Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09V116000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | V (Vehicle) | 1497516 | 04/09/2009 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/08/2009 | 04/08/2009 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will remove the spark plug wire retention channel at the front of engine and install two new spark plug wire retainers free of charge. the recall is expected to begin during may 2009. owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 09047.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| 08V118000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 03/01/2001 to 06/30/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 207542 | 04/28/2008 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/12/2008 | 03/12/2008 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. these vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. if the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a new front (left) rocker cover gasket with an improved design from the original gasket and replace the spark plug wire channel with new retainers. due to parts availability, owner notification letters will be mailed in two phases. the customer letters for the 1997-2000 model year vehicles will be mailed on april 28, 2008. gm will advise as to when the owner letters for the 2001-2003 model year vehicles will be mailed. until sufficient parts become available, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com . | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 07035. customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 709 | 09/01/2005 | 10018126 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. gm tech link. *tt | 12/15/2005 | |
| 040604024 | 04/01/2004 | 10012634 | Powertrain control module will not properly communicate on board diagnostic freeze frame information to nontech2 service or test equipment. *eh | 03/09/2005 | |
| 040604023 | 04/01/2004 | 10012596 | Powertrain control module will not properly communicate on board diagnostic egr test result information to non-tech2 service or test equipment. *eh | 03/08/2005 | |
| 03034 | 07/01/2003 | 10003430 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 10/20/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 03019 | 07/18/2003 | 10006144 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 04/22/2004 | |
| 070803 | 07/08/2003 | 10003814 | The vme message is to provide information about a new product field action regarding a customer satisfaction program for an engine coolant leak. the engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket or at the upper | 11/03/2003 | |
| 030601016 | 05/01/2003 | 10002372 | Loss of coolant, milky colored oil. *tt | 08/26/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 08-06-04-019 | 04/01/2008 | 080604019A | 10024787 | L67 engine oil smell or odor, leak at left or front valve cover (replace valve cover gasket, gromments and spark plug wire retainers for cylinders 1-3-5). *nj updated 7/25/2008 *pe | 05/20/2008 |
| 3157A | 10017172 | Engine whine or buzz noise sounds like a generator type noise on 3.1l or 3.8l engines. *tt | 10/26/2005 | ||
| 05551 | 09/01/2005 | 10017076 | Special policy adjustment-catalytic converter. the vehicle may experience a condition where the vehicle's exhaust catalytic converter was replaced due to the complaints of lack of power or illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp. * | 10/21/2005 | |
| 0804 | 08/01/2004 | 10014346 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
| 040601021 | 06/01/2004 | 10012148 | New rear main seal and special tool for installation. *tt | 02/15/2005 | |
| 040602007 | 08/01/2004 | 10011207 | Low engine coolant level indicator always on. *tt | 01/10/2005 | |
| 3007 | 01/01/2004 | 10008786 | 3.8l engine oil consumption. *tt | 08/23/2004 | |
| 040604037 | 06/01/2004 | 10008472 | Check engine light on, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0410 set, water in air pump. *tt | 08/02/2004 | |
| 01353 | 01/01/2004 | 01353A | 10007937 | Engine misfire due to injector fretting corrosion. *tt | 07/16/2004 |
| 01876 | 01/01/2004 | 10006470 | Change engine oil soon indicator does not come on. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| 01584 | 01/01/2004 | 10005424 | Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0650 set after powertrain control module (pcm) replacement. sit bulletin 1413730. *tt | 02/25/2004 | |
| 000604049B | 12/01/2003 | 000604049A | 10005145 | Some vehicles built prior to vin breakpoint 1f136536 may exhibit intermittent malfunction indicator lamp / service engine soon indicator illumination; anti-lock brake system warning light illumination; stall / no start condition; various el | 02/09/2004 |
| 030604030 | 03/01/2007 | 030604030C | 10002166 | Multiple driveability symptoms of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 08/14/2003 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 311001 | 10/31/2001 | 628072 | Some vehicles with the supercharged 3800 engine may experience a hard start or extended crank. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| 250901 | 09/25/2001 | 626398 | Vehicles may experience intermittent engine stalling or diagnostic trouble code p0141. *slc | 12/14/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 040601017 | 06/01/2004 | 10008471 | New upper intake manifold and gasket kits. *tt | 08/02/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 09V116000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 08V118000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 04/01/2011 | |||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). an authorized dealer was notified and the contact was informed that the parts necessary to remedy the failure were unavailable. the contact stated that he was waiting for approximately three months and the parts were still unavailable. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. sm. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 80842 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. the contact had taken his vehicle into an auto repair shop for a routine oil change and the technician informed him the vehicle needed a gasket replaced. the oil was going into the radiator and the radiator needed flushing to prevent problems. the contact has not experienced difficulties with the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 80,842. ds | |||
| 02/24/2010 | 84000 | 1 | 05/18/2007 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. on february 10, 2010 the vehicle suddenly caught fire in the engine compartment approximately ten minutes after it was driven and parked. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, but the dealer would not repair the vehicle under the related recall 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). he contacted the manufacturer and filed a report. however, the manufacturer would not assist with the repair costs as the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 84,000. updated 05/11/10. *lj updated 06/03/10*bf updated 06/07/10*jb | |||
| 04/20/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| 2002 buick regal.. went to the store came home and the whole engine was on fire. car was just paid off this month after 5 years and we need advice. who can help us? who can we call? *tr updated 05/07/09 | |||
| 01/22/2009 | 62148 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. while the vehicle was parked for ten minutes, the engine caught fire. the contact attempted to extinguish the fire and received burns to his hands. the police and fire report numbers were unavailable. the fire department towed the vehicle to a tow yard. the current and failure mileages were 62,148. | |||
| 03/20/2008 | 1 | 01/01/2003 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling), which stated that a possible fire could occur. gm issued the recall, but did not have the parts to perform the repair. there also was no temporary remedy to prevent the fire. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 54,000. updated 05/05/08. *lj updated 05/05/08. *jb | |||
| 08/08/2002 | 100 | 07/02/2002 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. while driving at various speeds, the contact smelled a strong odor of fumes. the smell intensified when the vehicle was stopped. the contact believes that the vehicle should be included in nhtsa campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). she has not contacted the dealer. the vin, engine size, number of cylinders, powertrain, and failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 65,000. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. the contact noticed smoke under the vehicle while driving less than 45 mph. she drove the vehicle a short distance to a service station and opened the hood. she noticed a small fire near the spark plugs and two small fires on the manifold. the fires were extinguished. the contact drove to her residence at extremely slow speeds. the manufacturer advised her to take the vehicle to the nearest dealer. the dealer instructed her not to bring the vehicle into the shop. the manufacturer then advised her to take the vehicle to the general motors claims department for further inspection. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unable to be entered into the system. the failure and current mileages were less than 90,000. | |||
| 06/26/2002 | 1 | ||
| Headrest is made out of hard thick plastic, and are not positioned correctly which could cause neck injury, also when consumer hits brakes there is a grinding noise coming front the front suspension, the dealer stated the left front cradle mount was misaligned.*jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/29/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving at any speed engine will suddenly stop without warning.*ak *jg | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 09/09/2004 | 36477 | 2 | 04/20/2002 |
| Complaint received via e-mail. on a trip from florida to pennsylvania super charger belt broke on i-95 south. onstar directed me to a dealership for repair service. serpentine belt idler pulley bearing seized. replaced drive belt, super charger belt and pulley. also, battery had to be replaced because of leaking acid from positive battery. this problem was not caused by belt failure. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 06/09/2008 | 86971 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. the contact stated that the vehicle lost power, back fired and then stalled out when he was driving at approximately 20 mph. the contact had the catalytic converter replaced to fix the problem. the manufacturer offered an extended warranty for the catalytic converter that changed from 80,000 miles to 120,000 miles. the failure mileage was 86,971. the current mileage was approximately 103,000. | |||
| 07/10/2006 | 51489 | 1 | 10/14/2002 |
| Loss of engine power, engine stopped running, damage to various engine components. catalytic converter plugged shut and heat damage to various engine components. near engine fire. catalytic converter, manifold, iac value, gasket, fuel line, fuel regulator, evap hose from engine to fuel tank all replaced. buick has partially reimbursed for repairs and replacements. two items still pending. *jb | |||
| 05/03/2006 | 95359 | 2 | 11/01/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was running sluggish. it was taken to the dealership , who determined the catalytic converter was clogged and needed to be replaced. previously, the dealership replaced right front tie rod end on 08/03/2004 at 61304 miles. *ak update 5/30/2006 - *nm | |||