NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Audit Query AQ17-002: BiCal Chevrolet/Loss of Power Steering
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Audit Query AQ17-002 on March 16, 2017 and closed it on May 14, 2020. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2014 Chevrolet Impala for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- AQ17-002 (also written AQ17002)
- Investigation type
- Audit Query An administrative investigation into compliance with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting Early Warning data on time or carrying out a recall.
- Status
- Closed May 14, 2020
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Component
- Steering — Electric Power Assist System
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2014 Chevrolet Impala
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Audit Query AQ17-002.
NHTSA opened AQ17-002 to determine whether BiCal Chevrolet of Valley Stream, New York (BiCal) has complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and, in turn, that a dealer not sell a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed (49 U.S.C. ?30120(i)).
NHTSA issued an information request (IR) letter to BiCal on March 15, 2017. BiCal responded to this request on November 8, 2017. On March 16, 2017, an IR letter was issued to General Motors LLC (GM) and a response was received from GM on April 28, 2017. In NHTSA?s view, it had difficulties in obtaining responses to IR letters from BiCal throughout the AQ investigation, including not receiving a response to the first IR until more than three months after the original deadline. Additionally, in NHTSA's view, BiCal failed to provide a full response to the second IR. BiCal does not contest NHTSA's conclusion that it violated the Safety Act by initially failing to provide full and complete responses to the IRs from NHTSA by their deadlines. NHTSA's investigation also indicated that BiCal sold and delivered at least 54 recalled vehicles that did not have the recall remedy completed at the time the vehicles were delivered to the customers.
BiCal did not contest NHTSA?s conclusion that it violated the Safety Act by selling and delivering certain new motor vehicles that were subject to a recall before the vehicles were remedied.
Under a Settlement Agreement dated March 11, 2019, BiCal agreed to pay compromised civil penalties in the amount of $40,000. This Audit Query is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Audit Query AQ17-002. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet Impala
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Chevrolet VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for AQ17-002
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.