS INVOLVING REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS DURING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.GM IS CONDUCTING A RECALL TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE DEFECT CONDITIONS AND ODI HAS OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER ALLEGED DEFECT. ON DECEMBER 19, 2007, GM SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE PINION SEALS IN APPROXIMATELY 275,936 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005-07 CADILLAC CTS, STS AND SRX VEHICLES AS WELL AS MY 2006-07 PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND MY 2007 SATURN SKY VEHICLES (RECALL 07V-589).ON STS AND SRX VEHICLES WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE, THE FRONT AXLE PINION SEAL ALSO DOES NOT MEET ALL OF GM'S SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.GM INDICATED THAT THE SEAL SUPPLIER MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED CHANGE TO THE PINION SEAL MATERIAL.LEAKING PINION SEALS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. ON DECEMBER 7, 2007, ODI OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-017) TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE (E.G., FRACTURED REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER HOUSING OR REAR AXLE HALF SHAFTS) WHILE DRIVING IN APPROXIMATELY 7,600 MY 2004 THROUGH 2006 CADILLAC CTS-V VEHICLES.THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND VEHICLE DISABLEMENT AND IS NOT ADDRESSED BY RECALL 07V-589.ODI IDENTIFIED 35 COMPLAINTS (16 TO ODI AND 19 TO GM) AND 128 WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THIS CONDITION (SEE EA07-017 OPENING RESUME).THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY OF THIS CLOSING RESUME. THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY FIGURES GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE LIMITED TO THOSE THAT (A) ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A LEAKING REAR PINION SEAL; AND (B) RESULTED IN AN ALLEGATION OF A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.THE DATA DO NOT INCLUDE ALL REPORTS OF SEAL LEAKAGE.

• EAEA06001CLOSEDOpened 1/20/2006
  SUNROOF GLASS FAILURE
  VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

  ODI'S INVESTIGATION OF THE CADILLAC SRX GLASS ROOF DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, DESIGN, OR QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE WITH THE SRX GLASS ROOF SYSTEM.GM BELIEVES THAT THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF BREAKAGE IS STONE OR SHARP OBJECT IMPACT AGAINST THE GLASS.THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED A PEER MULTI-VEHICLE ANALYSIS.THAT ANALYSIS FOUND THAT OTHER VEHICLES WITH LARGE GLASS ROOF SYSTEMS EXPERIENCE RANDOM STONE/OBJECT IMPACTS AND BROKEN GLASS PANELS.THE INCIDENT RATE FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DID NOT STAND OUT IN THIS ANALYSIS.THE SRX ULTRAVIEW POWER GLASS ROOF CONSISTS OF UP TO THREE TEMPERED GLASS PANELS SURROUNDED BY METAL TRIM AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE.THE MAIN FRONT PANEL IS A LARGE MOVABLE GLASS PANEL RESIDING OVER THE FIRST AND SECOND ROW OCCUPANTS.THE MIDDLE NON-MOVABLE PANEL IS NOT ACCESSIBLE FROM THE INSIDE.THE REAR NON-MOVABLE PANEL IS AN OPTIONAL PANEL (ULTRAVIEW PLUS OPTION) AND IS VIEWABLE FROM THE INSIDE.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.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 MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

• PEPE05052CLOSEDOpened 9/22/2005
  SUN ROOF GLASS FAILURE
  VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

  OF THE 17 COMPLAINTS, THERE WERE 9 INJURY INCIDENTS RESULTING IN 19 INDIVIDUALS BEING INJURED.THE INJURIES CONSIST OF CUTS AND SCRAPES TO OCCUPANT'S FACE, ARM, HAND OR LEG.SOME INJURIES WERE THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE FALLING GLASS FRAGMENTS WHILE OTHER INJURIES OCCURRED WHEN OCCUPANTS WERE EXITING THE VEHICLE OR WHILE HANDLING THE GLASS FRAGMENTS.IN ADDITION, THERE WERE FIVE WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE ISSUE FOR A TOTAL OF 22 REPORTS.GM HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE WITH THE MOVABLE SUN ROOF/MOON ROOF GLASS PANEL.THEY BELIEVE THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE BREAKAGE IS RANDOM STONE OR SHARP DEBRIS IMPACT TO THE GLASS ROOF STRUCTURE.ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS MY 2006 VEHICLES ARE SOLD AND PUT INTO SERVICE.THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE BROKEN GLASS FRAGMENTS WILL FALL DIRECTLY ONTO BOTH THE FRONT AND MIDDLE ROW SEAT OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES.THESE OCCURRENCES MAY POSE A RISK OF DRIVER DISTRACTION AND/OR OCCUPANT INJURY.THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-001) TO FURTHER ASSESS THIS MATTER AND WILL INCLUDE MY 2006 SRX VEHICLES.