Investigations
UNINTENDED VEHICLE ACCELERATION
NHTSA Defect Petition DP03007 - closed, opened 2003-10-14.
NHTSA investigation DP03007 is a Defect Petition opened on 2003-10-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-01-30 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Defect Petition like DP03007 starts when a person or group formally asks NHTSA to investigate a specific alleged defect. Petitioners submit evidence, NHTSA reviews it within 120 days, and either grants the petition (opening a PE) or denies it with a written explanation in the Federal Register.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2003, THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) RECEIVED A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 8, 2003 FROM MR. DONALD FRIEDMAN, PETITIONING THE AGENCY TO "OPEN A DEFECT INVESTIGATION INTO UNINTENDED..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2003, THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) RECEIVED A LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 8, 2003 FROM MR. DONALD FRIEDMAN, PETITIONING THE AGENCY TO "OPEN A DEFECT INVESTIGATION INTO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INVOLVING [MODEL YEAR] 1996 AND 1997 GENERAL MOTORS J-CARS." IN SUPPORT OF HIS PETITION, MR. FRIEDMAN CITED A REPORT HE "RECEIVED FOR GM" SHOWING IT HAD RECEIVED FAR MORE REPORTS OF ALLEGED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION FOR THESE MODELS THAN FOR OTHERS. AFTER ASSESSING THE DATA CLAIMED BY THE PETITIONER TO JUSTIFY HIS REQUEST, ODI FOUND NO INDICATION THAT DEFECT TREND RELATED TO THE PETITIONER'S ALLEGATIONS EXISTS AT THIS TIME. THEREFORE, THERE IS NO REASONABLE POSIBILITY THAT AN ORDER CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT WOULD BE ISSUED AS A RESULT OF GRANTING MR. FRIEDMAN'S PETITION. CONSEQUENTLY, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS ANALYSIS, PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE.
About This Investigation Type
A Defect Petition (DP) is initiated when an individual or organization formally petitions NHTSA to investigate a potential safety defect. NHTSA reviews the petition and decides whether to open an investigation.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.