Investigations
INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA96023 - closed, opened 1996-09-27.
NHTSA investigation EA96023 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1996-09-27 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1998-02-13 - 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 EA96023 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: "THE FAILURE RATE (1.25/100K) ON THIS ISSUE IS LOW. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF THE AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGA..." 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
THE FAILURE RATE (1.25/100K) ON THIS ISSUE IS LOW. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF THE AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITURE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS ISSUE. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CLOSING REPORT IS INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC FILE.
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.