Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| EA03005 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/23/2003 | 01/12/2004 | REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| On november 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on april 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue. the trailing arm design in these vehicles has been used in the u-van from my 1997 through the present.the gm analysis concluded that the subject trailing arms could crack or buckle if they were damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or subjected to certain service related abuse conditions such as improper towing or jacking.analysis of odi and gm data has identified 19 incidents of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles.there have been no new reports to odi or gm in the last 12 months and only one new complaint in the last 21 months. due to the low complaint rate and the absence of a continuing trend in reported failures, a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed. the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. for additional information, see the attached closing report. | ||||||
| PE02086 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 11/18/2002 | 04/09/2003 | REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| Analysis of odi and gm data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 gm u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. the trailing arm design in these vehicles is used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to gm, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain service related abuse conditions (e.g., improper towing or jacking).gm identified a parts handling concern that was causing some trailing arms to be damaged prior to installation.to address this concern, gm implemented changes to the shipping containers from january 1999 through september 1999. eight (8) of the reported incidents in my 1997-99 u-vans, including the two crashes, occurred in the last 2 years.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to assess the trend and safety risk associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | ||||||
| EA03005 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/23/2003 | 01/12/2004 | REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| On november 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on april 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue. the trailing arm design in these vehicles has been used in the u-van from my 1997 through the present.the gm analysis concluded that the subject trailing arms could crack or buckle if they were damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or subjected to certain service related abuse conditions such as improper towing or jacking.analysis of odi and gm data has identified 19 incidents of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles.there have been no new reports to odi or gm in the last 12 months and only one new complaint in the last 21 months. due to the low complaint rate and the absence of a continuing trend in reported failures, a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed. the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. for additional information, see the attached closing report. | ||||||
| PE02086 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 11/18/2002 | 04/09/2003 | REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| Analysis of odi and gm data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 gm u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. the trailing arm design in these vehicles is used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to gm, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain service related abuse conditions (e.g., improper towing or jacking).gm identified a parts handling concern that was causing some trailing arms to be damaged prior to installation.to address this concern, gm implemented changes to the shipping containers from january 1999 through september 1999. eight (8) of the reported incidents in my 1997-99 u-vans, including the two crashes, occurred in the last 2 years.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to assess the trend and safety risk associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| When parked on an incline and not holding the brakes, vehicle will drift backwards while in drive. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 2 | 01/31/1998 | ||
| The rear tire blew out and the other three tires were prematurely worn out and rear alignment is not adjustable due to the defective axle. yh | |||