Investigations
PASSENGER DOOR INTERLOCK MALFUNCTION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE03034 - closed, opened 2003-07-23.
NHTSA investigation PE03034 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-07-23 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-12-01 - 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 PE03034 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: "THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON A SINGLE, OHIO FLEET COMPLAINT ON A MODEL YEAR 2000 BUS WITH 151,000 MILES. VRTC TEST ENGINEERS VISITED THE FLEET AND CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM, A STUCK DOOR. THE SYTEM..." 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
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON A SINGLE, OHIO FLEET COMPLAINT ON A MODEL YEAR 2000 BUS WITH 151,000 MILES. VRTC TEST ENGINEERS VISITED THE FLEET AND CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM, A STUCK DOOR. THE SYTEM IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT WHEN THE DOOR SYSTEM IS ENGAGED, TWO STEEL PINS DROP IN PLACE FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. THE PINS SHOULD DISENGAGE WHEN THE BUS TRANSMISSION IS IN A "NEUTRAL" POSITION. THERE IS AN OVERRIDE SWITCH IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. VRTC TEST ENGINEERS CONFIRMED ON THE COMPLAINT BUS THAT THE PINS WOULD BECOME STUCK AND NOT DISENGAGE, ELIMINATING THAT DOOR AS AN EXIT, WHICH COULD BE A CONCERN IN AN EMERGENCY, AS A RESULT OF ODI'S INQUIRY, BLUEBIRD SUMBITTED INFORMATION WHICH INDICATED NO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OR FIELD REPORTS RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. BLUEBIRD DID IDENTIFY 301 WARRANTY CLAIMS. HOWEVER, THESE WERE NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS SUCH AS REPAIRS FOR DAMAGE, MISSING TRIM, AND ROUTINE ADJUSTMENTS OF OPERATING AIR CYLINDERS, ELECTRONIC CONTROL SWITCHES, MANUAL DEADLBOLT LOCKS, ETC. ODI CONTACTED THREE FLEET SERVICE MANAGERS SERVICING 46 SUBJECT BUSES. THE FLEET MANAGERS REPORTED NO CONINUOUS PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF THE ENTRY DOORS OF VEHICLES WITHIN THEIR FLEETS. ODI CONCLUDES THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND EXISTS IN THE SUBJECT BUSES AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. 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 ON THE VEHICLES IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCS.
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.