FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT

NHTSA investigation PE03020 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-05-21 and currently closed. The subject of record is MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for MERCURY. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-09-05 — 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 PE03020 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: "BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 4, 2003, FORD NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 03V281) INVOLVING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998-2001 FORD EXPLORER / MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 4-DOOR, M..." 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. Related MERCURY files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.