NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA04-021: BRAKE LAMP FAILURE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA04-021 on August 3, 2004, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE04-032, whose summary cites it, and closed it on November 4, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists 6 models from 4 makes for it and links recall 04V-527 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA04-021 (also written EA04021)
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 November 4, 2004
Opened: August 3, 2004
Closed: November 4, 2004
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Component: Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights
Recall linked by NHTSA: 04V-527: GM/BRAKE LAMP FAILURE, reported November 1, 2004
Vehicles and equipment: 6 models from 4 makes, including the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA04-021.

GM STATES THAT SOME BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULBS CAN PREMATURELY BECOME INOPERATIVE DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE/TAIL LAMP SOCKETS.ON MARCH 2, 2004, GM INITIATED A 6-YEAR/72,000 MILE SPECIAL POLICY FOR 989,487 SUBJECT VEHICLES TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULB SOCKET ASSEMBLIES.ON APRIL 4, 2004, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE04-032) BASED ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING BRAKE LIGHTS NOT OPERATING WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.ON AUGUST 3, 2004 ODI UPGRADED PE04-032 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-021).

BY LETTER DATED OCTOBER 27, 2004 GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA # 04V527) COVERING SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT WERE NOT ALREADY REPAIRED UNDER GM'S SPECIAL POLICY.MY 2004 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER AUGUST 8, 2003 CONTAIN IMPROVED BRAKE LAMP ASSEMBLIES AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE IMPROVED BRAKE LAMP ASSEMBLY ON SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT ON AUGUST 8, 2003 AND EARLIER.THE ACTION TAKEN BY GM IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA04-021. 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.

Buick

Buick Rainier
- 2004

All Buick recalls

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Trailblazer
- 2002, 2003, 2004
Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
- 2002, 2003, 2004

All Chevrolet recalls

GMC

GMC Envoy
- 2002, 2003, 2004
GMC Envoy XL
- 2002, 2003, 2004

All GMC recalls

Oldsmobile

Oldsmobile Bravada
- 2002, 2003, 2004

All Oldsmobile recalls

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 EA04-021

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.