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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA08-010: NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA08-010 on June 12, 2008, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE08-010, whose summary cites it, and closed it on September 8, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists 29 models from 6 makes for it and links recall 08V-441 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
EA08-010 (also written EA08010)
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 September 8, 2008
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Components
Electrical System; Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery; Electrical System — Wiring; Electrical System — Wiring — Front Underhood; Electrical System — Wiring — Fuses and Circuit Breakers; Engine and Engine Cooling; Engine and Engine Cooling — Engine; Visibility — Windshield Wiper/Washer; Visibility — Windshield Wiper/Washer — Switch/Wiring
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 08V-441: HEATED WIPER WASHER SYSTEM, reported
Vehicles and equipment
29 models from 6 makes, including the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA08-010.

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 27, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-441) TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RELATEDDEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY 850,000 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES OF THIS INVESTIGATION COMPRISE OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RECALL POPULATION. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441: MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2005 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE (MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2007); MY 2006-2008 CADILLAC DTS (MANUFACTURED MAY 2007 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2007-2008 SATURN OUTLOOK (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007); AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007) VEHICLES.GM IS INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IF THEY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF WINDSHIELD WASHER HEATER MODULE SHORT CIRCUITS. GM'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA08-010. 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

All Buick recalls

Cadillac

All Cadillac recalls

Chevrolet

All Chevrolet recalls

GMC

All GMC recalls

Hummer

All Hummer recalls

Saturn

All Saturn 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 EA08-010

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.