NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE06-021: CROSSMEMBER CORROSION FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE06-021 on June 12, 2006 and closed it on October 30, 2006, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA06-018, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000 Chevrolet Tracker for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE06-021 (also written PE06021)
- 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 October 30, 2006
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Component
- Suspension — Front
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
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 PE06-021.
ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2006 GENERAL MOTORS (GM) SUBMITTED INFORMATION REGARDING APPROXIMATELY 128,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 -2001 CHEVROLET TRACKER VEHICLES.ACCORDING TO GM, THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH FRONT CROSSMEMBERS DESIGNED AND MADE BY SUZUKI THAT CAN RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT CORROSION PROTECTION.THE DESIGN OF THE CROSSMEMBER LIMITED THE COVERAGE OF PAINT ON THE INTERIOR SURFACES DURING THE PAINTING PROCESS.IN MARCH 2006 SUZUKI MADE DESIGN CHANGES TO THE CROSSMEMBER TO ENHANCE THE COVERAGE OF PAINT TO THE INSIDE OF THE PART. GM INDICATED THAT WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY THAT USE ROAD SALT FOR DE-ICING, OVER TIME WATER AND SALT/MUD CAN ACCUMULATE INSIDE THE CROSSMEMBER AND CAUSE CREVICE CORROSIONTHAT CAN LEAD TO PERFORATION.THESE PERFORATIONS AT THE FRONT CONTROL ARM BRACKETS CAN CAUSE THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO BECOME PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. GM PROVIDED VEHICLE TEST DATA SHOWING THAT CROSSMEMBERS THAT FAIL IN THIS MANNER DO NOT CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND, THEREFORE, DO NOT REPRESENT AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-018) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT CONDITION.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE06-021. 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.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet Tracker
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.
Chevrolet VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE06-021
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.