Investigations
FALSE PARK
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04039 - closed, opened 2004-04-13.
NHTSA investigation PE04039 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-04-13 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-08-26 - 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 PE04039 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: "THERE HAVE BEEN 50 COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND DAIMLERCHRYSLER ALLEGING INCIDENTS OF REVERSE POWERED ROLLAWAY IN SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED. THE INCIDENTS ARE ALL..." 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
THERE HAVE BEEN 50 COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND DAIMLERCHRYSLER ALLEGING INCIDENTS OF REVERSE POWERED ROLLAWAY IN SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED. THE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN 42 CRASHES AND 3 INJURIES. ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER, INCIDENT VEHICLE INSPECTIONS HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY MISADJUSTED OR BROKEN PARTS. A TYPICAL INCIDENT IS BELIEVED TO INVOLVE THE FOLLOWING SET OF CONDITIONS: (1) WITH THE VEHICLE ON A RELATIVELY LEVEL SURFACE, AN ATTEMPTED SHIFT INTO PARK INADVERTENTLY PLACES THE TRANSMISSION IN A POSITION BETWEEN THE "REVERSE" AND "PARK" GEAR DETENTS; (2) THE DRIVER EXITS THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE RUNNING, AND THE PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED; AND (3) AFTER SOME DELAY, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TRAVELING REARWARD. IN PRIOR INVESTIGATIONS OF OTHER DAIMLERCHRYSLER PRODUCTS, REVERSE MOTION WAS FOUND TO RESULT FROM A GRADUAL PRESSURIZATION OF THE REVERSE CIRCUIT ("HYDRAULIC REVERSE"). DAIMLERCHRYSLER ATTRIBUTES THE INCIDENTS TO OPERATOR ERROR IN USING A SYSTEM THAT FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED. ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER, THE ALLEGED DEFECT CANNOT OCCUR IF THE DRIVER: (1) SHIFTS FULLY INTO PARK AS INDICATED BY END OF SHIFTER TRAVEL SLAM, THE FORWARD THROW OF THE SHIFT LEVER, AND/OR THE ILLUMINATION OF THE PARK INDICATION IN THE "PRNDL" DISPLAY; (2) REMOVES THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION; (3) TURNS THE ENGINE "OFF;" OR (4) ENGAGES THE PARKING BRAKE. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH: (1) DAIMLERCHRYSLER'S "RE"-SPECIFIC TRANSMISSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF TWO PREVIOUS ODI REVERSE POWERED ROLLAWAY INVESTIGATIONS (EA96-006 & EA01-017); AND (2) A COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT MECHANISM WITH AN ELECTRONIC GEAR POSITION INDICATOR ("PRNDL") THAT IS LOCATED IN THE DASH DISPLAY DIRECTLY FORWARD OF THE STEERING WHEEL. TWO PEER POPULATIONS OF DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS WERE ANALYZED FOR COMPARISON WITH THE SUBJECT VEHICLES: (1) MY 2001-02 RAM 2500/3500 PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR TRANSM
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.