Investigations
POWER LIFTGATE LATCH
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04054 - closed, opened 2004-07-30.
NHTSA investigation PE04054 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-07-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-11-22 - 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 PE04054 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 JULY 30, 2004, BASED ON ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING UNWANTED OPENING OF THE VEHICLE'S POWER LIFTGATE (PLG) WHILE DRIVING. IN DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC)'S SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 RE..." 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 JULY 30, 2004, BASED ON ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING UNWANTED OPENING OF THE VEHICLE'S POWER LIFTGATE (PLG) WHILE DRIVING. IN DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC)'S SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 RESPONSE TO ODI' S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER, IT PROVIDED ADDITIONAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS. DCC STATES IN PART, "...THE PLG LATCH BECOMES STUCK IN A SEMI-CLOSED STATE NOT ALLOWING THE PLG LATCH TO ENGAGE THE STRIKER, THUS NOT CLOSING THE LIFTGATE COMPLETELY." IN THIS CONDITION THE PLG AJAR WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT BE ILLUMINATED AND THE PLG CAN RISE (NOT A POWERED OPEN) WHILE DRIVING. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO EA04-031 FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
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.