Investigations
THROTTLE CONTROL
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA88010 - closed, opened 1987-11-30.
NHTSA investigation EA88010 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1987-11-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1989-10-31 - 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 EA88010 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: "SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: UNDER PE87-041, GM PROVIDED THECOMPLAINT, ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND FATALITY DATA TABULATED ABOVE.ANALYSIS: DURING GM'S COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION REQUIREDTO RESPOND T..." 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
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: UNDER PE87-041, GM PROVIDED THECOMPLAINT, ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND FATALITY DATA TABULATED ABOVE.ANALYSIS: DURING GM'S COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION REQUIREDTO RESPOND TO THE NHTSA'S REQUEST UNDER THE PE, INDICATIONS WERE GIVEN THATTHE NUMBERS OF CONSUMER AND OTHER COMPLAINTS CLEARLY SUGGESTED THE EXIST-OF A SAFETY PROBLEM AND THAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE IN ORDER. GM'S FORMALLETTER RESPONSE, HOWEVER, RETREATED FROM THIS POSITION.NHTSA'S ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION IS ONGOING IN AN EFFORT TOIDENTIFY ONE OR MORE PRIMARY MODES OF COMPONENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION THATCOULD RESULT IN ANY ONE OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING: A. SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH OR WITHOUT ATTENDANT BRAKE FAILURE B. SELF-ACTUATION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM C. FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM TO DEACTIVATE UPON DRIVER COMMAND D. FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE LINKAGES/MECHANISMS TO RESPOND IN MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION TO DRIVER COMMAND E. ANY OTHER POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION THAT MAY BE IDENTIFIED.THE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS, TOGETHER WITH RESULTANTACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, ARE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO SUGGEST THAT A RIGOROUSEVALUATION OF THIS MATTER BY THE NHTSA IS IN ORDER.STATUS: NO SPECIFIC MALFUNCTION OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM CAPABLEOF CAUSING INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIEDTO DATE. HOWEVER, INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THREE CONDITIONS THAT COULDRESTRICT FREE MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE. H-BODY CARS POTENTIALLYAFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR CORRECTION. OTHERPHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.PHASES OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTINUING.===
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.