Investigations
ENGINE STALL
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA03007 - closed, opened 2003-05-06.
NHTSA investigation EA03007 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2003-05-06 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-06-18 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA03007 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 BRAVADA AND CERTAIN MY 2002 ENVOY VEHICLES WITH OPTIONAL ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AIR SUSPENSION (ECAS) MAY BE SUBJECT TO ENGINE STALL CAUSED BY AN ERRANT VOLTAGE SPIKE TRANSMITTED TO THE POWERTRAIN..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 BRAVADA AND CERTAIN MY 2002 ENVOY VEHICLES WITH OPTIONAL ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AIR SUSPENSION (ECAS) MAY BE SUBJECT TO ENGINE STALL CAUSED BY AN ERRANT VOLTAGE SPIKE TRANSMITTED TO THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM). IN ADDITION TO ENGINE STALL, IF THE SPIKE DAMAGES THE PCM, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT RESTART. ON OCTOBER 31, 2001 GM INTRODUCED INTO PRODUCTION A WIRING HARNESS CONTAINING AN INDUCTOR THAT WAS ADDED TO THE ECAS WIRING TO REDUCE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE VOLTAGE SPIKE. ON DECEMBER 6, 2001 GM INTRODUCED INTO PRODUCTION A MODIFIED PCM WITH PROTECTION FROM ERRANT VOLTAGE SPIKES AND ALSO CEASED USE OF THE WIRING HARNESS WITH THE INDUCTOR. THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION'S (ODI) ANALYSIS VERIFIED THAT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001, HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF ENGINE STALLING. ODI IS AWARE OF 1,132 COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS ON THE 37,746 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO OCTOBER 31, 2001 (2,999 REPORTS/100,000 VEHICLES). THERE IS ONE CRASH AND ONE INJURY RESULTING FROM A STALLING INCIDENT. GM REPORTED 7,859 WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH BUILD DATES BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 (20,820 CLAIMS/100,000 VEHICLES). BY WAY OF LETTER DATED JUNE 4, 2004, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT HAD DETERMINED THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 CONTAINED A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT AND THAT GM WILL BE CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL OF THOSE VEHICLES. GM WILL RECALL 18,455 MY 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA'S AND 11,496 MY 2002 GMC ENVOY'S (TOTAL: 29,951). THE RECALL IS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA NUMBER 04V-289. NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL ARE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER OCTOBER 31, 2001, AND SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2001 THAT WERE SERVICED WITH THE JUMPER CABLE OR THE REVISED PCM. GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLES OUTSIDE THE RECALL HAVE REMEDIED, EITHER IN PRODUCTION OR IN SERVICE, FOR THE STALLING CONDITION, ODI HAS CONCLUDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IN PURSUING A SAFETY RECALL OF THOSE VEHICLES IS NOT WARRANTED. THIS CONCLUSION
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.