Investigations
FLEX FAN FAILURE
NHTSA Defect Petition DP96009 - closed, opened 1996-06-18.
NHTSA investigation DP96009 is a Defect Petition opened on 1996-06-18 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1996-12-03 - 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 DP96009 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: "JOSEPH E. WALLEN OF AMDURSKY, PELKY, FENNELL & WALLEN, P.C., REPRESENTING MR. BRADFORD BUTLER, PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE FLEX FAN BLADES (PART NUMBER 336032) MANUFACTURED BY CANADIAN FRAM ARE ALLEG..." 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
JOSEPH E. WALLEN OF AMDURSKY, PELKY, FENNELL & WALLEN, P.C., REPRESENTING MR. BRADFORD BUTLER, PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE FLEX FAN BLADES (PART NUMBER 336032) MANUFACTURED BY CANADIAN FRAM ARE ALLEGED DEFECTIVE WITHIN THE MEANING OF 49 U.S.C. CHAPTER 301. MR. BUTLER WAS SERIOUS INJURIED WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY A BROKEN PIECE OF THE FAN BLADE
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.