Investigations
FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR FAILURE
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA06003 - closed, opened 2006-03-08.
NHTSA investigation EA06003 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2006-03-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-05-22 - 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 EA06003 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 (DCC) WILL REPLACE THE FRAME RAIL-MOUNTED FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS IN APPROXIMATELY 270,958 MY 2005 DAIMLERCHRYSLER MINIVANS (NHTSA RECALL NO. 07V-192). THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FRONT CRASH SEN..." 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 (DCC) WILL REPLACE THE FRAME RAIL-MOUNTED FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS IN APPROXIMATELY 270,958 MY 2005 DAIMLERCHRYSLER MINIVANS (NHTSA RECALL NO. 07V-192). THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FRONT CRASH SENSORS WITH BRASS BUSHINGS AND WERE BUILT BETWEEN APRIL 24, 2003 AND FEBRUARY 2, 2005. THIS ACTION COVERS VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED, IN 27 STATES (ALASKA, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN) AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. VEHICLES SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED OUTSIDE OF THESE STATES, APPROXIMATELY 133,128 MY 2005 MINIVANS, WILL RECEIVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE FRONT CRASH SENSORS. ALTHOUGH THESE VEHICLES USE THE SAME BRASS BUSHING SENSORS AND WERE BUILT DURING THE SAME PERIOD AS THE ONES DESCRIBED ABOVE, THEY EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FAILURE RATES BECAUSE OF REDUCED ROAD SALT EXPOSURE. DCC WILL ALSO PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO ALL AFFECTED VEHICLE OWNERS. NHTSA AND DCC DIFFER REGARDING THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE DEFECT, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF REMEDYING THE AFFECTED VEHICLES EXPEDITIOUSLY AND TO AVOID A PROTRACTED DISPUTE, DCC IS IMPLEMENTING STEPS TO REPLACE THE SUBJECT COMPONENTS. BASED ON THESE ACTIONS, THE AGENCY HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER USE OF ITS RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THE ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SELECT DOCUMENT SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
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.