Investigations

Engine Stall After Refueling

NHTSA Defect Petition DP14002 — closed, opened 2014-09-05 and involving the CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY.

DP14002 Defect Petition Closed

Vehicle: CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY View model page

NHTSA investigation DP14002 is a Defect Petition opened on 2014-09-05 and currently closed. The subject of record is CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for CHRYSLER. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-04-06 — 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 DP14002 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: "This defect petition evaluates July 7, 2014 allegations from an owner of a model year (MY) 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan that engine stall occurs in these vehicles without warning after refueling. The petitioner's veh..." 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. Related CHRYSLER files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.

Status
Closed
Type
Defect Petition
Opened
2014-09-05
Latest Activity
2015-04-06

Investigation Summary

This defect petition evaluates July 7, 2014 allegations from an owner of a model year (MY) 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan that engine stall occurs in these vehicles without warning after refueling. The petitioner's vehicle is a Chrysler RS platform minivan. The RS platform includes MY 2003 through 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Chrysler Voyager minivans. NHTSA evaluated the petition by analyzing consumer complaints submitted to the Agency, analyzing field data, reviewing technical information provided in Chrysler's response to an Agency information request and testing an RS minivan identified by its owner as experiencing post-refuel engine stalls. After completing this evaluation, NHTSA has concluded that further investigation is unlikely to result in a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists. The stalls occurring in these vehicles only occur immediately after filling up the fuel tank and happen at low engine speeds. The failure rate is low, even after 8 to 13 years of the vehicles being in service, and there are no reports of crashes or injuries resulting from the stall condition. In the Agency's view, additional investigation is unlikely to result in finding the existence of a safety-related defect in the subject vehicles. Given the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the Agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. This action does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will take further action if warranted by future circumstances. More details concerning our review can be found in the Federal Register Notice for this action. The following 161 VOQs are included in the petition evaluation: 10209242, 10229468, 10240708, 10260923, 10275939, 10276532, 10296487, 10298175, 10328669, 10330144, 10346517, 10349789, 10354758, 10363689, 10372112, 10372368, 10372514, 10378031, 10379764, 10382938, 10387448, 10394063, 10

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.

Other CHRYSLER Investigations

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. Learn more.