Investigations
STEERING BINDING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04014 - closed, opened 2004-02-05.
NHTSA investigation PE04014 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-02-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-06-24 - 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 PE04014 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'S PRELIMINARY EVALUATION FOCUSED ON THE POTENTIAL FOR A BROKEN, BENT, DEFORMED, FRAGMENTED OR DISPLACED TURN SIGNAL CANCELING RING ("TSCR"), VTNA PART NUMBER 1607363, TO RESTRICT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO TUR..." 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'S PRELIMINARY EVALUATION FOCUSED ON THE POTENTIAL FOR A BROKEN, BENT, DEFORMED, FRAGMENTED OR DISPLACED TURN SIGNAL CANCELING RING ("TSCR"), VTNA PART NUMBER 1607363, TO RESTRICT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE PE IDENTIFIED THIRTEEN VTNA WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT ALLEGE THAT THE TSCR HAD "FAILED" AND THAT THE VEHICLE STEERING EFFORT HAD BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED. TO DATE, ODI HAS NOT FOUND ANY SAMPLES OF A "FAILED" TSCR AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEFINITIVELY ESTABLISH WHETHER A "FAILED" TSCR CAN OR CANNOT CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED STEERING EFFORT. ODI BELIEVES THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CONDUCT FURTHER INVESTIGATION (EA LEVEL) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TSCR "FAILURES" AND TO ASSESS THE EFFECT, IF ANY, THAT THESE TYPES OF FAILURES COULD HAVE ON VEHICLE STEERING EFFORT.
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.