NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA04-011: PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA04-011 on April 9, 2004 and closed it on May 10, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists 35 models from 2 makes for it and links recall 05V-161 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA04-011 (also written EA04011)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed May 10, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Components
- Parking Brake; Parking Brake — Conventional; Parking Brake — Conventional — Mechanical; Parking Brake — Conventional — Mechanical — Linkage and Cable
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 05V-161: PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 35 models from 2 makes, including the Chevrolet Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA04-011.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA04-011. 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 C/K PICKUPS
Chevrolet C/K SERIES
Chevrolet C1
- 1999
Chevrolet C10
Chevrolet C Pickup
Chevrolet C Series
Chevrolet Denali
Chevrolet K1
Chevrolet K10
Chevrolet K Pickup
Chevrolet K Series
Chevrolet Pickup
Chevrolet Sierra
Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Yukon
GMC
GMC (model not given)
- 2003
GMC C/K PICKUP
GMC C/K SERIES
GMC C1
- 1999
GMC C Pickup
GMC C Series
GMC Denali
GMC GMT 800
- 2000, 2001, 2002
GMC K1
- 1999, 2000
GMC K Pickup
GMC K Series
GMC Sierra
GMC Sierra 1500
GMC Silverado
GMC Suburban
GMC Tahoe
GMC Yukon
GMC Yukon XL
GMC Yukon XL Denali
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.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA04-011
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.