CHEVROLET 2011-2012: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID

Recall Insight

This NHTSA action (record #11V591000) was formally reported on December 19, 2011. It is classified under Critical severity, with a current status of Active. CHEVROLET is listed as the recalling firm. The number of affected units is not disclosed in the agency filing, which is common for drug and food recalls where lot-level tracking supersedes unit counts.

The documented reason for this recall is: GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 21, 2011. DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN MANUAL MODE AND IN FIRST … The specific hazard cited in the filing is: AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ELEVATED FLUID TEMPERATURES, THE RESERVOIR MAY LEAK. LEAKING FLUID, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: United States. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory. The remedy documented by the agency is: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER WITH AN IMPROVED VERSION, FREE OF CHARGE. AN ADVISORY LETTER TO CUSTOMERS, ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS, WILL BE MAILED IN JA… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by NHTSA. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 15 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.