Investigations
FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE03031 - closed, opened 2003-07-14.
NHTSA investigation PE03031 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-07-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-11-04 - 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 PE03031 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: "THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A COIL SPRING-OVER-STRUT FRONT SUSPENSION WITH THE SPRING ITSELF RESTING IN COMPRESSION BETWEEN TWO POLYMER ISOLATORS. PE03-031 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF FRACTURE OF THIS..." 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 SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A COIL SPRING-OVER-STRUT FRONT SUSPENSION WITH THE SPRING ITSELF RESTING IN COMPRESSION BETWEEN TWO POLYMER ISOLATORS. PE03-031 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF FRACTURE OF THIS SPRING. THE FRACTURES OCCUR IN THE FIRST ACTIVE COIL ABOVE THE LOWER ISOLATOR AND APPARENTLY ORIGINATE IN CORROSION PITS FOUND BENEATH REGIONS OF DAMAGED EPOXY COATING. CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY DATA SHOW THAT THE FAILURES OCCUR PREDOMINANTLY IN THE ¿CORROSION STATES¿ AND TEND TO APPEAR OUTSIDE OF THE STANDARD 36,000 MILE WARRANTY TERM. THESE DATA ALSO SUGGEST THAT THESE FAILURES WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS HAVE INVOLVED THE BROKEN SPRING COIL CONTACTING THE ADJACENT TIRE. ODI IS UPGRADING PE03-031 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO GATHER FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE SCOPE AND CONSEQUENCES OF THESE FAILURES.
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.