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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 98V102000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 05/01/1997 to 10/31/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 149342 | 05/30/1998 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 05/15/1998 | 05/18/1998 | 571 | 108 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the owner manuals do not contain the requirement information pertaining to the vehicle headlamp aiming device. this does not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification is expected to begin during june 1998.owners who do not receive the insert and installation instructions within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300 or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||||
| 010603001A | 04/01/2002 | 010603001 | 634807 | Some owners of vehicles built prior to vin 1f23f068 may comment on an intermittent condition where the headlamps or interior lights may dim intermittently. *tt | 10/09/2002 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| PE02005 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/18/2002 | 04/15/2002 | HEADLAMPS DIM/FLICKER | ||
| Allege headlamps may dim or flicker | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 20000 | 1 | |
| 1999 oldsmobile intrigue: when driving in cold weather (below 40 degrees f), all lights dim and then brighten randomly, including headlights and dash lights. sometimes headlights momentarily dim so much as to make driving temporarily unsafe. problem has occurred every winter for several years. gm dealer claims to know nothing about it, but some web sites say a replacement bosch alternator (approx. $450 plus installation) can cure the problem. this is a repeated annoyance that could cause a fatal crash. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 08/11/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| I cut my finger on the rear brake light assembly, while placing a piece of luggage in the trunk. light assembly is razor sharp all along edge. very dangerous and should be modified. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 86000 | 25 | 09/17/1999 |
| Headlights flicker during cold weather causing low visibility. cleaned ground wire w/o resolution. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2005 | 60000 | 15 | |
| Dad: the consumer stated that the headlights had come on and had gone off intermittently and the cruise control was not working. the dealer could not identify the cause of the problem. this problem had been happening for two months. the consumer had no consultation with the manufacturer. *ak (11/22/05) the problem was found to be a failing ignition switch. *sc | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 50000 | 6 | 10/21/1999 |
| Fading/dimming of interior lights and exterior lights, failed power window, 4 fuel injector failures.*ak | |||
| 10/07/2004 | 1 | ||
| Pe02005 is a faulty alternator design. the dealer will replace with a newer design free of charge. this is by experience. *nm | |||
| 01/04/2004 | 19000 | 6 | |
| Lights dimming to almost dark and coming back on. had to replace the alternator with less than 20,000 miles on the car. have heard that others have had this problem and it is very common. this cost me over $700 to fix. *nm | |||
| 08/26/2003 | 45000 | 4 | |
| While driving at 40 mph all electrical components went out. dashboard lights went blank, and speedometer began winding forward and backwards. windows began to roll up and down, while the headlights began to blink off and on. dealer checked the problem but couldn't find the cause.*ak | |||
| 01/03/2004 | 1 | 1 | 10/04/2000 |
| Ref: 010603001, 010603001a, nhtsa action number: pe02005, nhtsa item number: 619178. 1999 oldsmobile intrique, with dimming headlights. this is a constantly occuring problem. i have had it back to the dealer multiple times with no resolution. they say gm has no solution. this is a major safety issue. many times i have been driving at night on the interstate and small country highways when the lights would flicker and almost go completely out. nothing like driving 70 mph in bad weather with no lights!!! the headlights dim equal to candlelight. these episodes happen intermittently, mostly during cold weather, but not always. each episode may last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. several times i was fortunatly able to back off and pull to the side of the road. this happens at least 6 times per month, but only noticable at night. my vin is 1g3w$52hoxf311164.*ak | |||
| 01/27/2004 | 5 | 10/15/2002 | |
| Car uses too much oil. told by service center that vehicle should not be burning oil. however vehicle uses 6 quarts verses 5 quarts and 500 miles later, low oil indicator comes on. service center can not explain the problem or give any insight for the excess oil used every time service is required. also headlights cut out while driving. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2003 | 55000 | 30 | 08/15/2001 |
| So much for investing in american-made vehicles. i, like over a dozen others who took the time to file a complaint, am experiencing the flicker and dim of all lighting during the evening hours - especially when the weather's colder. it is unnerving to me, and i'm sure to those drivers around me, to drive with questionable exterior lighting. and, as others have said, gm does not view this as a safety issue. what say they have their spouse, or their child, drive a vehicle with this same not a safety issue and see if their view doesn't change? i work, and with daylight savings time, this means i am travelling home in the dark -- with my one-year-old and nine-year-old in the car with me. none of this matters to the folks at gm. because they can point to the age and mileage of the vehicle to get them off the hook, they are. the fact that they issued a bulletin regarding this issue in feb01 doesn't seem to matter. $650+labor for a new alternator may or may not resolve the issue, but that, apparently is my money to invest in a possible, but not guaranteed, solution. judging from the other filings here, it doesn't sound too promising, so i'm left with the debate of dump this money to *maybe* fix the problem or let it be until something bad happens? my car is too old and has too many miles for this to be considered something for which they, gm, will assume responsibility. i will never buy gm again.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving in cold weather, the head lights would dim, which caused a loss of visability on the road. mr *jg *jb | |||
| 11/05/2002 | |||
| While driving in the cold weather the head lights dims causing low visability on the road. mr | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| The headlights dim and/or flicker. the engine power decreases when it happens. the alternator was replaced at 32,00 miles. the problem occurs intermittently. there is no particular pattern related to weather or driving conditions. | |||
| 12/15/2000 | 6 | 04/01/2000 | |
| The orignal bulb was replaced and within a few hours the light malfunction again. when i removed the bulb the bulb was partially singed and melted . the same was true each time the bulb was replaced. *ak | |||
| 09/10/2000 | |||
| Headlights flicker to dim; then, they go to bright and back to dim. also, all window motors have been replaced. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1999 | |||
| Headlights flicker from dim to bright to dim to bright. will occur every week or so for 5-30 minutes of constant flickering. *ak | |||
| When driving headlights flicker from bright to dim until they finally just shut off. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| During cold weather headlights frequently flicker and dim to the point where driving in the dark is unsafe. the problem began shortly after purchasing the vehicle in jan 2000. we took the car to the nearest oldsmobile dealer. they said at that time it was a known problem and they would try replacing different things to fix it with the last being the alternator. by the time the alternator was replaced, it was spring and the weather was warmer and we thought the car was fixed. in october, when the weather got cold again, the problem was back. we again took the car to the dealership where we were informed there was nothing more they could do because the problem was in the vehicle design. they suggested we contact oldsmobile directly. oldsmobile has also admitted the problem is in the vehicle design and say they are having engineers design a new alternator. they said we shouldn't be concerned because the problem is not a safety issue. we believe driving down the road and trying to see with your headlights flickering and dimming is a safety issue for both us and on coming vehicles. the dealership and oldsmobile said they have several cars with the same problem. we were told to expect a fix by mid november which has not happened. oldsmobile also confirmed we had our car in 8 times for this same problem. how long should we have to wait for them to provide a solution? *ak | |||
| 03/25/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1999 | |
| Can't override automatic head lights and dim or turn off lights at night.*ak | |||
| 11/12/1999 | |||
| Power surges when consumer hears the fan motor . then vehicle would be slowing down. also, when consumer has headlights on at night, they get brighter and dimmer when he applies the accelerator. *ak | |||
| While driving and when headlights are needed,they flicker off and on. also, headlights are very dim, causing poor visibility. consumer has contacted dealer. this is consumer's second vehicle with the same type of problem. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| The computer-controlled exterior lighting system does not allow the headlights to be selected off when it senses darkness. this presents several problems. among them are blinding deck personnel when embarking/debarking ferryboats, creating security concerns when entering/leaving military bases, and the perception of a head-on collision threat by other drivers when vehicles are on the wrong shoulder of a road at night (picking up mail, etc.). it is also an extreme annoyance at drive-in movies. in some situations, it could provoke a road-rage response from other drivers, resulting in potential fatalities. i believe that this is a classic case of automation that's run amuk. it is the result of engineers/computer geeks who are allowed to operate without adult supervision. automation is fine, but it must always have manual over-rides. the intrigue's designers arrogantly (and incorrectly) decided that they know what's best for drivers. fwiw, i am not a technophobe. our home has 5 pc's that are used regularly, plus a few others. i am an airline pilot, flying the boeing 757/767, which is equipped with a sophisticated flight management system. i am the air line pilots association's national expert on flight management systems, representing them in national safety forums. i am a staunch advocate of using the appropriate level of technology. oldsmobile designers did not use an appropriate level of technology. their arrogance and stupidity is appalling. i ask that the nhtsa direct gm to issue a recall of all affected automobiles, replacing the current exterior lighting system with one that allows manual over-rides of all automation modes. *ak | |||
| 11/26/1999 | 25 | 11/01/1999 | |
| My 1999 oldsmobile intrigue has an ongoing problem with all interior lights that operate when the headlights are on. the headlights as well as the dash lights, dome light, trunk light, etc all flicker/dim dramatically and intermittently and at the same time whenever they feel like it. it has been attempted to be repaired 5 times by the dealer, and is now at the oldsmobile tech assistance level. parts such as the dealer module and the alternator have been replaced to no avail. olds is saying that there is an existing tac case #3668071 for other 1999 intrigues experiencing the similar problem across the us, but no fix is available. all the while, i am being told to drive the car and be patient. i am concerned about driving at night as these lights may someday just not flicker, but totally go out! olds has not offered any info other than that they are working on this at the engineering level, and that they suspect it is a computer problem that needs a software fix. i am just upset that i spent thousands of dollars on something that i feel is potentially very unsafe! and getting worse. any assistance rendered would be greatly appreciated! *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 10/20/2006 | 60000 | 15 | 07/31/1999 |
| Turn signals are intermittent. sometimes they do not flash when the turn signal switch is activated. this applies to both left and right. this occurs randomly on different days, not just the single date i was forced to enter. *nm | |||