Chevrolet, GMC and 2 others preliminary evaluation PE11014
Fuel level gauge system failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the fuel system, other on 16 model years (2005–2007). Opened Apr 25, 2011, closed Sep 23, 2011 after 5 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe office of defects investigations (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by General Motors (GM) as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 5,089 unique reports indicating an inaccurate fuel level reading while driving. General Motors stated that this condition occurs when the contacts of the fuel sensor wear prematurely. Most of the complaints indicated an empty fuel gauge reading after filling the tank. Less than 10 percent of theODI complaints involved an engine stall incident. During this investigation, GM developed a remedy procedure and issued special coverage bulletin instructing dealers to install a new design fuel level sensor. The bulletin was sent to dealers on August 10, 2011 and the owner letter mailing began on August 15, 2011. See the investigative file for copies of GM's bulletin and owner letter. This preliminary evaluation is closed.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. 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 closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2005 Buick Rainier; 2006 Buick Rainier; 2007 Buick Rainier; 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360; 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360; 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370; 2005 GMC Envoy 360; 2006 GMC Envoy 360; 2007 GMC Envoy 360; 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370; 2006 GMC Envoy XL 370; 2005 Saab 9-7X; 2006 Saab 9-7X; 2007 Saab 9-7X.
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 PE11014 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE11014 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 23, 2011 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE11014 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 16 model years: 2005 Buick Rainier, 2006 Buick Rainier, 2007 Buick Rainier, 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360, 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer 360 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.