Investigations
AIR BAG BURN INJURIES/VEHICLE FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE02020 - closed, opened 2002-02-11.
NHTSA investigation PE02020 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2002-02-11 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2002-08-16 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE02020 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "INFORMATION DISCLOSED DURING THIS PE SHOWS ALLEGATIONS OF BURN INJURIES RESULTING FROM ABRASION AND/OR TERMAL CAUSES. ALLEGATIONS OF CHEMICAL BURNS ALSO EXIST. SEVERAL INCIDENTS ALLEGE VEHICLES FIRES RESULTING FROM DEPLO..." 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
INFORMATION DISCLOSED DURING THIS PE SHOWS ALLEGATIONS OF BURN INJURIES RESULTING FROM ABRASION AND/OR TERMAL CAUSES. ALLEGATIONS OF CHEMICAL BURNS ALSO EXIST. SEVERAL INCIDENTS ALLEGE VEHICLES FIRES RESULTING FROM DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) TO FACILITATE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES IN THIS MATTER.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
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.