Investigations
ENGINE STALLING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04034 - closed, opened 2004-04-08.
NHTSA investigation PE04034 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 2004-08-09 - 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 PE04034 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: "THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL FOCUS ON THOSE ENGINES PRODUCED BY CUMMINS FOR SALE IN THE AFTERMARKET AS REPLACEMENTS FOR ENGINES ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN NEW VEHICLES. THIS IS ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE ENGINES PROD..." 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
THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL FOCUS ON THOSE ENGINES PRODUCED BY CUMMINS FOR SALE IN THE AFTERMARKET AS REPLACEMENTS FOR ENGINES ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN NEW VEHICLES. THIS IS ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE ENGINES PRODUCED BY CUMMINS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE ALLEGED DEFECT. FOR THIS SMALL POPULATION, THE WARRANTY RATE IS 3.24%. HOWEVER, FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THESE ENGINES PRODUCED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES, THE WARRANTY RATE IS 4.55%. ALSO, A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY CUMMINS SHOWS THAT FOR THE OLDEST ENGINES IN THE SUBJECT POPULATION (ENGINES PRODUCED IN 1998 AND 1999), THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE ENGINE AT THE TIME OF THE WARRANTY CLAIM IS ABOUT 2.7 YEARS, AND THE AVERAGE WARRANTY RATE IS 5.21%. AS ODI CONTINUES ITS EXAMINATION OF THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM CUMMINS, SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE INITIATED, AS APPROPRIATE, ADDRESSING THE VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THOSE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO WHOM CUMMINS SOLD THE SUBJECT ENGINES. ODI WAS AWARE OF A CUMMINS SERVICE CAMPAIGN (#0329) WHEN THIS INVESTIGATION WAS BEGUN. ODI HAS BECOME AWARE OF TWO ADDITIONAL SERVICE CAMPAIGNS, ONE FOR FEDERAL EXPRESS (#0210) AND ONE FOR SHRED-IT (#0411) . THESE SERVICE CAMPAIGNS AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF THE LATEST FUEL INJECTION AND TRANSFER PUMPS (PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS) ON VEHICLES THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE PUMPS INSTALLED PREVIOUSLY ON A FIX-AS-FAIL BASIS.
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.