NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE05-052: SUN ROOF GLASS FAILURE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-052 on September 22, 2005 and closed it on January 20, 2006, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA06-001, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2005 Cadillac SRX for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE05-052 (also written PE05052)
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status
Closed January 20, 2006
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
Visibility — Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Vehicles and equipment
2004–2005 Cadillac SRX

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 Preliminary Evaluation PE05-052.

OF THE 17 COMPLAINTS, THERE WERE 9 INJURY INCIDENTS RESULTING IN 19 INDIVIDUALS BEING INJURED.THE INJURIES CONSIST OF CUTS AND SCRAPES TO OCCUPANT'S FACE, ARM, HAND OR LEG.SOME INJURIES WERE THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE FALLING GLASS FRAGMENTS WHILE OTHER INJURIES OCCURRED WHEN OCCUPANTS WERE EXITING THE VEHICLE OR WHILE HANDLING THE GLASS FRAGMENTS.IN ADDITION, THERE WERE FIVE WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE ISSUE FOR A TOTAL OF 22 REPORTS.GM HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE WITH THE MOVABLE SUN ROOF/MOON ROOF GLASS PANEL.THEY BELIEVE THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE BREAKAGE IS RANDOM STONE OR SHARP DEBRIS IMPACT TO THE GLASS ROOF STRUCTURE.ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS MY 2006 VEHICLES ARE SOLD AND PUT INTO SERVICE.THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE BROKEN GLASS FRAGMENTS WILL FALL DIRECTLY ONTO BOTH THE FRONT AND MIDDLE ROW SEAT OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES.THESE OCCURRENCES MAY POSE A RISK OF DRIVER DISTRACTION AND/OR OCCUPANT INJURY.THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-001) TO FURTHER ASSESS THIS MATTER AND WILL INCLUDE MY 2006 SRX VEHICLES.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-052. 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.

Cadillac

All Cadillac 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.

Cadillac VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-052

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.