The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·11V591000·Announced 2011-12-19

Chevrolet Captiva Recall: Power Steering Fluid Leak Fire Risk

General Motors is recalling 2011-2012 Chevrolet Captiva vehicles because the power steering fluid reservoir may leak and cause a fire.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a vehicle defect that may result in a fire, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Captiva and Captiva Sport vehicles manufactured between October 2, 2009, and April 21, 2011. The recall involves approximately 3,150 vehicles.

The defect occurs when driving the vehicle with the transmission in manual mode and in first gear, which causes the engine and power steering pump to operate at higher than typical speeds. This increased speed generates heat that can raise the power steering fluid temperature to near the melting point of the power steering pump reservoir. After prolonged exposure to these elevated temperatures, the reservoir may leak. If the leaking fluid comes into contact with an ignition source, it may result in a fire.

General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering fluid cooler with an improved version free of charge. An advisory letter with instructions was mailed in January 2012, and a second letter requesting customers to have the repair performed was expected when parts became available in March 2012. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT, CAPTIVA
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Category
Vehicle — Steering System
Hazard
Affected units
3,150

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • CAPTIVA SPORT
  • CAPTIVA

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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