Investigations
HARNESS ADJUSTER MALFUNCTION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05001 - closed, opened 2005-01-06.
NHTSA investigation PE05001 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-01-06 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-05-16 - 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 PE05001 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 OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON JANUARY 6, 2005, BASED ON COMPLAINTS GATHERED UNDER INVESTIGATION RQ04-008. COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED LOOSENING OF THE RESTRAINT HARNESS ON BRITAX SUPER E..." 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 OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON JANUARY 6, 2005, BASED ON COMPLAINTS GATHERED UNDER INVESTIGATION RQ04-008. COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED LOOSENING OF THE RESTRAINT HARNESS ON BRITAX SUPER ELITE CHILD SEATS. ODI DISCOVERED THAT THE SEATS REVIEWED UNDER THE RQ WERE FOUND TO HAVE MALFUNCTIONING ADJUSTER MECHANISMS. THE ADJUSTERS WOULD NOT LOCK INTO POSITION AND HOLD THE CHILD RESTRAINT HARNESS ADJUSTMENT SETTING. BRITAX REPORTED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ADJUSTER MALFUNCTION WAS JAMMING OF THE ADJUSTER STRAP BETWEEN THE ADJUSTER HOUSING AND THE ADJUSTER CAM. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE ADJUSTER CAM SPRING TO POP OUT OF POSITION. THIS CONDITION WILL LEAD TO AN ADJUSTER CAM THAT WILL STICK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND NOT LOCK THE ADJUSTER STRAP. TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION, BRITAX WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL 05C004) AND PROVIDE TO OWNERS AN ADJUSTER STRAP GUIDE THAT WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MOVEMENT OF THE ADJUSTER STRAP INTO THE AREA BETWEEN THE ADJUSTER CAM AND HOUSING. THE ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE OF THE GUIDE IS JULY 20, 2005. THE RECALL POPULATION IS 11,439 SUPER ELITE CHILD SEATS (MODEL NUMBER E9031) BUILT FROM APRIL 2001 THROUGH AUGUST 2002.
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.