Investigations
FUEL EXPULSION
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA88020 - closed, opened 1988-01-28.
NHTSA investigation EA88020 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1988-01-28 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1988-11-17 - 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 EA88020 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: WHAT IS THE DEFECT? SOURCE/ORIGIN OF THE FUEL TANK PRESSURIZATION. ELIMINATION/REDUCTION OF THE DEFECT. DATA ANALYSIS. CONCLUSSION. ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN?===..." 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: WHAT IS THE DEFECT? SOURCE/ORIGIN OF THE FUEL TANK PRESSURIZATION. ELIMINATION/REDUCTION OF THE DEFECT. DATA ANALYSIS. CONCLUSSION. ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN?===
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.