GM bulletin 21-NA-268
What it saysThis service bulletin provides diagnostic/repair information to correct customer concerns of a Crank No Start or Extended Crank, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated or Possible Increased Brake Pedal Effort. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
GM filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 29, 2024, received May 6, 2023, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 41 model years across Chevrolet, GMC and Buick (2016–2024). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Chevrolet · GMC · Buick.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis service bulletin provides diagnostic/repair information to correct customer concerns of a Crank No Start or Extended Crank, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated or Possible Increased Brake Pedal Effort.
Trouble codes it names: P0014 P0017 P0365 P0366 all 4 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-NA-268 | Service bulletin | Jun 29, 2024 | 11004762 | PDF, 280 KB |
| 21-NA-268 | Service bulletin | Apr 27, 2023 | 10235803 | PDF, 142 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themChevrolet 29 model years
Buick 7 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 41 model years this bulletin names have filed 6,565 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3,152 of them name Engine, Service Brakes — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, the 173 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 53,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that the brake booster failed while driving at various speeds on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer yearly for the brake booster repair since the initial failure; however, the most recent failure occurred within six months. The vehicle was repaired.
2018 Chevrolet Spark · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Apr 6, 2023 · ODI 11515828
Car would stall suddenly mid intersection or street. There is an active recall for a fuel pump module with no known date of resolution. Fuel Pump Module would not provide adequate gas to the engine. This happened twice to me as I was driving on April 4th 2023. After speaking to Chevy & Dealership, there is not yet a fix to this problem.
2021 Chevrolet Equinox · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 21, 2023 · ODI 11518293
The brakes system didnt seem to be stopping properly almost as if i had to push really hard on the brakes to get the car to stop. Finally today, I was 1.6 car lengths behind another vehicle whom slammed their brakes on for no reason and I had to do so as well. My car would not stop, the brakes would not work causing a major accident
2019 Chevrolet Cruze · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Jul 1, 2026 · ODI 11747783
In depth: 2017 Chevrolet Cruze engine problems → · 2016 Chevrolet Cruze engine problems → · 2020 Chevrolet Equinox engine problems → · 2020 Chevrolet Equinox brake problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group106 other manufacturer communications filed against these GM models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Chevrolet list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| N262566800 | Service campaign | Oct 20, 2026 | Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition in which the incorrect transmission parts were used. Dealers will replace the transmissio… |
| N242484750-02 | Warranty extension | Sep 1, 2026 | Special Coverage. Certain 2022 model year Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles, equipped with a 1.2L engine, may have a condi… |
| N242450640-02 | Warranty extension | Sep 1, 2026 | Special Coverage. Certain 2021 model year Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles, equipped with a 1.2L engine, may have a condi… |
| N232407740-03 | Warranty extension | Sep 1, 2026 | Special Coverage. Certain 2020 model year Buick Encore GX vehicles, equipped with a 1.2L engine, may have a condition that could cause the… |
| N252508360 | Warranty extension | Nov 3, 2025 | Special Coverage. Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition that could cause the turbocharger to fail. If this condition occurs… |
| N252499670 | Service campaign | Oct 23, 2025 | Certain vehicles, equipped with a 1.4L engine, may have a condition that could cause the turbocharger to fail. If this condition occurs, th… |
| N242484750-01 | Warranty extension | Oct 20, 2025 | Special Coverage. Certain 2022 model year Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles, equipped with a 1.2L engine, may have a condi… |
| N242450640-01 | Warranty extension | Oct 20, 2025 | Special Coverage. Certain 2021 model year Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles, equipped with a 1.2L engine, may have a condi… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Chevrolet, GMC and Buick, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is GM 21-NA-268 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 21-NA-268 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every GM warranty extension on file lists the ones GM has filed.
Which vehicles does 21-NA-268 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 41 model years across 3 brands (Chevrolet, GMC and Buick): 2022 Buick Encore, 2021 Buick Encore, 2020 Buick Encore, 2019 Buick Encore, 2018 Buick Encore, 2017 Buick Encore and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.