Investigations
CARBON MONOXIDE INTRUSION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE02053 - closed, opened 2002-07-01.
NHTSA investigation PE02053 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2002-07-01 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2002-10-31 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE02053 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: "DURING ODI'S INVESTIGATION, LITTLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT WAS FOUND. MOST INTERVIEWED OWNERS STATED THEY HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HOT WATER HEATER. SEVERAL OF THESE OWNERS HAVE OWNED MULTIPLE UNITS..." 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
DURING ODI'S INVESTIGATION, LITTLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT WAS FOUND. MOST INTERVIEWED OWNERS STATED THEY HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HOT WATER HEATER. SEVERAL OF THESE OWNERS HAVE OWNED MULTIPLE UNITS OVER THE YEARS AND FOUND THEM TO BE VERY RELIABLE. ADDITIONALLY, OF THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED, MOST OWNERS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE OEM'S ATTENTION TO THEIR CONCERN. ODI STAFF ALSO TESTED SEVERAL RV'S FOR CO INTRUSION, NONE OF WHICH INDICATED REASON FOR ALARM. THE TESTING CONFIRMED CLAIMS THAT THE WIND HAD AN ADVERSE AFFECT ON THE HOT WATER HEATER'S EXHAUST VENTING SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE TEMPORARY PHENOMENA REQUIRED SEVERAL THINGS IN ORDER TO OCCUR. THOSE BEING, THE OPERATOR USES LPG INSTEAD OF ELECTRICITY AND THE WIND IS BLOWING ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THAT THE HOT WATER HEATER IS LOCATED AND IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION. EVEN THEN, THE UNIT IS ISOLATED FROM THE LIVING QUARTERS AND THEREFORE THE CO WOULD HAVE TO ESCAPE AND INFILTRATE THE LIVING QUARTERS AND ELEVATE THE PPM LEVEL TO WHERE IT WOULD BECOME DANGEROUS. THEREFORE, ODI HAS DETERMINED THAT A SAFETY REALTED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FUTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
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.