Investigations
INADEQUATE BRAKE POWER ASSIST
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08016 — closed, opened 2008-03-06 and involving the PONTIAC SOLSTICE.
NHTSA investigation PE08016 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-03-06 and currently closed. The subject of record is PONTIAC SOLSTICE, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for PONTIAC. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-06-24 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE08016 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007, PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0L TURBOCHARGED ENGINE USED AN AUXILIARY VACUUM PUMP TO SUPPLEMENT THE ENGINE AS A SOURCE OF VACUUM TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER DURING LOW VA..." 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. Related PONTIAC files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007, PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0L TURBOCHARGED ENGINE USED AN AUXILIARY VACUUM PUMP TO SUPPLEMENT THE ENGINE AS A SOURCE OF VACUUM TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER DURING LOW VACUUM CONDITIONS, SUCH AS IMMEDIATELY AFTER A COLD START. THE VACUUM PUMP OPERATION WAS CONTROLLED BY SWITCHES THAT SENSED BOOSTER VACUUM, TURNING THE PUMP ON WHEN BOOSTER VACUUM DROPPED BELOW A SPECIFIED LEVEL. IN THE MY 2008 SOLSTICE AND SKY VEHICLES (THE SUBJECT VEHICLES), GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ELIMINATED THE AUXILIARY VACUUM PUMP AND REPLACED IT WITH THE OPTIMIZED HYDRAULIC BRAKING (OHB) SYSTEM. THE DESIGN INTENT OF OHB IS TO SUPPLEMENT ENGINE VACUUM, IN CONDITIONS WHERE LOW VACUUM IS GENERATED BY THE ENGINE, WITH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE GENERATED BY THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM PUMP CONTROLLED BY THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (EBCM). FOR UP TO ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER A COLD START, WHEN THE SYSTEM IS IN OHB ASSIST MODE, THE DRIVER MUST PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO ACHIEVE DESIRED DECELERATION. ALSO, WHEN THE OHB MODE IS ACTIVATED, THE DRIVER CAN HEAR AND FEEL, THROUGH BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATION, THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM PUMP OPERATION. STARTING IN LATE APRIL 2008, GM CHANGED FROM THE OHB SYSTEM BACK TO THE VACUUM PUMP SYSTEM DESIGN. ODI IS AWARE OF 264 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND GM ALLEGING INADEQUATE BRAKE POWER ASSIST IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES JUST AFTER A COLD START, INCLUDING ONE INCIDENT INVOLVING A CRASH INTO A TREE DURING A DRIVEWAY MANEUVER. TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS BY CONSUMERS, GM HAS ISSUED THREE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS. ON JUNE 4, 2007, GM RELEASED AN INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN (NO PART REPLACEMENT OR SOFTWARE UPDATES), BULLETIN# 07-05-22-002, TO DEALERS EXPLAINING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE OHB SYSTEM. ON NOVEMBER 29, 2007, GM RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN, BULLETIN# 07-05-22-007, WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO RECALIBRATE THE EBCM WITH REVISED SOFTWARE TO MAKE OHB OPERATION FEEL MORE LIKE A NORMAL VACUUM ASSIST
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Other PONTIAC Investigations
HVAC Blower Motor Connector
Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat
Brake Light Malfunction
Power Window Master Switch Fire
Engine Stall
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. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.