Saturn engineering analysis EA11015
Transmission Shift Cable Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this engineering analysis about the gear position indication (prndl) on 2 model years (2007–2008). Opened Nov 10, 2011, closed Jun 2, 2014 after 2.6 years. It led to safety recall 14V224000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn April 29, 2014, GM submitted a Part 573 defect information report initiating Safety Recall 14V-224 to remedy the subject vehicles equipped with four speed automatic transmissions manufactured before October 31, 2007. On May 22, 2014 GM expanded 14V-224 to include MY 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu/Malibu Maxx and MY 2005 - 2008 Pontiac G6 (total recall population 1,131,113).GM will install a replacement shift cable assembly to remedy the affected vehicles. The subject shift cable's protective outer conduit (jacket) deteriorates with time and use. Jacket deterioration could lead to a tear of the conduit material which allows moisture to reach the lay wires, potentially causing them to corrode and weaken. The lay wires provide support to the inner core wire that performs the shift detent actuation of the transmission. Without sufficient lay wire support, the shifter position inside the vehicle and the actual transmission gear selection may not align. A complete loss of shift function can occur when the core wire fractures and fails fully. The failure data supports that the problem affects subject vehicles equipped with four-speed automatic transmissions. Aura vehicles manufactured with other transmission types use a different shift cable assembly, as do four speed equipped Aura's manufactured after October 31, 2007. Transmission shift cable failure can cause multiple shift function failure modes. One involves an engine no-start condition where the gear shifter is in the park position but the transmission is actually in drive or reverse gear (engine starting is inhibited in this circumstance).A second involves non-powered vehicle movement where the driver turns the engine off and moves the shifter to park but the transmission fails to engage the park gear; the vehicle may roll away if the driver exits without setting the park brake. A third involves powered vehicle movements, where the driver moves the gearshift but the transmission fails to engage the intended gear, and the engine remains running. For instance the driver can shift to park but the transmission may remain in drive or reverse, resulting in vehicle movement when the driver does not expect it. Another failure involves the driver shifting to reverse but the transmission remains in drive, resulting in the vehicle moving in a direction opposite to that the driver intended. Another failure mode results in complete loss of shifting. Both NHTSA and GM have received complaints alleging one or more of these failure scenarios, and in some cases consumers report experiencing multiple problems over the course of several drive cycles. In one incident, the vehicle unexpectedly moved forward after the driver placed the gear selector in park resulting in the vehicle striking a fixed object (porch railing).Among the crashes identified above, nine involved property damage and two involved minor injuries when the vehicles rolled and struck the driver as they exited the vehicle. The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks of concern to ODI. Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The VOQs cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10274914, 10404010, 10432953, 10446285, 10458417, 10495979, 10547333, 10354195 , 10404496, 10435560, 10447211, 10461922, 10498567, 10547683, 10374834, 10405577, 10435633, 10447303, 10464207, 10513116, 10553840, 10378975, 10409341, 10435653, 10449759, 10464388, 10513875, 10554335, 10382559, 10411913, 10435677, 10452089, 10467958, 10516001, 10565628, 10383044, 10412157, 10435996, 10452662, 10478887, 10522732, 10566451, 1039013
A Engineering Analysis is the deeper stage, usually upgraded from a Preliminary Evaluation: NHTSA tests, requests engineering documents and decides whether a safety defect exists. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2007 Saturn Aura; 2008 Saturn Aura.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs EA11015 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 14V224000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is EA11015 still open?
No. It closed on Jun 2, 2014 and led to recall 14V224000.
Which vehicles does EA11015 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 2 model years: 2007 Saturn Aura, 2008 Saturn Aura. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.