Investigations
ROLL-AWAY IN REVERSE WHEN PARKED
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA01017 - closed, opened 2001-11-01.
NHTSA investigation EA01017 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2001-11-01 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2002-12-18 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA01017 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS RECALLED THE ZJ MODELS TO INCORPORATE A SECONDARY DETENT SPRING INTO THE SHIFTER. EVEN THOUGH THE WJ 6 CYL. VEHICLES USE THE SAME MANUAL DETENT LEVER THAT AS THE VEHICLES IN THE RECALL POPULATION, ODI..." 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
DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS RECALLED THE ZJ MODELS TO INCORPORATE A SECONDARY DETENT SPRING INTO THE SHIFTER. EVEN THOUGH THE WJ 6 CYL. VEHICLES USE THE SAME MANUAL DETENT LEVER THAT AS THE VEHICLES IN THE RECALL POPULATION, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE WJ REDESIGNED SHIFTER, WHICH IMPROVES FLOOR SHIFTER FUNCTIONALITY AND ERGONOMICS, HELPS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE DRIVER TO INDICATE WHETHER ¿PARK¿ HAS OR HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED. ALTHOUGH THE INVESTIGATOR WAS ABLE TO INDUCE A ¿FALSE PARK¿ IN THE WJ PLATFORM FOR 6 CYL. VEHICLES, THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY WAS GREATER THAN THAT REQUIRED FOR ALL ZJ MODELS, AND THE COMPLAINT RATE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE RECALLED ZJ POPULATION. FURTHER, THE ODI INVESTIGATOR WAS ALSO ABLE TO CREATE A ¿FALSE PARK¿ IN PEER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY AND FREQUENCY AS THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WJ PLATFORM. THE WJ COMPLAINT RATE WAS INFLATED DUE TO NATIONAL EXPOSURE THROUGH THE PRESS. THE COMPLAINT RATE PRIER TO THE JULY 5, 2001 MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THE WJ VEHICLES IS SIMILAR TO THE PEER VEHICLE INCIDENT RATE. BASED ON THE ABOVE, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME IN THE WJ POPULATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED WITH A SAFETY RECAL FOR THE "ZJ" PLATFORM ONLY.
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
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.