Investigations
DRIVER SEAT PEDESTALS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04019 - closed, opened 2004-02-24.
NHTSA investigation PE04019 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-02-24 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-06-22 - 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 PE04019 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: "DURING THE PE, ODI VISITED THE COMPLAINING FLEET AND CONTACTED OTHER FLEETS IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE APPARENT, LIMITED FAILURE PATTERN. ODI STILL HAS CONCERNS THAT THE PEDESTAL FAILURES ARE NOT ISOLATED EVENTS. ODI..." 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
DURING THE PE, ODI VISITED THE COMPLAINING FLEET AND CONTACTED OTHER FLEETS IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE APPARENT, LIMITED FAILURE PATTERN. ODI STILL HAS CONCERNS THAT THE PEDESTAL FAILURES ARE NOT ISOLATED EVENTS. ODI HAS LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT POPULATIONS OF SEAT PEDESTALS, THOSE SUPPLIED BY C.E. WHITE (1999 MODELS) AND THOSE SUPPLIED BY IC CORPORATION (2000-2001 MODELS). ODI IS AWARE OF COMPLAINTS ON BOTH PEDESTAL MANUFACTURERS. CURRENTLY, IT APPEARS THAT THE FAILURES ARE FATIGUE FRACTURES. NORMALLY THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS PROGRESSIVE, HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO REPORTS FOR UNITS INSTALLED IN THE EARLIER MODEL YEAR (1998). ODI HAS DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH IC AND WILL CONDUCT A JOINT PHYSICAL SURVEY OF SEVERAL LARGE FLEETS. DURING THIS SURVEY, OTHER FLEETS WITH EACH TYPE OF PEDESTAL WILL BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THE COMPLAINING FLEET. THE RESULTS OF THESE EXAMINATIONS AND INSPECTIONS WILL WEIGH HEAVILY ON FUTURE DECISIONS BY ODI.
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.