NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA88-010: THROTTLE CONTROL
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA88-010 on November 30, 1987, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE87-041, which this investigation's summary cites, and closed it on October 31, 1989. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1987 Oldsmobile 98 for it and links recall 88V-080 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA88-010 (also written EA88010)
- 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 October 31, 1989
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Component
- Vehicle Speed Control — Linkages
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 88V-080 (NHTSA record)
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1987 Oldsmobile 98
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA88-010.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:UNDER PE87-041, GM PROVIDED THECOMPLAINT, ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND FATALITY DATA TABULATED ABOVE.ANALYSIS:DURING GM'S COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION REQUIREDTO RESPOND TO THE NHTSA'S REQUEST UNDER THE PE, INDICATIONS WERE GIVEN THATTHE NUMBERS OF CONSUMER AND OTHER COMPLAINTS CLEARLY SUGGESTED THE EXIST-OF A SAFETY PROBLEM AND THAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE IN ORDER.GM'S FORMALLETTER RESPONSE, HOWEVER, RETREATED FROM THIS POSITION.NHTSA'S ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION IS ONGOING IN AN EFFORT TOIDENTIFY ONE OR MORE PRIMARY MODES OF COMPONENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION THATCOULD RESULT IN ANY ONE OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:A.SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH OR WITHOUT ATTENDANT BRAKE FAILUREB.SELF-ACTUATION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMC.FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM TO DEACTIVATE UPON DRIVERCOMMANDD.FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE LINKAGES/MECHANISMS TO RESPOND INMAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION TO DRIVER COMMANDE.ANY OTHER POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION THAT MAY BE IDENTIFIED.THE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS, TOGETHER WITH RESULTANTACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, ARE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO SUGGEST THAT A RIGOROUSEVALUATION OF THIS MATTER BY THE NHTSA IS IN ORDER.STATUS:NO SPECIFIC MALFUNCTION OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM CAPABLEOF CAUSING INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIEDTO DATE.HOWEVER, INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THREE CONDITIONS THAT COULDRESTRICT FREE MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE.H-BODY CARS POTENTIALLYAFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR CORRECTION.OTHERPHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.PHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.===
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA88-010. 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.
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile 98
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 EA88-010
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.