GM bulletin PIP5975A
What it saysThis Preliminary information communicates information on what dealer technicians should due if they encounter a broken chain on a CVT transmission NHTSA’s full summary ↓
GM filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 25, 2025, received Mar 2, 2025, about the power train. It names 18 model years across Chevrolet and Buick (2019–2025). 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 · Buick.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis Preliminary information communicates information on what dealer technicians should due if they encounter a broken chain on a CVT transmission
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIP5975A | Service bulletin | Feb 25, 2025 | 11014630 | PDF, 24 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 12 model years
Buick 6 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 18 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,393 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 346 of them name Power Train — 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 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, the 23 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 39,737 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
On 4/14 with only 21 miles on the odometer in this newly purchased car the entire transmission failed, per the dealership because of a “leaking valve”. The check engine light came on after the car was jumpy and then the car refused to speed up on an extremely busy street and began locking up, putting us at serious risk of an accident.
2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA May 19, 2025
I need my pistons and rings replaced. My car only has 57,000 miles. My car has been diagnosed with excessive piston blowby from 2 different independent service centers. Both times I have been to Chevy to get it fixed under warranty, they’ve charged me $200 for diagnostics each time and told me it is my PCV valve that needs fixed.
2020 Chevrolet Malibu · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 16, 2022
At 10,000 miles my 2019 Chevrolet Malibu started to sputter and lose power. Taking off at a green light, driving on highways, turning at intersections, or turning against traffic has all become dangerous because the car will not gather enough power to go, leaving my car stuck on roads and in the middle of intersections.
2019 Chevrolet Malibu · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 13, 2020
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group47 other manufacturer communications filed against these GM models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Chevrolet list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIP6036A | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2025 | This Preliminary information communicates diagnostic aids for a surge or fishbite concern |
| 25-NA-001 | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2025 | This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of a transmission fluid leak. |
| 16-NA-019 | Service bulletin | Feb 12, 2025 | This informational buleltin provides information on Transmission Adaptive Functions and Correcting Low Mileage Harsh Shifts, Slips, or Flare… |
| PIP6032A | Service bulletin | Jan 29, 2025 | This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician on possible sources of transmission fluid leaks from the transmission oil… |
| PIP6036 | Service bulletin | Jan 9, 2025 | This Preliminary information communicates diagnostic aids for a surge or fishbite concern |
| 09-06-04-026Z | Service bulletin | Jan 9, 2025 | This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2. |
| PIP6033 | Service bulletin | Dec 11, 2024 | This Preliminary information communicates to technicians to remove the pulley assembly and inspect the drive chain and pulley surfaces. |
| PIP6032 | Service bulletin | Dec 11, 2024 | This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician on possible sources of transmission fluid leaks from the transmission oil… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Chevrolet and Buick, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is GM PIP5975A 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 PIP5975A 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.
Which vehicles does PIP5975A cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years across 2 brands (Chevrolet and Buick): 2025 Buick Encore, 2024 Buick Encore, 2023 Buick Encore, 2022 Buick Encore, 2021 Buick Encore, 2020 Buick Encore and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.