NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE07-014: FUEL TANK LEAK

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-014 on March 13, 2007 and closed it on June 12, 2007. NHTSA's investigations file lists 4 models from 2 makes for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE07-014 (also written PE07014)
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 June 12, 2007
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Components
Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Other — Delivery — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Vehicles and equipment
4 models from 2 makes, including the Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370

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 PE07-014.

IN JUNE 2007, GM WILL EXPAND ITS SPECIAL POLICY TO ADDRESS FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE (ICV) FRACTURES ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) TRAILBLAZER EXT AND GMC ENVOY XL VEHICLES.THE EXPANDED POLICY COVERS MY 2002-2004 TRAILBLAZER EXT, GMC ENVOY XL, AND GMC ENVOY XUV VEHICLES AND WILL EXTEND FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST).

GM WILL PROVIDE FREE REPAIR OF THE FUEL TANK. IT IS SENDING LETTERS TO OWNERS BEGINNING IN JUNE OF 2007.

THIS ACTION SUPERSEDES GM'S PREVIOUS 7 YEAR/70,000 MILE SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 2002 TRAILBLAZER EXT AND ENVOY XL VEHICLES.THE CONDITION IS MOST OFTEN REPORTED AS ILLUMINATION OF THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT.THE VEHICLE'S DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A FUEL SYSTEM PRESSURE LEAK AND ILLUMINATES THE SES LIGHT.OTHER OWNERS REPORT SMELLING GASOLINE FUMES. THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-014. 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 Trailblazer EXT

  • Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370

    • 2002, 2003
All Chevrolet recalls

GMC

  • GMC Envoy XL

  • GMC Envoy XL 370

    • 2002, 2003
All GMC 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 PE07-014

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.