Investigations
ENGINE STALL
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA05018 - closed, opened 2005-11-02.
NHTSA investigation EA05018 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2005-11-02 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-08-29 - 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 EA05018 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: "ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLAINT, FIELD REPORT AND WARRANTY DATA SHOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STALLING INCIDENTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE ENGINE CALIBRATION CONCERNS THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER ADDRESSED WITH..." 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
ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLAINT, FIELD REPORT AND WARRANTY DATA SHOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STALLING INCIDENTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE ENGINE CALIBRATION CONCERNS THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER ADDRESSED WITH SERVICE BULLETINS RELEASING REVISED PCM SOFTWARE. ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLAINTS AND ODI'S SURVEY OF OWNERS OF VEHICLES THAT RECEIVED ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES UNDER TSB #18-013-05 SHOW THAT THESE STALLING INCIDENTS HAVE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: - THEY OCCUR AT LOW SPEEDS, OFTEN DURING PARKING LOT OR DRIVEWAY MANEUVERS; - THEY OCCUR DURING DECELERATIONS, SUCH AS BRAKING FOR A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC SIGNAL; AND - THE OPERATOR IS ALMOST ALWAYS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART THE VEHICLE. WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER SAFETY DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS AND RECALLS OF CONDITIONS THAT RESULT IN STALLING DURING LOW-SPEED DECELERATION WITH IMMEDIATE ENGINE RESTART POSSIBLE, THE FAILURE RATE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS LOW. ANALYSES OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA ALSO SHOW A DECLINING TREND. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED. SEE DOCUMENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS RESUME.
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.