Investigations
FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE03032 - closed, opened 2003-07-16.
NHTSA investigation PE03032 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-07-16 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-11-19 - 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 PE03032 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: "IN JULY 2003, ODI OPENED PE03-032 BASED ON 4 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING SEPARATION OF AN UPPER BALL JOINT. COMPLAINTS ALLEGED AN UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE IN THE FRONT END AND IN SOME OCCASIONS THE BALL JOINT SEPARATION IS A..." 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
IN JULY 2003, ODI OPENED PE03-032 BASED ON 4 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING SEPARATION OF AN UPPER BALL JOINT. COMPLAINTS ALLEGED AN UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE IN THE FRONT END AND IN SOME OCCASIONS THE BALL JOINT SEPARATION IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN THE WHEEL, BRAKE ROTOR, AND STEERING KNUCKLE SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. SINCE OPENING THE PE, ODI HAS RECEIVED 23 ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BALL JOINT SEPARATION. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS IDENTIFIED A WEAROUT CONCERN IN THE SUBJECT BALL JOINTS THAT IS BELIEVED TO OCCUR AFTER WATER INTRUSION EVACUATES THE JOINT LUBRICANT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CONDITION POSES AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO SAFETY BECAUSE THE SUSPENSION DESIGN IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF JOINT SEPARATION. OVER 99 PERCENT OF THE FAILURES ARE RELATED TO WORN BALL JOINTS (E.G., NOISE COMPLAINTS). DAIMLERCHRYSLER REVISED THE REPAIR PROCEDURE IN AUGUST 2003 TO ALLOW THE UPPER BALL JOINTS TO BE SERVICED SEPARATELY FROM THE UPPER CONTROL ARM AND REDUCE REPAIR COSTS. DAIMLERCHRYSLER CHANGED THE SUPPLIER OF THE SUBJECT BALL JOINTS FROM TRW TO NEW CASTLE MACHINING & FORGE FOR MY 2000 VEHICLES. MY 2000 DURANGO VEHICLES ACCOUNT FOR 25 OF THE 37 SEPARATION COMPLAINTS. THE UPPER BALL JOINT WAS REDESIGNED IN MY 2003. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER ASSESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN MY 2000-02 DURANGO VEHICLES.
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.