NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE07-051: STUCK THROTTLE VALVE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-051 on October 19, 2007 and closed it on February 14, 2008, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA08-005, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2005 Chevrolet Aveo for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE07-051 (also written PE07051)
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 February 14, 2008
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Components
Engine and Engine Cooling — Exhaust System — Emission Control — Crankcase (PCV); Vehicle Speed Control
Vehicles and equipment
2004–2005 Chevrolet Aveo

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 PE07-051.

ON OCTOBER 19, 2007, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STUCK THROTTLE INCIDENTS DUE TO ICE FORMATION WITHIN THE ENGINE AIR INTAKE TRACT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004-2005 CHEVROLET AVEO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FOR SALE OR LEASE IN THE UNITED STATES.THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (05F-069) CONDUCTED BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) INVOLVING SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FOR SALE OR LEASE IN CANADA.AT THAT TIME, GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #05-06-04-065) TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT CONDITION IN U.S. VEHICLES.GM SUBSEQUENTLY REVISED THE CANADIAN RECALL CAMPAIGN TO INCLUDE MORE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS AFTER IT DISCOVERED CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE NOT PROPERLY SERVICED UNDER THE ORIGINAL RECALL CAMPAIGN.GM REVISED THE CANADIAN RECALL CAMPAIGN A SECOND TIME TO INCLUDE MORE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE THROTTLE BODY, INTAKE MANIFOLD, POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION (PCV) AND ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS TO FURTHER REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ICING WITHIN THE ENGINE AIR INTAKE TRACT.AGAIN, GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #08-06-04-009) TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT CONDITION IN U.S. VEHICLES USING THE REVISED PROCEDURE.ODI IS AWARE OF 28 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS/FIELD REPORTS AND 46 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT AFFECTING 63 UNIQUE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE ALLEGED DEFECT CONDITION IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING.HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN GM'S RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 2, 2007, DOES NOT CAPTURE EVENTS THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE MOST RECENT WINTER MONTHS.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-005) TO FURTHER STUDY THE FREQUENCY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-051. 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

All Chevrolet 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE07-051

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.