Investigations
DOOR LATCH FAILURE
NHTSA Defect Petition DP96008 - closed, opened 1996-06-12.
NHTSA investigation DP96008 is a Defect Petition opened on 1996-06-12 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1996-11-25 - 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 DP96008 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: "PUBLIC CITZEN (PC) PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE THE TYPE III DOOR LATCHES INSTALLED IN MODEL YEAR 1978 THROUGH 1988 GM VEHICLES. SPECIFICALLY, PC ALLEGED THAT DURING A COLLISION, THE TYPE III DOOR LATCH ALLOWS TH..." 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
PUBLIC CITZEN (PC) PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE THE TYPE III DOOR LATCHES INSTALLED IN MODEL YEAR 1978 THROUGH 1988 GM VEHICLES. SPECIFICALLY, PC ALLEGED THAT DURING A COLLISION, THE TYPE III DOOR LATCH ALLOWS THE DETENT LEVER TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE FORK BOLT, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO INADVERTENTLY OPEN AND THE OCCUPANT TO BE EJECTED.
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.