Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | ||||||
| DP10001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/07/2010 | ALLEGED FUEL TANK LEVEL SENSOR FAILURE | |||
| Mr. billy hayes of old hickory, tn, petitioned the agency in a letter dated november 27, 2009. the petitioner requests that nhtsa open an investigation into the performance/reliability of the fuel level sensor installed in model year 2005 chevrolet trailblazer vehicles. the petitioner alleges that the fuel tank level sensor is defective and could result in a subject vehicle running out of fuel, stall, and being rear ended by another vehicle.odi will evaluate the petition for a grant or deny decision. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 04/25/2011 | 09/23/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | ||
| The office of defects investigations (odi) analyzed complaint data provided by general motors (gm) as well as complaints submitted to odi from consumers.in total, there were 5,089 unique reports indicating an inaccurate fuel level reading while driving.general motors stated that this condition occurs when the contacts of the fuel sensor wear prematurely.most of the complaints indicated an empty fuel gauge reading after filling the tank.less than 10 percent of theodi complaints involved an engine stall incident.during this investigation, gm developed a remedy procedure and issued special coverage bulletin instructing dealers to install a new design fuel level sensor.the bulletin was sent to dealers on august 10, 2011 and the owner letter mailing began on august 15, 2011.see the investigative file for copies of gm's bulletin and owner letter.this preliminary evaluation is closed. | ||||||
| DP10001 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 01/07/2010 | 05/23/2011 | Fuel Level Gauge System Failure | ||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 04/25/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/25/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 04/25/2011 | 09/23/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | ||
| The office of defects investigations (odi) analyzed complaint data provided by general motors (gm) as well as complaints submitted to odi from consumers.in total, there were 5,089 unique reports indicating an inaccurate fuel level reading while driving.general motors stated that this condition occurs when the contacts of the fuel sensor wear prematurely.most of the complaints indicated an empty fuel gauge reading after filling the tank.less than 10 percent of theodi complaints involved an engine stall incident.during this investigation, gm developed a remedy procedure and issued special coverage bulletin instructing dealers to install a new design fuel level sensor.the bulletin was sent to dealers on august 10, 2011 and the owner letter mailing began on august 15, 2011.see the investigative file for copies of gm's bulletin and owner letter.this preliminary evaluation is closed. | ||||||
| DP10001 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 01/07/2010 | 05/23/2011 | Fuel Level Gauge System Failure | ||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | 04/25/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| PE11014 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/25/2011 | Fuel level gauge system failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier, and saab 9-7x vehicles.of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. one complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 08/22/2011 | 68000 | ||
| The fuel gauge reads empty when the tank is full. at first, it would level off after driving approximately 100 miles. the gauge then stayed at empty all of the time. my wife drives this vehicle on the highway and we're always concerned she will run out of gas in a very dangerous situation. chevrolet customer assistance has offered to pay 50% of the repair cost of $700-800. i feel there should be a recall on the faulty fuel tank sensor that they admit needs to be replaced. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 50000 | ||
| The fuel sensor did not read correctly. it would read full then empty then half, quarter. etc. | |||
| 05/19/2011 | 89000 | ||
| 1. on 5/19/2011, after filling my 2006 chevrolet trailblazer with gasoline, i noticed the gas light had iluminated on when pulling out of the station parking lot. i drove down the road two-three miles before pulling over and letting the car sit for 20-30 minutes. upon restarting the engine, the gauge moved to 1/4 tank, and then dropped back to empty. i drove home, and upon starting the engine the next morning the gas gauge was still showing empty. after 2 days, the gauge moved back up to 3/4 tank. on 6/1/2011, i had 1/4 tank and refilled, only to find the gas light illuminated a second time after fueling. the gauge is currently reading 3/4 tank when just filled yesterday. 2. in response to incorrect gasoline gauge in my trailblazer, i have begun paying close attention to miles driven and resetting my odometer at each fill-up. however this is only a quick-fix, as i forsee issues arising due to inablitly to properly read gasoline levels in my tank. 3. at this point, i have made a phone call to the dealer, estimated repari exceeds 1,000 usd. no action has been taken at this point to replace the fuel pump/gauge. thank you. rochele r. locey | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet trail blazer. the contact stated the fuel gage read zero while the fuel tank was filled. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vain information was not available. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. he fuel gage read zero while. li | |||
| 02/10/2011 | 95000 | ||
| Happens everyday. the fuel gauge doesnt work on my 2006 chevy trailblazer. not fixed. dealership wants several hundred dollars to fix it even after it has left me out of fuel twice. once on the interstate in the snow. | |||