Investigations
FRAME CRACKING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04013 - closed, opened 2004-02-02.
NHTSA investigation PE04013 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-02-02 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-06-18 - 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 PE04013 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: "ODI HAS NOT FOUND ANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS BEYOND THE ORIGINAL VOQS THAT FORMED THE BASIS FOR THE INITIATION OF THIS INVESTIGATION. THE THREE VOQ-COMPLAINT VEHICLES DID NOT INDICATE A TREND OR PATTERN IN THAT THEY DIFFE..." 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
ODI HAS NOT FOUND ANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS BEYOND THE ORIGINAL VOQS THAT FORMED THE BASIS FOR THE INITIATION OF THIS INVESTIGATION. THE THREE VOQ-COMPLAINT VEHICLES DID NOT INDICATE A TREND OR PATTERN IN THAT THEY DIFFERED FROM EACH OTHER IN MODEL YEAR (1998, 1999, AND 2002), VEHICLE CONFIGURATION, AND FRAME SUPPLIER. THE 2002 VEHICLE WAS A PROTOTYPE IN WHICH THE FRAME-RELATED DEFECT WAS DETECTED AND CORRECTED AFTER THE SOLE AFFECTED VEHICLE WAS PUT IN SERVICE. THE FRAME SUPPLIER INSPECTED ANOTHER OF THE VEHICLES AND STATED THAT THAT VEHICLE EXHIBITED DAMAGE TO THE UNDERBODY INDICATIVE OF HAVING BEEN EXPOSED TO ONE OR MORE HIGH LATERAL FORCES CONSISTENT WITH EXTRACTING A "WEDGED" VEHICLE. SEE THE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR FULL DETAILS.
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.