Investigations
REAR DOOR LATCH FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04033 - closed, opened 2004-04-08.
NHTSA investigation PE04033 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-04-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-08-20 - 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 PE04033 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 ON APRIL 8, 2004, BASED ON 17 REPORTS THAT ONE OR BOTH REAR DOOR LATCHES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THAT THE DOORS WERE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND THAT THE DOOR LATCHES..." 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 ON APRIL 8, 2004, BASED ON 17 REPORTS THAT ONE OR BOTH REAR DOOR LATCHES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THAT THE DOORS WERE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND THAT THE DOOR LATCHES WOULD NOT REMAIN LATCHED WHILE THE VEHICLES WERE BEING DRIVEN, RESULTING IN A DOOR COMING OPEN. SEVERAL OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT CORROSION OF THE DOOR LATCH MECHANISM CAUSED BINDING OF THE LATCH. FORD'S RESPONSE TO THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION INFORMATION REQUEST PROVIDED 19 CONSUMER REPORTS AND 28 WARRANTY CLAIMS ATTRIBUTED TO THE DOOR LATCH WHERE THE DOORS CAME OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLES WERE BEING DRIVEN. THREE (3) OF THE 17 OPENING ODI REPORTS WERE DUPLICATED IN FORD'S RESPONSE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA04-023 FOR FURTHER STUDY.
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.