Investigations
VOLVO S40/V40 MY 2000-2001
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA02026 - closed, opened 2002-09-10 and involving the VOLVO VOLVO.
NHTSA investigation EA02026 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2002-09-10 and currently closed. The subject of record is VOLVO VOLVO, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for VOLVO. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-11-21 - 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 EA02026 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: "IN A NOVEMBER 6, 2003 SAFETY DEFECT REPORT, VOLVO INDICATED THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT RECALL OF THE 2000 MODEL YEAR (MY) SUBJECT VEHICLES (ABOUT 36,000 VEHICLES). VOLVO WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SERVICE CA..." 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 VOLVO files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
IN A NOVEMBER 6, 2003 SAFETY DEFECT REPORT, VOLVO INDICATED THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT RECALL OF THE 2000 MODEL YEAR (MY) SUBJECT VEHICLES (ABOUT 36,000 VEHICLES). VOLVO WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SERVICE CAMPAIGN OF ABOUT 31,000 2001 MY SUBJECT VEHICLES. ODI INVESTIGATED BOTH THE 2000 AND 2001 MY VEHICLES AND DETERMINED THAT THE 2001 MY VEHICLES EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER RATES OF FAILURES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OWNER REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS SUBMITTED TO ODI. ODI BELIEVES THAT THE PROPOSED ACTION IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THIS INVESTIGATION'S SAFETY ISSUES. FOR THE CRASHES, IN ADDITION TO THE 22 SUBMITTED BY VOLVO, ODI FOUND 10 ADDITIONAL CRASH ALLEGATIONS IN THE OWNER REPORTS, FIELD REPORTS, AND WARRANTY CLAIMS SUBMITTED BY VOLVO. OF THESE 32 CRASHES, ODI BELIEVES THAT 10 ARE CLEARLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT, AND 5 APPEAR TO BE RELATED. OF THE 17 REMAINING CASES, TWO DID NOT INVOLVE A CRASH AND THE OTHER 15 COULD NOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. ODI WILL SUPPLEMENT THIS RESUME WITH A CLOSING REPORT AND ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL DETAILS CONCERNING THE DEFECT.
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.
Other VOLVO Investigations
Discrepancies in Required CFR Reporting
Ride Quality
Windshield Wiper Failures
Volvo Sleeper glass de-bonding
Central Electronic Module Failure
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.