Investigations
FALSE PARK
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA04025 - closed, opened 2004-08-26.
NHTSA investigation EA04025 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2004-08-26 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-12-22 - 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 EA04025 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: "THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS WITH DIESEL ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS COMMONLY USED FOR COMMERCIAL AND WORK PURPOSES. A COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER IS USED FOR GEAR SELECTION AND AN ELECTRONIC..." 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
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS WITH DIESEL ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS COMMONLY USED FOR COMMERCIAL AND WORK PURPOSES. A COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER IS USED FOR GEAR SELECTION AND AN ELECTRONIC PRNDL ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PROVIDES GEAR POSITION INFORMATION TO THE DRIVER. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE ALSO EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS THE SHIFT LEVER FROM BEING MOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION (WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON) UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED AND AN IGNITION-SHIFT INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS KEY REMOVAL UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION IS IN THE PARK POSITION. COMPLAINANTS GENERALLY REPORT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED IN A FORWARD GEAR AND BROUGHT TO A STOP THROUGH BRAKE APPLICATION ON A LEVEL SURFACE, AT WHICH TIME THE OPERATOR MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER TO ENGAGE THE PARK POSITION. THE OPERATOR THEN OPENED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND, WITHOUT VERIFYING PARK ENGAGEMENT (E.G., PRNDL GEAR INDICATION), SECURING THE PARK BRAKE, OR TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, EXITED THE VEHICLE. INITIALLY, NO VEHICLE MOVEMENT WAS APPARENT, HOWEVER, A SHORT TIME LATER, TYPICALLY REPORTED AS 10 TO 30 SECONDS, THE VEHICLE MOVED REARWARD UNDER ENGINE POWER. THE INCIDENT OFTEN ENDED IN A VEHICLE CRASH, AND SOMETIMES INVOLVED SERIOUS INJURY. TWO FATALITIES ARE ALLEGED. ODI¿S ANALYSIS OF TEST VEHICLES AND SOME INCIDENT VEHICLES FOUND NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT A SHIFT LEVER PROPERLY PLACED IN PARK COULD UNINTENTIONALLY (I.E., WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT) DISENGAGE FROM THAT POSITION. HOWEVER, ODI DID FIND THAT THE SHIFT LEVER COULD BE INADVERTENTLY PLACED, AND REMAIN AT REST, WITHIN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN THE PARK AND REVERSE GEAR POSITIONS. WHEN PLACED IN SUCH AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION, THE VEHICLE CAN EXPERIENCE A DELAYED PRESSURIZATION OF THE REVERSE HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL REARWARD UNDER POWER. THE DELAY PERIOD ALLOWS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR OPERATORS TO EXIT THE STATIONARY VEHICLE WITHOUT PERCEIVING TH
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.