Investigations
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILS
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA88014 - closed, opened 1988-01-13.
NHTSA investigation EA88014 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1988-01-13 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1990-06-29 - 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 EA88014 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: SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR ISPECULIAR TO 1985 GL 4DOOR SEDAN AND STATIONWAGON. INSTALLED TO IMPROVESENSITIVITY AND LIMIT WEBBING MOVEMENT. REPLACED IN PRODUCTION BY NEW UNITTO PROVIDE..." 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: SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR ISPECULIAR TO 1985 GL 4DOOR SEDAN AND STATIONWAGON. INSTALLED TO IMPROVESENSITIVITY AND LIMIT WEBBING MOVEMENT. REPLACED IN PRODUCTION BY NEW UNITTO PROVIDE 'COMMON USAGE WITH OTHER MANUFACTURERS'. PART SALES WERE NEARLYTWICE 1984 AND 1986 MODEL SALES (WHICH FIT OTHER VEHICLES). SOME 15 PARTNUMBERS WERE ISSUED FOR THIS SINGLE YEAR COMPONENT.ANALYSIS: THE 1985 MODEL APPEARS TO HAVE A SENSITIVITY PROBLEM. OF THE 8KNOWN ODI REPORTS ON ALL 1984-1986 SUBARU MODELS, 6 ARE THE 1985 GL STATIONWAGONS, 1 IS A 1984 MODEL GL STATION WAGON, AND THE OTHER IS ANOTHER 1984MODEL. THESE REPORTS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST SINCE THE FILING OF A VOQREQUIRES THAT ONE EXPERIENCE AN ACCIDENT, SURVIVE (OR SOMEONE NOTES THEPOSSIBILE FAILURE), AND THEN NOTIFY THE ODI.STATUS: PREPARE DETAILED IR.===
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.